the stainless steel rat-第6节

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p　for　what　I　had　lost。
　Chapter　4
　
　　　I　have　never　been　more　wrong。
　　　The　people　I　met　were　dull　to　the　point　of　extinction。　They　treated　me　like　just　another　cog　going　around　with　the　rest　of　the　wheels。　I　was　coggy　all　right；　and　kept　wondering　how　I　had　ever　gotten　into　this　mess。　Not　really　wondering；　since　the　memory　was　still　quite　vivid。　I　was　carried　along　with　the　rest　of　the　gears；　their　teeth　sunk　into　mine。
　　　We　ended　up　on　a　planetoid；　that　much　was　obvious。　But　I　hadn't　the　dimmest　idea　of　what　planets　we　were　near　or　even　what　solar　system　we　were　in。　Everything　was　highly　secret　and　hush…hush；　as　this　place　was　obviously　the　super…secret　headquarters　and　main　base　of　the　Corps　School　too。
　　　This　part　I　liked。　It　was　the　only　thing　that　kept　me　from　cracking　out。　Dull　as　the　cubes　were　who　taught　the　courses；　the　material　was　something　I　could　really　sink　my　teeth　into　and　shake。　I　began　to　see　how　crude　my　operations　had　been。　With　the　gadgetry　and　techniques　I　soaked　up　I　could　be　ten　times　the　crook　I　had　been　before。　Pushing　the　thought　firmly　away　helped　for　a　while；　but　it　had　a　way　of　sneaking　back　and　whispering　nastily　in　my　ear　during　periods　of　depression　and　gloom。
　　　Things　went　from　dull　to　dead。　Half　my　time　was　spent　working　at　the　files；　learning　about　the　numberless　successes　and　few　failures　of　the　Corps。　I　contemplated　cracking　out；　yet　at　the　same　time　couldn't　help　but　wonder　if　this　wasn't　part　of　a　testing　period…to　see　if　I　had　enough　sticktoitiveness　to　last。　I　swallowed　my　temper；　muffled　my　yawns；　and　took　a　careful　look　around。　If　I　couldn't　crack　out…I　could　crack　in。　There　had　to　be　something　I　could　do　to　terminate　this　term　of　penal　servitude。
　　　It　wasn't　easy…but　I　found　it。　By　the　time　I　tracked　everything　down　it　was　well　into　sleep　period。　But　that　was　all　right。　In　some　ways　it　even　made　it　more　interesting。
　　　When　it　es　to　picking　locks　and　cracking　safes　I　admit　to　no　master。　The　door　to　Inskipp's　private　quarters　had　an　old…fashioned　tumbler　drum　that　was　easier　to　pick　than　my　teeth。　I　must　have　gone　through　that　door　without　breaking　step。　Quiet　as　I　was　though；　Inskipp　still　heard　me。　The　light　came　on　and　there　he　was　sitting　up　in　bed　pointing　a　。75　caliber　recoilless　at　my　sternum。
　　　〃You　should　have　more　brains　than　that；　diGriz；〃　he　snarled。　〃Creeping　into　my　room　at　night！　You　could　have　been　shot。〃　
　　　〃No　I　couldn't；〃　I　told　him；　as　he　stowed　the　cannon　back　under　his　pillow。　〃A　man　with　a　curiosity　bump　as　big　as　yours　will　always　talk　first　and　shoot　later。　And　besides…none　of　this　pussyfooting　around　in　the　dark　would　be　necessary　if　your　screen　was　open　and　I　could　have　got　a　call　through。〃
　　　Inskipp　yawned　and　poured　himself　a　glass　of　water　from　the　dispenser　unit　above　the　bed。　〃Just　because　I　head　the　Special　Corps；　doesn't　mean　that　I　am　the　Special　Corps；〃　he　said　moistly　while　he　drained　the　glass。　'　I　have　to　sleep　sometime。　My　screen　is　open　only　for　emergency　calls；　not　for　every　agent　who　needs　his　hand　held。〃
