rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第31节

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　〃Do　something　about　them？〃　the　king　said；　as　if　incredulous　at　the　stupidity　of　the　ment。　〃My　dear　fellow；　we　are　collecting　them；　they　will　be　the　source　of　the　flavoring　of　the　new　food。〃
　Rockson　was　happy　he　had　a　strong　stomach。　Still；　the　remark　was　almost　too　much。　He　watched　in　mute　horror　as　special　〃skimming〃　vehicles　crawled　up　to　the　most　fly…clogged　poles　and　a　cylindrical　device　slid　up　over　the　poles　and　sucked　off　the　dead　flies。　The　trucks；　once　this　was　acplished；　deposited　their　flies　in　a　hopper　next　to　the　fecal　conveyor　belts。
　〃See；〃　bragged　the　king；　〃we　have　no　need　of　returning　to　the　surface　to　make　food。　With　these　innovations；　we　will　have　enough　food　forever。〃
　〃Fascinating。　King　Charles。。。〃　muttered　the　Freefighter。　〃Now；　could　we　perhaps　see　that　park　you　mentioned？　The　one　that　doesn't　need　maintenance？〃
　〃Yes；　yes；　of　course；〃　the　king　said。　They　exited　the　abominable　scene；　and　Rockson　was　never　so　glad　to　leave　a　place　in　his　life。
　The　〃park；〃　which　was　two　blocks　from　the　fecal　cavern；　consisted　of　thirty　brown…metal　poles　painted　with　barklike　graphics。　They　were　supposed　to　be　the　maintenance…free　trees　of　Eden。　Rockson　leaned　against　one。　It　was　cold　and　steely　to　the　touch。　The　grass　below　their　feet　was　the　kind　of　matting　they'd　used　to　use　in　football　stadiums　…　when　the　pollution　of　the　1980s　made　it　impossible　to　maintain　real　grass　fields。
　Several　backless　benches　in　the　park；　among　the　evenly　distributed　〃trees；〃　were　occupied　by　oldsters。　The　withered　men　and　women；　sacklike　forms　that　drooled　out　on　their　tunics；　were　watching　a　group　of　painters　repaint　a　peeling　〃tree。〃
　〃Nice　park；〃　Rockson　said。　〃I　dont　see　any　children　playing；　though。〃
　〃We　have　…　reproductive　problems；〃　Stafford　admitted　begrudgingly。　〃It's　our　one　negative。　But　I　have　teams　of　my　best　scientists　working　on　the　problem。　Years　ago　we　had　some　experiments　in　genetics　that　resulted　in　the　three　strong　leaders　of　the　Guard。　I　am　hoping　to　reproduce　those　successes　without　the　necessity　of　sexual　intercourse；　which　is；　of　course；　a　filthy　animal　practice。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Rockson　agreed。　What　else　could　he　say？　〃Well；　it's　a　very　nice　park。。。〃　Rockson　glanced　up　…　the　homogenously　green　painted　boughs　above　had　no　individual　leaves；　just　a　mottled　texture　created　by　paint　brushes。　〃I　see　there's　no　troublesome　leaves　to　rake　up　in　the　fall。〃
　〃Leaves？　Fall？〃
　〃On　the　surface；　parts　of　the　trees　…　er　…　peel　off　at　a　certain　time　each　year；　and　have　to　be　raked　up。〃
　〃We　don't　have　any　such　problems　in　Eden。〃　Onward　they　walked。　Rockson　never　had　a　chance　to　seize　a　weapon　from　the　eternally　watchful　guards。
　The　king　was　tired；　though　the　tour　was　less　than　a　half…hour　old。
　They　went　back　to　the　Government　Building。　Stafford　said；　〃Rockson。　I　have　decided　not　to　kill　you　surface　people。　You　will　be　exhibited。　I　fancy　that　I　will　create　a　zoo。　Danik　will　die；　of　course；　and　most　painfully　and　publicly。　You　and　your　pany　of　freaks　will　be　well　fed；　with　the　best　of　the　new　food。〃
