lrh.villainyvictorious-第41部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Madison　beamed；　benign　as　a　god。　He　had　carefully　coached　the　women。　He　had　restored　everything　internally。　It　was　an　odd　employment　of　his　craft；　using　it　for　peace；　but　by　the　simple　expedient　of　advising　the　girls　to　PR　the　regiment；　he　had　changed　the　mind　and　behavior　of　Flick。　It　just　proved　to　Madison　how　much　he　himself　was　a　master　of　his　trade。　Microcosm　or　macrocosm；　it　didn't　matter；　for　bad　or　for　good；　it　didn't　matter。　What　mattered　was　that　one　could　mand；　without　fail；　the　destinies　of　men。　The　Supreme　Being　must　feel　this　way　from　time　to　time　as　he　directed　the　courses　of　the　universe。　The　only　reason　Madison　hadn't　done　it　the　other　way　around　and　gotten　Flick　killed　was　that　he　didn't　need　him　for　a　headline。

Chapter　3

Shortly　after　midnight；　it　was　very　difficult　for　Madison　to　descend　from　his　cloudy　heights　to　assimilate　bad　news。
The　four　reporters　stood　about　his　bed　like　lost　wool　animals；　looking　like　they　had　been　chewed　upon　by　fangers　who　had　taken　great　satisfaction　in　it。
Copy　dangling　limply　from　his　hand；　the　lead　reporter　said；　〃They　won't　take　it。〃
〃What？　A　good　sensational　story　like　that？〃
〃They　never　heard　of　'handouts'　before。　We　tried　every　editor　we　could　get　past　the　door　to。　They　wanted　sources　and　every　one　said　they'd　send　out　their　own　reporters；　but　why　bother？〃
〃Didn't　you　try　bribes？〃
〃That's　what　we　were　doing　time　for。　We　didn't　think　you'd　like　it　if　they　put　us　right　back　in；　what　with　the　iron　box　and　all。〃
Madison　waved　them　out　of　there　with　advice　to　have　a　drink　and　go　to　bed。
He　was　certain　he　knew　what　the　trouble　was：　they　were　simply　inexperienced　and　deficient　in　salesmanship。　He　wrote　an　order　to　the　director　to　practice　them　in　sincere　and　earnest　expressions　and　went　back　to　bed。
It　was　obvious　he　would　have　to　break　the　first　ice　himself。
Accordingly；　brisk　and　early　in　the　morning；　he　dressed　himself　in　his　most　conservative　and　expensive　suit；　practiced　expressions　a　little　in　the　mirror；　picked　up　fresh　copies　of　the　well…poisoning　story　and　went　to　the　hangar。
A　very　exhausted　Flick　told　his　smug　footwoman　to　take　the　controls；　for　he　could　hardly　see　and　in　addition；　now；　had　trouble　in　even　getting　his　hand　up　to　point　the　way。　PR　had　really　worked！
Madison　had　decided　there　was　no　reason　to　start　at　the　bottom。　As　the　top　of　his　profession　himself；　he　had　better　start　at　the　top。
By　a　slight　misrepresentation　to　underlings；　startled　by　the　blanket　order　from　Lord　Snor　to　Homeview；　Madison　gained　audience　to　the　publisher；　no　less；　of　the　Daily　Speaker；　the　most　widely　circulated　newssheet　on　Voltar。
In　the　lofty　office　which　overlooked　mercial　City　with　disdain；　Noble　Arthrite　Stuffy　kept　Madison　standing。　〃I　understand　you　have　some　message　from　my　cousin；　Lord　Snor。〃
〃Actually；〃　said　Madison；　〃I　came　because　I　have　a　sensational　news　story。　Headline　stuff。　Here　it　is。〃
Noble　Stuffy　read　it　and　tossed　it　back；　〃It's　written　in　news　format。　Is　it　supposed　to　be　a　story？〃
〃Yes；　indeed；〃　said　Madison。　〃Print　it　and　you'll　increase　your　circulation。〃
〃We　already　circulate　more　than　we　can　easily　handle。　Why　would　anyone　want　to　increase　their　circulation？〃
〃To　get　better　rates　from　the　advertisers。〃
Noble　Stuffy　frowned。　〃Advertisers？　We　don't　print　advertising。　I　think　you　have　us　mixed　up　with　notice…board　cards。　Where　did　you　say　you　were　from？　Let　me　see　your　identoplate。〃