　　　〃Meaning　I　am　in　the　hand…holding　category？〃　I　asked　with　as　much　sweetness　as　I　could。
　　　〃Put　yourself　in　any　category　you　damn　well　please；〃　he　grumbled　as　he　slumped　down　in　the　bed。　〃And　also　put　yourself　out　into　the　hall　and　see　me　tomorrow　during　working　hours。〃
　　　He　was　at　my　mercy；　really。　He　wanted　sleep　so　much。　And　he　was　going　to　be　wide…awake　so　very　soon。
　　　〃Do　you　know　what　this　is？〃　I　asked　him；　poking　a　large　glossy　pie　under　his　long　broken　nose。　One　eye　opened　slowly。
　　　〃Big　warship　of　some　kind；　looks　like　Empire　lines。　Now　for　the　last　time…go　away！〃　he　said。
　　　〃A　very　good　guess　for　this　late　at　night；〃　I　told　him　cheerily。　〃It　is　a　late　Empire　battleship　of　the　Warlord　class。　Undoubtedly　one　of　the　most　truly　efficient　engines　of　destruction　ever　manufactured。　Over　a　half　mile　of　defensive　screens　and　armament　that　could　probably　turn　any　fleet　existent　today　into　fine　radioactive　ash…〃
　　　〃Except　for　the　fact　that　the　last　one　was　broken　up　for　scrap　over　a　thousand　years　ago；〃　he　mumbled。

　　　I　leaned　over　and　put　my　lips　close　to　his　ear。　So　there　would　be　no　chance　of　misunderstanding。　Speaking　softly　but　clearly。
　　　〃True；　true；〃　I　said。　〃But　wouldn't　you　be　just　a　little　bit　interested　if　I　was　to　tell　you　that　one　is　being　built　today？〃
　　　Oh；　it　was　beautiful　to　watch。　The　covers　went　one　way　and　Inskipp　went　the　other。　In　a　single　unfolding；　concerted　motion　he　left　the　horizontal　and　recumbent　and　stood　tensely　vertical　against　the　wall　Examining　the　pic　of　the　battleship　under　the　light　He　apparently　did　not　believe　in　pajama　bottoms　and　it　hurt　me　to　see　the　goose　bumps　rising　on　those　thin　shanks。　But　if　the　legs　were　thin；　the　voice　was　more　than　full　enough　to　make　up　for　the　difference。
　　　〃Talk；　blast　you　diGriz…talk！〃　he　roared。　〃What　is　this　nonsense　about　a　battleship？　Who's　building　it？〃
　　　I　had　my　nail　file　and　was　touching　up　a　cuticle；　holding　it　out　for　inspection　before　I　said　anything。　From　the　corner　of　my　eye　I　could　see　him　getting　purple　about　the　face…but　he　kept　quiet。　I　savored　my　small　moment　of　power。
　　　〃Put　diGriz　in　charge　of　the　record　room　for　a　while；　you　said；　that　way　he　can　learn　the　ropes。　Burrowing　around　in　century…old；　dusty　files　will　be　just　the　thing　for　a　free　spirit　like　Slippery　Jim　diGriz。　Teach　him　discipline。　Show　him　what　the　Corps　stands　for。　At　the　same　time　it　will　get　the　records　in　shape。　They　have　been　needing　reorganization　for　quite　a　while。〃
　　　Inskipp　opened　his　mouth；　made　a　choking　noise；　then　closed　it。　He　undoubtedly　realized　that　any　interruption　would　only　lengthen　my　explanation；　not　shorten　it。　I　smiled　and　nodded　at　his　decision；　then　continued。
　　　〃So　you　thought　you　had　me　safely　out　of　the　way。　Breaking　my　spirit　under　the　guise　of　'giving　me　a　little　background　in　the　Corps'　activities。'　In　this　sense　your　plan　failed。　Something　else　happened　instead。　I　nosed　through　the　files　and　found　them　most　interesting。　Particularly　the　C　&　M　setup…the　Categorizer　and　Memory。　That　building　full　of　machinery　that　takes　in　and　digests　news　and　reports　from　all　the　planets　in　the　galaxy；　indexes　it　to　every　category　it　can　possibly　relate；　then　files　it。　Great　machine　to　work　with。　I　had　it　digging　out　spaceship　info　for　me；　something　I　have　always　been　interested　in…〃