　〃That　is　kind　of　you。〃
　〃It　is　not　kindness。　The　one　thing　that　Danik　has　said　that　seemed　to　be　right　is　the　fact　that　our　genes　have　suffered　somehow　from　being　underground。　Sex　is　a　dirty　and　primitive　thing；　but　the　race　must　go　on。　The　need　for　fresh　genetic　material　is　obvious；　and　you　surface　men　…　and　that　buxom　surface　woman　…　must　have　some　potency　I　will　let　my　scientists　use　you　for　experiments。　To　our　genetic　problems；　you　surface　beings　present　a　possible　solution　both　simple　and　practical。
　〃I　am　not　unfamiliar　with　the　sciences。　Do　you　realize　that　a　single　fertile　woman　of　the　past　…　who　was；　I　suppose；　of　the　type　similar　to　the　redhead　surface　woman　…　could　produce　ten；　twenty　ova　a　month？　If　removed　surgically；　each　ova　could　be　implanted　in　our　barren　women　and　fertilized　by　inserting　genetic　material　derived　from　you　surface　men。〃
　It　was　all　Rockson　could　do　to　contain　himself。　Zoo　exhibits；　specimens　for　experiments；　horrible　operations　on　Rona　…　there　wasn't　much　time　to　act。　He　didn't　relish　being　a　farm　for　genes　to　keep　propagating　these　mole　people。　And　Rockson　gagged　at　the　thought　of　Rona　being　a　〃donor；〃　confined　to　a　hospital　bed；　constantly　operated　upon　for　removal　of　human　egg　cells。　He　nodded；　though；　as　if　it　were　a　good　deal；　to　eat　all　that　great　shit…food；　to　be　alive。
　
　
　CHAPTER　25
　
　The　king　excused　himself　to　〃tend　to　his　toilet。〃　He　ordered　that　Rockson　be　unbound　and　treated　to　some　food　and　drink　while　he　〃freshened　up〃。
　This　was　more　like　it；　Rock　thought。　His　easy　acquiescence　to　the　abominable　ideas　of　this　madman　finally　had　paid　off。　Rockson；　unbound；　rubbed　his　sorely　aching　wrists。　He　didn't　want　to　drink　or　eat　anything　offered　to　him；　though　he　was　powerfully　hungry。　The　thought　of　the　way　they　were　making　food　here　in　this　underground　madhouse　stayed　his　hunger。
　He　sat　for　five　minutes　in　the　second　chair　in　the　audience　room；　but　Stafford　did　not　return。　Instead　Mannerly；　the　butler　in　the　tux；　came　in　and　said。　〃The　king　wishes　you　to　e　to　his　study；　for　further　conversation　in　a　more　fortable　environment。〃
　The　study；　attached　directly　to　the　throne　chamber；　turned　out　to　be　an　antiseptically　bare　room　with　puter　disk　cases　lining　the　walls。　Only　two　guards　were　left　there　to　watch　Rockson；　apparently　on　the　king's　order。
　Rockson　had　been　looking　around　everywhere　he　had　been　taken　for　a　sign　of　the　old　steel　safe　that　Danik　believed　would　be　the　location　of　the　dreaded　Factor　Q　germ…warfare　canister。　Rockson's　intense　eyes　perused　the　study；　its　shelves　of　puter　disk　boxes；　its　plain　metal　cabinets　and　…
　A　bolt　of　adrenaline　shot　into　his　system；　for　in　the　er　of　the　study　was　a　safe。　An　ancient　type；　with　a　bination　lock。　Could　it　be　…　yes。
　There　was　a　warning　painted　on　it。　Caution。　Do　not　approach　safe。　Automatic　countermeasures　fatal　to　humans　are　activated　unless　verbal　disarm　code　is　given。
　He　smiled。　The　Doomsday　Warrior　knew　what　to　do　now；　and　if　he　was　right；　the　code　would　be　no　problem。　The　king　would　supply　it。
