bill_the_galactic_hero_v1.1-第28节

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　　　〃All　of　that　is　correct；　Captain；　except　for　the　fact　that　the　accused　here　did　absent　himself　from　his　assigned　station；　the　Transit　Rankers'　Center；　and　was　at　large　upon　the　planet　Helior。〃
　　〃All　of　which　is　correct；　sir；〃　O'Brien　said；　whipping　out　yet　another　volume　and　waving　it　over　his　head。　‘But　in　Dragsted　versus　the　Imperial　Navy　Billeting　Corps；　Helior；　8832；　it　was　agreed　that　for　purposes　of　legal　definition　the
planet　Helior　was　to　be　defined　as　the　City　of　Helior；　and　the　City　of　Helior　was　to　be　defined　as　the　planet　Helior。〃
　　〃All　of　which　is　undoubtedly　true；〃　the　president　interrupted；　〃but　totally　beside　the　point。　They　have　no　bearing　upon　the　present　case　and　I'll　ask　you　to　snap　it　up；　Captain；　because　I　have　a　golf　appointment。〃
　　〃You　can　tee　off　in　ten　minutes；　sir；　if　you　allow　both　those　precedents　to　stand。　I　then　introduce　one　last　item；　a　document　drawn　up　by　Fleet　Admiral　Marmoset…〃
　　〃Why；　that's　me！〃　the　president　gasped。　　　〃…at　the　onset　of　hostilities　with　the　Chingers　when　the　City　of　Helior　was
declared　under　martial　law　and　considered　to　be　a　single　military　establishment。　I　therefore　submit　that　the　accused　is　innocent　of　the　charge　of　desertion　since　he　never　left　this　planet；　therefore　he　never　left　this　city；　therefore　he　never
left　his　post　of　duty。〃
　　　A　heavy　silence　fell　and　was　finally　broken　by　the　president's　worried　voice　as　he　turned　to　the　law　officer。　〃Is　what　this　bowb　says　true；　Pablo？　Can't　we　shoot　the　guy？〃
　　The　law　officer　was　sweating　as　he　searched　feverishly　through　his　law　books；　then　finally　pushed　them　from　him　and　answered　in　a　bitter　voice。　〃True　enough　and　no　way　out　of　it。　This　Arabic…Jewish…Irish　con　man　has　got　us　by　the　short
hair。　The　accused　is　innocent　of　the　charges。〃
　　　〃No　execution　。　。　。　？〃　one　of　the　court　officers　asked　in　a　high；　querulous　voice；　and　another；　older　one　dropped　his　head　onto　his　arms　and　began　to　sob。
　　〃Well　he's　not　getting　off　that　easily；〃　the　president　said；　scowling　at　Bill。　〃If　the　accused　was　on　this　post　for　the　last　year　then　he　should　have　been　on　duty。　And　during　that　year　he　must　have　slept。　Which　means　he　slept　on　duty。　Therefore　I　sentence　him　to　hard　labor　in　military　prison　for　one　year　and　one　day　and　order　that　he　be　reduced　in　rank　to　Fuse　Tender　Seventh　Class。　Tear　off　his　stripes　and　take　him　away；　I　have　to　get　to　the　golf　course。　

II

　　The　transit　stockade　was　a　makeshift　budding　of　plastic　sheets　bolted　to　bent　aluminum　frames　and　was　in　the　center　of　a　large　quadrangle。　MPs　with　bayoneted　atomrifles　marched　around　the　perimeter　of　the　six　electrified　barbed…wire
fences。　The　multiple　gates　were　opened　by　remote　control；　and　Bill　was　dragged　through　them　by　the　handcuff　robot　that　had　brought　him　here。　This　debased　machine　was　a　squat　and　heavy　cube　as　high　as　his　knee　that　ran　on　clanking
