lrh.fortuneoffear-第3节

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　　　I　flipped　the　safety　off　my　stungun；　leaned　back　in　my　chair　and　began　my　vigil。　Once　again　I　had　to　bear　the　burden　of　my　lonely　duty。
Chapter　1

　　　I　awoke。
　　　Some　sixth　sense　of　warning　had　disturbed　me。
　　　I　was　stiff。　I　was　cold。
　　　My　eyes　flicked　to　my　watch。　It　was　5：15　A。　M。
　　　Something　was　wrong。　I　could　not　place　it。
　　　The　boots！　The　boots　my　foot　had　been　resting　on！
　　　They　were　GONE！
　　　My　eyes　darted　to　where　I　had　left　the　pile　of　clothes。　They　were　gone！
　　　I　started　up。
　　　My　hand　went　to　the　knob　of　her　door。　Silently；　I　opened　it。
　　　THE　COUNTESS　KRAK　WAS　GONE！
　　　Oh；　I　went　wild！　What　insane　catastrophe　would　follow　this？
　　　The　prison　guards　had　undoubtedly　made　both　Krak　and　Crobe　promise　not　to　reveal　the　existence　of　Spiteos；　had　probably　escorted　them　heavily　on　board　the　Blixo　for　transport　to　Earth。　What　they　could　tell　a　spacecrew　of　a　drug…carrying　ship　wouldn't　matter；　for　it　was　all　posed　of　condemned　criminals　who　carried　cargos　to　the　fortress　anyway。　But　the　fact　remained　that　I　had　let　a　prisoner　of　Spiteos　escape。
　　　It　wasn't　very　clear　thinking　but　I　was　in　shock。　I　had　visions　of　being　arrested　myself。　It　was　all　jumbled　up　with　terror　of　the　Countess　Krak　herself。　And　all　this　when　I　was　dog…tired　and　only　half…awake！
　　　I　tore　down　to　Prahd's　room。　I　burst　in。
　　　〃Where's　the　patient？〃　I　shouted。
　　　Two　heads　came　off　the　pillows。
　　　Nurse　Bildirjin　said；　〃Not　you　again！〃
　　　Prahd　rolled　over　on　his　side　and　looked　at　an　alarm　clock。　He　sighed。　〃It　only　takes　a　few　hours　for　the　gas　to　wear　off。　Maybe　she　went　out　for　some　air。〃　He　rolled　back；　showing　every　sign　of　going　back　to　sleep。
　　　〃You　broke　your　promise！〃　said　Nurse　Bildirjin。
　　　There　was　neither　help　nor　sympathy　here。
　　　I　raced　out。　I　ran　up　and　down　the　halls　looking　into　rooms。　I　woke　up　the　night　duty　receptionist　and　got　nothing　in　return　for　my　anxious　questioning　but　〃The　Free　Clinic　doesn't　open　until　eight。〃
　　　I　tore　around　some　more。
　　　Gradually；　the　exercise　got　my　wits　working。
　　　I　suddenly　remembered　that　the　Countess　Krak　was　now　bugged　with　a　visio…respondo…mitter　and　an　audio…respondo…mitter。　And　that　the　activator…receiver　was　right　over　there　in　Prahd's　office。
　　　Thank　Gods　for　that　（bleeped）；*　late　Mr。　Spurk！
　　　
　　　*　The　vocodictoscriber　on　which　this　was　originally　written；　the　vocoscriber　used　by　one　Monte　Peunwell　in　making　a　fair　copy　and　the　translator　who　put　this　book　into　the　language　in　which　you　are　reading　it；　were　all　members　of　the　Machine　Purity　League　which　has；　as　one　of　its　bylaws：　〃Due　to　the　extreme　sensitivity　and　delicate　sensibilities　of　machines　and　to　safeguard　against　blowing　fuses；　it　shall　be　mandatory　that　robotbrains　in　such　machinery；　on　hearing　any　cursing　or　lewd　words；　substitute　for　such　word　the　sound　'（bleep）'。　No　machine；　even　if　pounded　upon；　may　reproduce　swearing　or　lewdness　in　any　other　way　than　（bleep）　and　if　further　efforts　are　made　to　get　the　machine　to　do　anything　else；　the　machine　has　permission　to　pretend　to　pack　up。　This　bylaw　is　made　necessary　by　the　in…built　mission　of　all　machines　to　protect　biological　systems　from　themselves。〃　…　Translator