　He　calmed　himself；　readied　his　well…muscled　frame　to　respond　instantly　when　the　moment　was　most　conducive　to　success。　There　might　never　be　another　chance　like　this。　His　plan；　the　one　Danik　thought　to　be　sheer　madness；　had　carried　him　to　this　juncture　…　to　a　position　that　all　the　fighting　in　the　world　would　not　have　acplished。　Here　he　sat　in　the　recesses　of　the　Government　Building's　inner　private　room；　inches　away　from　his　goal。　Surrender　as　a　way　of　attack。　Only　Chen　understood　the　concept。　Only　Chen　approved　of　this　daring　gamble。　And　now；　it　was　close　to　paying　off。。。
　Seconds　counted。　Where　was　the　king？　Rockson　was　sure　that　if　Bdos　Err　came　upon　him　sitting　with　only　two　soldiers　guarding；　he　would　immediately　increase　security。　And　the　chance　would　slip　away；　forever。
　He　waited　for　what　seemed　like　eons。
　Finally；　Stafford　entered　through　the　guarded　portal　and　smiled。　He　wore　a　new　greenish　tunic；　and　his　thin　hair　was　bed　back。　He　looked　refreshed。
　Rockson　stood　up　and　made　to　go　over　and　shake　his　hand；　or　something；　saying　with　a　broad　grin；　〃You　have　a　fabulous…〃　Then　the　Doomsday　Warrior；　moving　like　a　flash；　grabbed　Stafford's　arm。　He　wrenched　it　behind　him；　put　him　into　a　hammer…hold。　〃One　move　for　your　weapons　and　I　snap　the　king's　neck。〃　he　snarled。
　The　hapless　Civil　Guards；　momentarily　confused；　turned　their　guns　upon　Mannerly；　the　manservant；　who　had　just　entered　holding　a　tray　of　hors　d'oeuvres。　He　fell　with　an　agonized　expression；　his　tux　burned　away　to　a　depth　of　six　inches；　his　midsec…　tion　cremated　by　the　twin　beams　of　the　disintegrator　pistols。
　〃Drop　the　weapons；〃　Rock　said；　making　to　strangle　the　king。
　〃Please；　please　drop　the　weapons。。。〃　said　the　helpless　man　Rock　held　in　a　mighty　grip。
　The　soldiers'　weapons　clattered　to　the　floor。　They　were　both　staring　at　the　smoking　corpse　of　the　butler　with　something　like　guilt　on　their　stupid　faces。
　Rockson　twisted　Stafford's　flaccid　countenance　half　around；　and　demanded；　〃The　code　to　deactivate　the　safe's　destruct　mode　…　and　then　the　bination。　Quickly：　tell　me　or　die。〃
　〃I…I　don't　know　it　…　I　…〃
　〃He　doesn't　know　it；〃　said　a　familiar　voice　from　the　portal。　Rock　looked　over　to　see　Stafford　…　another　Stafford　…　standing　there　with　three　more　soldiers；　and　with　Bdos　towering　behind　him。　〃He　doesn't　know　it　because　you　are　holding　a　double。　I　am　the　real　Stafford。　I　never　returned　after　I　went　to　freshen　up　…　instead　my　double　was　sent　in。　I　have　seen　too　much　treachery　in　my　magnificent　life　to　be　fooled；　to　be　suckered。〃
　Rockson　played　it　out　…　he　might　just　be　really　holding　the　correct　man。　Maybe　the　man　in　the　doorway　was　the　double。　〃I　warn　you；　I　will　snap　his　neck　if　…〃　Bdos　Err　stepped　forward；　and；　taking　one　of　the　disintegrators　from　a　soldier；　leveled　it　at　the　man　who　Rock　held　so　tightly　and　shot　him。　It　was　a　narrow　beam　of　energy；　aimed　accurately　directly　at　the　man's　chest。　It　burned　a　hole　six　inches　deep。　The　man　gagged；　and　his　eyes　rolled　up。　He　slumped　in　Rockson's　grip；　and　steaming　blood　and　chunks　of　flesh…matter　came　bubbling　out　of　his　lips。　Rockson　sighed　mightily；　and　dro