treads　and　from　the　top　of　which　projected　a　steel　bar　with　heavy　handcuffs　fastened　to　the　end。　Bill　was　on　the　end　of　the　handcuffs。　Escape　was　impossible；　because　if　any　attempt　was　made　to　force　the　cuffs　the　robot　sadistically　exploded　a　peewee　atom　bomb　it　had　in　its　guts　and　blew　up　itself　and　the　escaping　prisoner；　as　well　as　anyone　else　in　the　vicinity。　Once　inside　the　pound　the　robot　stopped　and　did　not　protest　when　the　guard　sergeant　unlocked　the　cuffs。　As　soon　as　its　prisoner　was　freed　the　machine　rolled　into　its　kennel　and　vanished。
　　〃All　right；　wise　guy；　you're　in　any　charge　now；　and　dat　means　trouble　for　you；　〃　the　sergeant　snapped　at　Bill。　He　had　a　shaven　head；　a　wide　and　scar…covered　jaw；　small；　closeset　eyes　in　which　there　flickered　the　guttering　candle　of　stupidity。
　　　Bill　narrowed　his　own　eyes　to　slits　and　slowly　raised　his　good　left　right　arm；　flexing　the　biceps。　Tembo's　muscle　swelled　and　split　the　thin　prison　fatigue　jacket　with　a　harsh；　ripping　sound　Then　Bill　pointed　to　the　ribbon　of　the　Purple　Dart　which　he　had　pinned　to　his　chest。
　　〃Do　you　know　how　I　got　that？〃　he　asked　in　a　grim　and　toneless　voice。　〃I　got　that　by　killing　thirteen　Chingers　singlehanded　in　a　pillbox　I　had　been　sent　into。　I　got　into　this　stockade　here　because　after　killing　the　Chingers　I　came
back　and　killed　the　sergeant　who　sent　me　in　there。　Now…what　did　you　say　about　trouble；　Sergeant？〃
　　〃You　don't　give　me　no　trouble　I　don't　give　you　no　trouble；〃　the　guard　sergeant　squeaked　as　he　skittered　away。　〃You're　in　cell　13；　in　there；　right　upstairs　。　。　。　〃　He　stopped　suddenly　and　began　to　chew　all　the　fingernails　on　one　hand　at　the
same　time；　with　a　nibbling…crunching　sound。　Bill　gave　him　a　long　glower　for　good　measure；　then　turned　and　went　slowly　into　the　building。
　　　The　door　to　number　13　stood　open；　and　Bill　looked　in　at　the　narrow　cell　dimly　lit　by　the　light　that　filtered　through　the　translucent　plastic　walls。　The　double…decker　bunk　took　up　almost　all　of　the　space；　leaving　only　a　narrow　passage　at　one　side。　Two　sagging　shelves　were　bolted　to　the　far　wall　and；　along　with　the　stenciled　message　BE　CLEAN　NOT　OBSCENEDIRTY　TALK　HELPS　THE　ENEMY！；　made　up　the　plete　furnishings。　A　small　man　with　a　pointed　face　and　beady　eyes　lay　on　the　bottom　bunk　looking　intently　at　Bill。　Bill　looked　right　back　and　frowned。
　　　〃e　in；　Sarge；〃　the　little　man　said　as　he　scuttled　up　the　support　into　the　upper　bunk。　〃I　been　saving　the　lower　for　you；　yes　I　have。　The　name　is；　Blackey；　and　I'm　doing　ten　months　for　telling　a　second　looey　to　blow　it　out　。　。　。〃
　　　He　ended　the　sentence　with　a　slight　questioning　note　that　Bill　ignored。　Bill's　feet　hurt。　He　kicked　off　the　purple　boots　and　stretched　out　on　the　sack。　Blackey's　head　popped　over　the　edge　of　the　upper　bunk；　not　unlike　a　rodent　peering　out　the　landscape。　〃It's　a　long　time　to　chow…how's　about　a　Dobbin…　burger？〃　A　hand　appeared　next　to　the　head　and　slipped　a　shiny　package　down　to　Bill。　
　　After　looking　it　over　suspiciously　Bill　pulled　the　sealing　string　on　the　end　of　the　plastic　bag。　As　soon　as　the　air　rushed　in　and　hit　the　bustible　lining　the　burger　started　to　smoke　and　within　three　seconds　was　steaming　hot。　Lifting　the　bun　Bill　squirted　ketchup　in　from　the　little　sack　at　the　other　end　of　the　bag；　then　took　a　suspicious　bite。　It　was　rich；　juicy　horse。　