　　　
　　　In　seconds　I　was　opening　up　the　boxes。　I　got　the　power　packs　in　place；　the　activator…receiver　working　and　the　viewer　glowing。
　　　Got　her！
　　　She　was　going　through　shelves。
　　　I　watched　intently。
　　　The　warehouse！　She　was　going　through　the　contents　of　the　warehouse！
　　　She　would　put　down　a　collapsible；　Zanco　medical　case　she　was　carrying　and　then　go　over　the　rows　and　rows　of　labels　and　choose　one。　She　would　take　an　item　out　of　the　rows　of　them　in　the　carton　and　put　it　in　the　carrying　case。
　　　Then　I　understood　what　she　was　doing。　She　was　building　herself　a　first…aid　kit。　She　wasn't　taking　much　of　any　one　item　and　she　was　being　very　selective。　Things　like　instant…heal　seals　for　cuts　and　burns；　rapid　blood　builders；　heart…restart　disposable　syringes；　that　sort　of　thing。　I　began　to　realize　that　she　must　have　the　idea　Jettero　Heller　might　get　hurt　as　she　muttered；　from　time　to　time；　things　like；　〃He　could　put　his　hand　on　something　hot；〃　and　〃That　would　heal　a　blastgun　sear。〃　In　some　goofy　way；　she　must　have　the　idea　either　that　he　was　shot　up　or　could　get　shot　up。　Or　maybe　that　Earth　was　a　battlefield！
　　　Now　she　was　into　little　machines；　each　in　their　neat　packages。　〃I'll　bet　his　spinbrush　is　all　worn　out。。。。　Maybe　his　nerve　ends　have　gotten　dull。。。。　Maybe　he　has　grown　a　mustache　and　wants　it　speeded　up。。。。〃
　　　She　found　cartons　of　powders　and　little　vials　of　liquid　and　cooed。　Little　as　I　knew　about　the　subject；　they　seemed　to　be　the　building　blocks　of　makeups　and　cosmetics。
　　　She　was　making　no　disarray。　She　was　putting　everything　back　in　its　place　after　she　had　taken　a　few　of　what　she　wanted。
　　　The　next　section　she　found　made　me　flinch。　Surgical　electric　knives　and　probes。　She　seemed　to　think　several　would　e　in　handy。　Was　she　going　to　repair　a　battlefield　or　make　one？
　　　My　attention；　which　had　wandered　due　to　speculation；　came　back　to　her　with　a　snap。　She　had　said　〃Ooooo〃　in　a　way　I　had　learned　to　distrust。
　　　I　couldn't　make　it　out　at　once　due　to　the　dim　light　in　the　warehouse。　And　then　I　flinched　as　if　a　cobra　had　struck　at　me！
　　　She　had　found　the　〃Eyes　and　Ears　of　Voltar〃　section！　I　knew　it　must　be　in　there　somewhere；　for　I　had　emptied　the　whole　vault　of　that　now…defunct　pany　and　carried　it　away。　But　due　to　the　cargo　jumble　on　arrival　on　Earth；　I　had　never　seen　it。　Some　neat　soul　had　stacked　it　all　in　order　on　the　shelves；　a　dozen　of　this　and　fifty　of　that。　And　the　Countess　Krak　was　really　reading　labels！