Madison　handed　it　over；　expecting　to　be　able　to　answer　questions　about　PR　man　and　bowl　this　publisher　over。　Instead；　Stuffy　snarled；　〃The　Apparatus？　You're　from　the　Apparatus？　Well；　let　me　tell　you；　whatever　your　name　is　here；　this　isn't　the　first　time　the　Apparatus　has　tried　to　get　something　changed　or　a　story　pulled。　I　suppose　you　have　a　Death　Battalion　waiting　at　the　door　or　some　such　other　poppycock。　You　have　just　bee　unpopular。〃
Madison　didn't　like　the　tone。　He　was　used　to　editors　and　publishers　bruising　their　heads　against　the　floor　before　the　PR　of　the　government。　〃I　could　get　a　Royal　order　that　you'd　have　to　publish　anything　I　say！〃
〃Hah；〃　said　Stuffy。　〃You　just　get　your　Royal　order　and　I　will　get　you　a　revolution　as　quick　as　blink。　Seventy　thousand　years　ago　a　monarch　tried　to　force　papers　to　report　the　soirees　of　his　moner　mistress　and　they　even　erased　his　name　from　history。　Royal　order！　Oh；　this　will　be　rich　when　I　mention　it　at　luncheon　at　my　club　to　other　publishers。〃
〃I　could　start　another　paper　and　give　you　such　petition；　I　could　wipe　you　out！〃　grated　Madison。
〃Hah；　hah！〃　said　Stuffy。　〃There　hasn't　been　a　new　newssheet　started　in　fifteen　thousand　years。　Try　it　and　the　other　papers　will　buy　up　all　the　available　paper　and　leave　you　nothing　to　print　on　but　gutter　stones。　Now　you　better　leave　before　I　ask　somebody　to　throw　you　out。〃
Madison　departed。　He　went　to　other　papers。　He　got　the　same　treatment。　He　also　found　something　else　that　was　discouraging：　These　papers　were　all　chains　that　re…published；　with　local　sections；　on　every　planet　of　the　Confederacy；　and　where　it　had　looked　like　there　were　tens　of　thousands　of　newspapers　on　the　110　planets；　in　reality　there　were　only　about　seventy…five。
Not　letting　himself　look　or　feel　downcast；　for　after　all　he　was　a　veteran　PR；　he　told　himself　he　at　least　had　a　blanket　order　for　Homeview。
It　was　getting　on　toward　evening　by　that　time　but　he　phoned　them　from　the　airbus。
〃Homeview？〃　he　said　to　the　bright　face　of　the　receptionist。　〃Please　connect　me　to　your　news　section。〃
〃News　section？　We　don't　have　a　news　section；　sir。〃
〃You　give　out　news！〃　said　the　incredulous　Madison。
〃Oh；　yes；　sir。　I'll　connect　you　to　the　announcers'　rest　lounge。〃
The　sleek　face　of　an　announcer　came　on：　he　was　sipping　hot　jolt。　Madison　said；　〃Who　is　your　ace　news　mentator？〃
〃Our　what？〃　said　the　announcer。
〃Don't　you　have　a　news　staff？〃
〃What　would　we　want　with　that？〃　said　the　announcer。　〃Whoever　is　on　at　those　periods；　we　just　read　items　from　each　page　of　some　leading　newspaper。　We　use　a　different　paper　every　day　and　give　them　credit。　Oh；　I　see　what　you　must　mean：　you　mean　the　camera　coverage　of　lordly　and　notable　people。　Do　you　want　me　to　connect　you　to　our　social　director？〃
〃No！〃　snarled　Madison　and　hung　up。
He　sat　while　Flick　hovered　above　the　lanes。　Confound　it；　Madison　told　himself；　I　can't　run　a　PR　campaign　on　billboards！　And　e　to　think　of　it；　the　only　signs　I　have　seen　just　told　what　store　it　was。
〃Take　me　home！〃　he　snapped　at　Flick。
Once　there；　he　soaked　his　feet；　It　was　the　first　door…pounding　he　had　done　in　a　decade。　It　was　making　him　cross。
Then；　fortified　by　supper　and　easy　in　bare　feet　and　a　robe；　he　went　into　the　reporters'　workroom　and　began　to　go　through　the　stacks　of　newssheets　that　had　been　purchased。　He　had　an　idea　that　what　he　was　up　against　was　that　curse　of　the　PR　profession；　journalistic　truth。　Long；　long　ago；　on　Earth；　they　used　to　talk　about　it　to　graduates　in　journalism。　But　these　days；　they　even　awarded　Pulitzer　Prizes　for　the　most　false　story　of　the　year。　The　Voltarians；　with　all　this　nonsense　about　sources　and　accuracy；　were　definitely　on　the　wrong　road：　even　the　corniest　weekly　in　Podunk　could　give　them　lessons。
He　was　reading　lead　stories　now。