　　〃This　old　gray　mare　sure　tastes　like　it　used　to　be；〃　Bill　said；　talking　with　his　mouth　full。　〃How　did　you　ever　smuggle　this　into　the　stockade？〃
　　　Blackey　grinned　and　produced　a　broad　stage　wink。　〃Contacts。　They　bring　it　in　to　me；　all　I　gotta　do　is　ask。　I　didn't　catch　the　name　。　。　。　？〃
　　〃Bill。〃　Food　had　soothed　his　ruffled　temper。　〃A　year　and　a　day　for　sleeping　on　duty。　I　would　have　been　shot　for　desertion；　but　I　had　a　good　lawyer。　That　was　a　good　burger；　too　bad　there's　nothing　to　wash　it　down　with。〃
　　Blackey　produced　a　small　bottle　labeled　COUGH　SYRUP　and　passed　it　to　Bill。　〃Specially　mixed　for　me　by　a　friend　in　the　medics。　Half　grain　alcohol　and　half　ether。〃
　　〃Zoingg！〃　Bill　said；　dashing　the　tears　from　his　eyes　after　draining　half　the　bottle。　He　felt　almost　at　peace　with　the　world。　You're　a　good　buddy　to　have　around；　Blackey。〃
　　〃You　can　say　that　again；〃　Blackey　told　him　earnestly。　〃It　never　hurts　to　have　a　buddy；　not　in　the　troopers；　the　army；　the　navy；　anywheres。　Ask　old　Blackey；　he　knows。　You　got　muscles；　Bill？〃
　　Bill　lazily　flexed　Tembo's　muscles　for　him。
　　　〃That's　what　I　like　to　see；〃　Blackey　said　in　admiration。　〃With　your　muscles　and　my　brain　we　can　get　along　fine　。　。　。〃
　　〃I　have　a　brain　too！〃
　　　〃Relax　it！　Give　it　a　break；　while　I　do　the　thinking。　I　seen　service　in　more　armies　than　you　got　days　in　the　troopers。　I　got　my　first　Purple　Heart　serving　with　Hannibal；　there's　the　scar　right　there。〃　He　pointed　to　a　white　arc　on　the　back　of　his　hand。　〃But　I　picked　him　for　a　loser　and　switched　to　Romulus　and　Remus'　boys　while　there　was　still　time。　I　been　learning　ever　since；　and　I　always　land　on　my　feet。　I　saw　which　way　the　wind　was　blowing　and　ate　some　laundry　soap　and　got　the　trots　the　morning　of　Waterloo；　and　I　missed　but　nothing；　I　tell　you。　I。　saw　the　same　kind　of　thing　shaping　up　at　the　Somme…or　was　it　Ypres？…I　forget　some　of　them　old　names　now；　and　chewed　a　cigarette　and　put　it　into　my　armpit；　you　get　a　fever　that　way；　and　missed　that　show　too。　There's　always　an　angle　to　figure　I　always　say。〃
　　〃I　never　heard　of　those　battles。　Fighting　the　Chingers？〃
　　　〃No；　earlier　than　that；　a　lot　earlier　than　that。　Wars　and　wars　ago。〃
　　　〃That　makes　you　pretty　old；　Blackey。　You　don't　look　pretty　old。〃
　　〃I　am　pretty　old；　but　I　don't　tell　people　usually　because　they　give　me　the　laugh。　But　I　remember　the　pyramids　being　built；　and　I　remember　what　lousy　chow　the　Assyrian　army　had；　and　the　time　we　took　over　Wug's　mob　when　they　tried　to　get　into　our　cave；　rolled　rocks　down　on　them。〃
　　〃Sounds　like　a　lot　of　bowb；〃　Bill　said　lazily；　draining　the　bottle。　
　　〃Yeah；　that's　what　everybody　says；　so　I　don't　tell　the　old　stories　any　more。　They　don't　even　believe　me　when　I　show　them　my　good　luck　piece。〃　He　held　out　a　little　white　triangle　with　a　ragged　edge。　〃Tooth　from　a　pterodactyl。　Knocked　it　down　myself　with　a　stone　from　a　sling　I　had　just　invented　。　。　。〃
　　　〃Looks　like　a　hunk　of　plastic。〃
　　〃See　what　I　mean？　So　I　don't　tell　the　old　stories　any　more。　just　keep　re…　enlisting　and　drifting　with　the　tide。　。　。〃
　　Bill　sat　up　and　g