the stainless steel rat-第31节

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m。　I　stumbled　to　a　halt　before　it；　as　unable　to　fight　as　Angela　had　been　a　minute　ago。
　Chapter　19
　
　　　〃Have　a　drink；〃　Inskipp　said；　dropping　into　Angela's　chair　and　pulling　out　a　hip　flask。　〃Ersatz　terran　brandy；　not　this　local　brand　of　plastic　solvent。〃　He　offered　me　a　cupful。
　　　〃Drop　dead；　you　。　。　。〃　I　followed　with　some　of　the　choicer　selections　from　my　interstellar　vocabulary；　and　tried　to　knock　the　cup　out　of　his　hand。　He　fooled　roe　by　raising　it　and　drinking　it　himself；　not　in　the　least　annoyed。
　　　〃Is　that　any　kind　of　language　to　use　on　your　superior　officer　in　the　Special　Corps？〃　he　asked　and　refilled　the　cup。　〃It's　a　good　thing　we're　a　relaxed　organization　without　too　many　rules。　Stillthere　are　limits。〃　He　held　out　the　cup　again　and　this　time　I　grabbed　it　and　drained　it。
　　　〃Why　did　you　do　it？〃　I　asked；　still　wracked　by　conflicting　emotions。
　　　〃Because　you　didn't；　that's　why。　The　operation　is　over；　you　are　a　success。　Before　you　were　merely　on　probation；　but　now　you　are　a　full　agent。〃
　　　He　grubbed　in　one　pocket　and　pulled　out　a　little　gold　star　made　of　paper。　After　licking　it　carefully　and　solemnly　he　reached　out　and　stuck　it　to　the　front　of　my　shirt。
　　　〃I　hereby　appoint　you　a　Full　Agent　of　the　Special　Corps；〃　he　intoned；　〃by　authority　of　the　power　vested　in　me。〃　Cursing；　I　reached　to　pick　the　damn　thing　offand　laughed　instead。　It　was　absurd。　It　was　also　a　fine　mentary　on　the　honors　that　went　with　the　job。
　　　〃I　thought　I　was　no　longer　a　member　of　the　crew；〃　I　told　him。
　　　〃I　never　received　your　resignation；〃　Inskipp　said。　〃Not　that　it　would　have　meant　anything。　You　can't　resign　from　the　Corps。〃　〃Yeahbut　I　got　your　message　when　you　gave　me　a　discharge。　Or　did　you　forget　that　I　stole　a　ship　and　you　set　off　the　scuttling　charge　by　remote　to　blow　me　up？　As　you　see　I　managed　to　pull　the　fuse　just　before　it　let　go。〃
　　　〃Nothing　of　the　sort；　my　boy；〃　he　said；　settling　back　to　sip　his　second　drink。　〃You　were　so　insistent　about　looking　for　the　fair　Angelina　that　I　thought　you　might　want　to　borrow　a　ship　before　we　had　a　chance　to　assign　you　one。　Hie　one　you　took　had　the　fuse　rigged　as　it　always　is　on　these　occasions。　The　fusenot　the　chargeu　set　to　explode　five　seconds　after　it　is　removed。　I　find　this　gives　a　certain　independence　of　mind　to　prospective　agents　who　regret　their　manner　of　departure。〃　
　　　〃You　meanthe　whole　thing　was　a　frame…up？〃　I　gurgled。
　　　〃You　might　say　that。　I　prefer　the　term　'graduating…exercise'。　This　is　the　time　when　we　find　out　if　our　crooked　novices　really　will　devote　the　rest　of　their　lives　to　the　pursuit　of　law　and　order。　When　they　find　out；　too。　We　don't　want　there　to　be　any　regrets　in　later　years。　You　found　out；　didn't　you　Jim？〃
　　　〃I　found　out　something　。　。　。　I'm　not　quite　sure　what　yet；〃　I　said；　still　not　able　to　talk　about　the　one　thing　closest　to　roe。
　　　〃It　was　a　fine　operation。　I　must　say　you　showed　a　lot　of　imagination　in　the　way　you　carried　it　out。〃　Then　he　frowned。　〃But　that　business　with　the　bank；　I　can't　say　I　approve　of　it。　The　Corps　has　all　the　funds　you　will　need　。　。　。〃
　　　〃Same　money；〃　I　snapped。　〃Where　docs　the　Corps　get　it？　From　planetary　governments。　And　where　do　they　get　it　from？　Taxes　of　course。　So　I　take　it　directly　from　the　bank。　The　insurance　pany　pays　the　bank　for　the　loss；　then　declares　a　smaller　ine　that　year；　pays　less　taxes　to　the　governmentand　the　result　is　exactly　the　same　as　your　way！〃
　　　Inskipp　was　well　acquainted　with　this　brand　of　logic　so　didn't　even　bother　to　answer。　I　still　didn't　want　to　talk　about　Angela。
　　　〃How　did　you　find　me？〃　I　asked。　〃There　was　no　bug　on　the　ship。〃
　　　〃Simple　child　of　nature　that　you　are；〃　Inskipp　said；　raising　his　hands　in　feigned　horror。　〃Do　you　really　think　that　any　of　our　ships　aren't　bugged？　And　the　job　done　so　well　it　cannot　be　detected　if　you　don't　know　where　to　look。　For　your　information　the　apparently　solid　outer　door　of　the　spacelock　contains　quite　a　plex　transmitter；　strong　enough　for　us　to　detect　at　quite　a　distance。〃　