NEW　MONUMENT
DEDICATED

And　another：


LADY　PROMPTON
ORPHANAGE
SPEECH　IN　FULL

Those　were　headlines？　How　ghastly！
Pages　two　to　seven　were　usually　social　news。

WIFE　OF　LORD　ELD　GIVES
PINK　SPARKLEWATER
PARTY

And

DAME　ALT　GIVES
GARDEN　SOCIAL
AT　ALT　ESTATE

And

EDITOR'S　WIFE
ANNOUNCES
WEEKLY　AT　HOME

Madison　exploded。　HOW　DULL！　These　people　had　never　grasped　the　idea　that　news　is　entertainment！
There　was　a　little　hope：　several　papers；　on　inside　pages；　bottom；　carried　news　on　the　revolt　in　Calabar；　and　on　the　back　page　of　one　paper；　five　lines　said　that　a　couple　of　lovers　had　been　found　suicided　in　a　river。　Lacking　anything　else；　those　stories　had　the　blood　to　make　them　headlines！
WHAT　A　BACKWARD　CIVILIZATION！
He　had　better　reform　them　fast！
Although　his　determination　was　strong；　he　knew　he　needed　more　than　that。　He　needed　some　point　of　entrance　to　penetrate　this　media　wall。
He　went　to　bed　and　stared　at　the　ceiling。　No　ideas。　Eventually；　he　slept。
Factually；　dear　reader；　not　just　Heller's　fate　but　that　of　both　Voltar　and　Earth　were　hovering　in　the　balance　in　that　dark　chamber。

Chapter　4

At　dawn；　the　searching　fingers　of　the　sun　pried　gently　at　his　eyelids。
He　lay　in　the　semi…world；　half…awake；　half…asleep。　A　thought　was　drifting　through　his　semiconsciousness。
One　of　the　proper　purposes　of　newspapers；　ran　the　thought；　was　to　cause　trouble　and　worry　people。　Thus；　it　followed；　a　primary　intention　of　all　Earth　media　is　to　make　people　go　mad。
He　stirred。　Something　was　tugging　at　his　mind　for　recognition。　He　suddenly　realized　that　he　had　never　seen　any　psychiatrist　on　Voltar　or　any　sign　of　one。　Not　even　a　psychologist。
Aha！　The　Confederacy；　through　its　deficient　media；　was　not　only　not　causing　insanity；　it　was　not　even　curing　it！　Suddenly　an　idea　hit　him。
He　struggled　out　of　bed。　He　got　on　a　robe。　He　went　into　Flick's　room。
Flick；　black　eyes　now　yellowing；　was　lying　spent　between　the　naked　bodies　of　Cun　and　Twa；　both　of　whom　were　snoring　peacefully　through　gently　smiling　lips。
〃Flick；〃　said　Madison；　〃what　do　they　do　with　the　insane　on　Voltar？〃
〃They　sic　two　women　on　them　and　kill　them；〃　said　Flick；　trying　to　free　his　arms　and　sit　up。
〃No；　seriously；〃　said　Madison。　〃It's　important　that　I　know。〃
Flick　crawled　weakly　down　to　the　foot　of　the　bed　and　sat；　too　spent　to　progress　further。　He　said；　〃The　insane？　Let's　see。　Well；　when　they　say　somebody　is　insane；　it's　not　very　hard　to　figure　out　they're　right。　They　get　staring　eyes　and　rush　about　or　flop。　They　don't　know　anybody　and；　when　they　talk；　they　say　crazy　things。　So　they　send　them　to　a　big　prison　far　up　north　and　that's　that。〃
〃What　happens　if　they　get　well？〃
〃Get　well？　That's　a　funny　term。　You　mean　if　they　go　sane　again？　Well；　if　that　happens；　they　watch　them　for　a　while　and　then　they　let　them　out。〃
〃You　mean　they　don't　shock　them　or　operate　on　their　brains？〃
〃For　pity's　sakes；　why？　How　e　somebody　should　punish　them？　They　don't　work　on　them　or　touch　them　at　all。　I　had　a　cousin　once　was　sent　to　the　Insane　Detention　Camp　on　Calabar：　he　went　crazy　as　a　gyro　with　hal