　　　〃You　should　be；〃　Inskipp　interrupted　rudely。　〃You've　stolen　enough　of　them　in　your　time。〃
　　　I　gave　him　a　hurt　look　and　went　on…slowly。　〃I　won't　bore　you　with　all　the　details；　since　you　seem　impatient；　but　eventually　I　turned　up　this　plan。　〃He　had　it　out　of　my　fingers　before　it　cleared　my　wallet。
　　　〃What　are　you　getting　at？〃　he　mumbled　as　he　ran　his　eyes　over　the　blueprints。　〃This　is　an　ordinary　heavy…cargo　and　passenger　job。　It's　no　more　a　Warlord　battleship　than　I　am。〃
　
　　　It　is　hard　to　curl　your　lips　with　contempt　and　talk　at　the　same　time；　but　I　succeeded。　〃Of　course。　You　don't　expect　them　to　file　warship　plans　with　the　League　Registry；　do　you？　But；　as　I　said；　I　know　more　than　a　little　bit　about　ships。　It　seemed　to　me　this　thing　was　just　too　big　for　the　use　intended。　Enough　old　ships　are　fuel…wasters；　you　don't　have　to　build　new　ones　to　do　that。　This　started　me　thinking　and　I　punched　for　a　plete　list　of　ships　that　size　that　had　been　constructed　in　the　past。　You　can　imagine　my　surprise　when；　after　three　minutes　of　groaning；　the　C　&　M　only　produced　six。　One　was　built　for　self…sustaining　colony　attempt　at　the　second　galaxy。　For　all　we　know　she　is　still　on　the　way。　The　other　five　were　all　D…class　colonizers；　built　during　the　Expansion　when　large　populations　were　moved。　Too　big　to　be　practical　now。
　　　〃I　was　still　teased；　as　I　had　no　idea　what　a　ship　this　large　could　be　used　for。　So　I　removed　the　time　interlock　on　the　C　&　M　and　let　it　pick　around　through　the　entire　history　of　space　to　see　if　it　could　find　a　parison。　It　sure　did。　Right　at　the　Golden　Age　of　Empire　expansion；　the　giant　Warlord　battleship。　The　machine　even　found　a　blueprint　for　me。〃
　　　Inskipp　grabbed　again　and　began　paring　the　two　prints。　I　leaned　over　his　shoulder　and　pointed　out　the　interesting　parts。
　　　〃Notice…if　the　engine　room　specs　are　changed　slightly　to　include　this　cargo　hold；　there　is　plenty　of　room　for　the　brutes　needed。　This　superstructure…obviously　just　tacked　onto　the　plans…gets　thrown　away；　and　turrets　take　its　place。　The　hulls　are　identical。　A　change　here；　a　shift　there；　and　the　stodgy　freighter　bees　the　fast　battlewagon。　These　changes　could　be　made　during　construction；　then　plans　filed。　By　the　time　any　（me　in　the　League　found　out　what　was　being　built　the　ship　would　be　finished　and　launched。　Of　course；　this　could　all　be　coincidence…the　plans　of　a　newly　built　ship　agreeing　to　six　places　with　those　of　a　ship　built　a　thousand　years　ago。　But　if　you　think　so；　I　will　give　you　hundred…to…one　odds　you　are　wrong；　any　size　bet　you　name。〃
　　　I　wasn't　winning　any　sucker　bets　that　night。　Inskipp　had　led　just　as　crooked　a　youth　as　I　had；　and　needed　no　help　in　smelling　a　fishy　deal。　While　he　pulled　on　his　clothes　he　shot　questions　at　me。
　　　〃And　the　name　of　the　peace…loving　planet　that　is　building　this　bad…memory　from　the　past？〃
　　　〃Ci