　　　〃Then　why　didn't　I　hear　it？〃
　　　〃For　the　simple　reason　that　it　wasn't　broadcasting。　I　should　add　that　the　door　also　contains　a　receiver。　The　device　only　transmits　when　it　receives　the　proper　signal。　We　gave　you　time　to　reach　your　destination　and　then　followed　you。　We　lost　you　for　a　while　in　Freiburbad；　but　picked　up　your　trail　again　in　the　hospital；　right　after　you　played　musical　chairs　with　the　corpses。　We　lent　you　a　hand　there；　the　hospital　was　justifiably　annoyed　but　we　managed　to　keep　them　quiet。　After　that　it　was　just　a　matter　of　keeping　an　eye　on　doctors　and　surgical　equipment　since　your　next　move　was　obvious。　I　hope　you'll　be　pleased　to　know　that　you　are　carrying　a　very　pact　little　transmitter　in　your　sternum。〃　
　　　I　looked　at　my　chest　but　of　course　saw　nothing。
　　　〃It　was　too　good　an　opportunity　to　miss；〃　Inskipp　went　on。　There　was　no　stopping　the　man。　〃One　night　when　you　were　under　sedation　the　good　doctor　found　the　alcohol　we　had　seen　fit　to　include　in　one　of　your　supply　packages。　He　of　course　took　advantage　of　this　shipping　error　and　a　Corps　surgeon　made　a　little　operation　of　his　own。〃　
　　　〃Then　you　have　been　following　me　and　watching　ever　since？〃　
　　　〃That's　right。　But　this　was　your　case；　just　as　much　as　it　would　have　been　if　you　knew　we　were　there。〃
　　　〃Then　why　did　you　move　in　for　the　kill　like　this？〃　I　snapped。　〃I　didn't　blow　the　whistle　for　the　marines。〃
　　　This　was　the　big　question　of　the　hour　and　the　only　one　that　mattered　to　me。　Inskipp　took　his　time　about　answering。
　　　〃It's　like　this；〃　he　drawled；　and　took　a　sip　of　his　drink。　〃I　like　a　new　man　to　have　enough　rope。　But　not　so　much　that　he　will　hang　himself。　You　were　here　for　what　might　be　called　a　goodly　long　time；　and　I　wasn't　receiving　any　reports　about　revolutions　or　arrests　you　had　made。〃　
　　　What　could　I　say？
　　　His　voice　was　quieter；　more　sympathetic。　〃Would　you　have　arrested　her　if　we　hadn't　moved　in？〃　That　was　the　question。　
　　　〃I　don't　know；〃　was　all　I　could　say。
　　　〃Well　I　damn　well　knew　what　I　was　going　to　do；〃　he　said　with　the　old　venom。　〃So　I　did　it。　The　plot　is　well　nipped　before　it　could　bud　and　our　multiple　murderess　is　off　planet　by　now。〃　
　　　〃Let　her　go！〃　I　shouted　as　I　grabbed　him　by　the　front　of　the　jacket　and　swung　him　free　of　the　ground　and　shook　him。　〃Let　her　go　I　tell　you！〃
　　　〃Would　you　turn　her　loose　againthe　way　she　is？〃　was　all　he　answered。
　　　Would　I？　I　suppose　I　wouldn't。　I　dropped　him　while　I　was　thinking　about　it　and　he　straightened　out　the　wrinkles　in　the　front　of　his　suit。
　　　〃This　has　been　a　rough　assignment　for　you；〃　he　said　as　he　started　to　put　the　flask　away。　〃At　times　there　can　be　a　very　thin　line　between　right　and　wrong。　If　you　are　emotionally　involved　the　line　is　almost　impossible　to　see。〃
　　　〃What　will　happen　to　her？〃　I　asked。
　　　He　hesitated　before　he　answered。　〃The　truthfor　a　change；〃　I　told　him。
　　　〃All　right；　the　truth。　No　promisesbut　the　psych　boys　might　be　able　to　do　something　with　her。　If　they　can　find　the　cause　of　the　basic　aberration。　But　that　can　be　impossible　to　find　at　times。〃　
　　　〃Not　in　this　caseI　can　tell　them。〃　
　　　He　looked　surprised　at　that；　giving　me　some　small　satisfaction。
　　　〃In　that　case　there　might　be　a　chance。　I'll　give　positive　orders　that　everything　is　to　be　tried　before　they　even　consider　anything　like　personality　removal。　If　that　is　done　she　is　just　another　body；　of　which　there　are　plenty　in　the　galaxy。　Sentenced　to　death　she's　just　another　corpseof　which　there　is　an　equal　multitude。〃　
　　　I　grabbed　the　flask　away　from　him　before　it　reached　his　pocket；　and　opened　it。　〃I　know　you　Inskipp；〃　I　said　as　I　poured。　〃You're　a　born　recruiting　sergeant。　When　you　lick　themmake　them　join。〃
　　　〃What　else；〃　he　said。　〃She'd　make　a　great　agent。〃　
　　　〃We'd　make　a　great　team；〃　I　told　him　and　we　raised　our　cups。　
　　　〃Here's　to　crime。〃