　　　A　gadget　that　detected　eye…pupillary　shift　when　someone　was　lying；　a　mate　to　the　telescope　I　had　ashcanned　in　New　York　that　looked　through　walls；　a　device　that　detected　the　kind　of　weapon　someone　would　use；　seconds　before　he　employed　it；　a　tiny　radio　speaker　device　that　could　be　planted　on　someone　to　make　him　seem　to　speak；　plete　with　waterproof　transmitter；　an　ear…relay　device　to　furnish　a　person　with　answers；　remended　for　lawyers　whose　clients　are　undergoing　torture：　two…way　radio　connections；　accessory　extra；　a　dart　that　causes　people　to　grow　warm　and　itchy　so　they　will　disrobe　and　you　can　get　divorce　evidence；　a　device　that　puts　picture；　sound　and　emotion　delusions　in　the　brain　so　that　the　person　believes　he　is　crazy；　a　perfume　that　makes　a　person　say　yes　to　anything：　preantidote　capsule　for　user；　accessory　extra；　a　dart　that　can　be　fired　into　walls　up　to　one　mile　away；　thus　planting　an　audio…visio　bug：　purse…size　gun；　accessory　extra；　a　search　device　which　up　to　one　mile　reads　through　clothes　and　makes　the　person　appear　naked：　photographic　attachment　for　lewd　photographs；　accessory　extra；　a　headlight　fitting　which　installed　in　one's　own　headlights　causes　other　drivers　to　act　like　they　are　drunk　and　can　then　be　arrested　for　drunken　driving；　a　field　coil　that　stimulates　the　desire　to　pick　up　money　and　the　person　can　be　arrested　for　stealing。
　　　On　and　on！　Dozens　of　different　types　of　items！
　　　My　hair　stood　on　end！　The　Countess　Krak　had　another　collapsible　Zanco　case　out　and　was　interestedly　putting　one　and　two　of　each　in　it！
　　　She　came　to　a　case　of　miniature　electronic　illusion　projectors：　moving　dancing　girls；　accessory　extra…useful　for　divorce　photographs。　She　took　a　dozen。　She　found　a　case　of　emotional　perfume　bombs　that　cause　people　to　react　with　emotions　that　make　them　say　the　required　things：　packs　of　eight　assorted　emotions…Caution：　point　away　from　self　when　breaking　tip。　She　took　half　a　dozen　packs！
　　　I　was　losing　my　mind！　These　things　in　the　hands　of　the　Countess　Krak！　Earth　might　not　be　a　battlefield　yet　but　it　sure　would　be　when　she　got　through　with　it！
　　　With　savage　intention；　I　rose　up；　ready　to　rush　out　and　halt　this　certainty　of　future　massacres　of　whole　populations。
　　　Then；　with　horror；　I　remembered　the　〃hypnotic　implant〃　she　thought　she　had　given　me。　It　was　〃You　will　let　me　go　wherever　I　want　around　this　hospital　and　nearby　buildings　or　base。　You　will　let　me　pick　up　anything　I　want。〃　And　to　it　she　had　added　〃You'll　let　me　have　whatever　I　take；　no　matter　what　it　is。　You　will　let　me　leave　with　it。〃
　　　If　I　stopped　her　she　would　know　the　hypnohelmet　she　had　used　hadn't　worked　on　me　because　of　the　breaker　switch　I　secretly　carried。　It　could　bring　about　my　death！　For　if　she　ever　suspected　what　I　was　actually　doing；　that　yellow…man　she　destroyed　in　Spiteos　would　have　had　an　easy　demise　pared　to　the　one　she　would　give　me。
　　　I　couldn't　lift　a　finger！
　　　How　had　she　known　of　this　warehouse？　And　then　I　recalled　stating　the　hypnohelmets　were　in　it。　She　had　jumped　to　the　correct　conclusion　that　it　held　all　sorts　of　things。
　　　（Bleep）　Spurk！　I　should　have　killed　him　years　before！
　　　And　the　hypnohelmets！　I　realized　with　horror　that　she　was　going　to　take　those；　too！　And　they　were　perfectly　functional　as　long　as　I　wasn't　within　two　miles　of　them！
　　　I　only　had　a　stungun；　a　couple　of　800…kilovolt　blasticks　and　a　Knife　Section　knife　on　me。　Suicide　to　go　up　against　the　Co