lrh.villainyvictorious-第46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！



Heller　leafed　over　to　the　next　sheet：

EXTERIOR　DIVISION
CHIEF　OF　APPARATUS

To：　General　Staff；　Apparatus
345…nb…456…Blito…P3

It　has　been　determined　that　forces　are　internally　at　work　on　reference　planet　inimical　to　our　interests。
If　at　any　time　the　supply　of　opium；　heroin　or　amphetamines　ceases　to　arrive　from　reference　planet；　you　are　to　withdraw　all　Apparatus　forces　from　the　Calabar　revolt　and　proceed　forthwith　to　reference　planet　Blito…P3　and　launch　a　full…scale　Class　One　assault；　destroying　its　defenses　and　populations　but　taking　care　to　preserve　only　the　inhabitants　of　Afyon；　Turkey；　and　that　opium…producing　area　and　the　I。　G。　Barben　factory　plexes　in　New　Jersey；　United　States。
Ignore　the　Invasion　Schedule。
Plan　without　cooperation　of　the　Army　or　Fleet。
This　is　your　highest　priority。　Get　it　in　the　planning　stage　at　once。

LOMBAR　HISST
Chief　of　Apparatus
OFFICIAL

〃Well；〃　said　Heller；　〃you　have　been　holding　ining　freighters；　but　as　of　this　moment；　since　not　enough　time　has　elapsed　for　him　to　know　they　will　not　return；　he　isn't　aware　of　any　curtailment　of　shipment。　This　planning…　…　〃
〃You　better　talk　to　the　man　we're　holding　in　the　next　room；　sir。〃　Faht　Bey　pushed　a　buzzer。
Captain　Bolz　was　brought　in　by　two　guards。　His　hairy　chest　was　heaving　with　indignation。
〃Bolz；〃　said　Faht　Bey；　〃this　is　Royal　Officer　Jettero　Heller；　a　bat　engineer　of　the　Fleet　operating　on　his　own　cognizance　and　therefore　officially。　You　had　better　tell　him　what　you　told　us。〃
〃I　got　plenty　to　say！〃　roared　Bolz。　〃As　a　blasted　Royal　officer；　I　know　you　can　have　me　exterminated；　but　I'm　going　to　have　my　say　anyway！　I　e　in　here；　innocent　as　a　virgin；　doing　my　duty　as　an　Apparatus　freighter　captain；　two　days　ahead　of　schedule　after　a　petent　passage　and　what　do　I　find？　A　whole　base　wearing　Fleet　insignia！　An　order　putting　my　ship　under　detention！　I　think　you've　all　gone　crazy！〃
〃Quite　likely；〃　said　Heller。　〃And　I　am　sorry　for　any　inconvenience。　Now；　what　was　this　information　you　had？〃
Bolz　lost　a　lot　of　his　glare。　He　looked　down　at　his　big　feet　and　shifted　them　unfortably。　〃Well；　these　fellows　here　know　well　enough　that　I　was　carrying　contraband　Scotch　whisky　and　they　probably　already　told　you。　A　captain　that　never　gets　paid　has　to　have　a　little　profit…　…　〃
〃The　information；〃　said　Heller　firmly。
〃Well；　I　didn't　have　room　for　a　cargo　of　I。　G。　Barben　amphetamines　once　I　had　the　whisky　aboard；　so　I　left　them　in　the　storeroom　here。〃
〃And　when　you　arrived　on　Voltar　somebody　noticed　it？〃　said　Heller。
〃The　amphetamines　were　on　the　manifest；〃　said　Bolz；　〃but　they　weren't　aboard。　I　happen　to　know　that　Hisst　always　checks　the　drug　shipments　against　the　manifests；　because　every　time　I　try　to　pinch　a　little　cargo；　he　has　appeared　personally　to　scream。〃
〃Then　there　has　already　been　a　cessation　of　shipment；〃　said　Heller；　looking　back　at　the　Apparatus　General　Staff　order。　〃Now；　where　is　this　catamite？〃
Faht　Bey　led　the　way　down　the　tunnels　and　they　came　at　length　to　the　detention　cell。
There　sat　Oh　Dear；　his　pretty；　made…up　face　streaked　with　tears。　He　recognized；　from　Voltar　press　photos　of　yesteryear；　Jettero　Heller。　〃Oh；〃　he　sobbed。　〃A　Royal　officer。　I　have　one　request　before　you　kill　me：　take　the　magic　mail　card　back　so　they　don't　kill　my　mother。〃
〃You're　not　going　to　be　killed；〃　said　Heller　with　a　trace　of　disgust。　〃All　I　want　from　you　is　any　other　information　you　might　have　had　for　Gris。〃
〃Where　is　Gris？〃
〃Apparently　dead；〃　said　Heller。
〃Not　really？〃　said　Oh　Dear。　〃Oh；　what　utterly　marvelous　news。　Oh；　I　just　can't　wait　to　tell　Too…Too！　We'll　have　a　celebration　party！　I'll　buy　ribbons…　…　〃
〃The　information；〃　said　Heller。
〃That　the　General　Staff　despatch　was　very　urgent；〃　said　Oh　Dear；　〃and　that　I　was　to　keep　Gris　up　day　and　night　to　pile　it　and　that　I　was　to　return　with　it。〃
Faht　Bey　said　to　Heller；　〃That　means　at　least　three　months　until　they　hit。　Six　weeks　going　back；　six　weeks　for　the　Apparatus　invasion　fleet　to　arrive　here。　Add　the　time　it　takes　them　to　assemble　and　board。〃
Heller　said　to　Oh　Dear；　〃Is　that　everything　you　had？〃
〃There　was　a　message　that　Gris　was　assured　he'd　be　the　next　Chief　of　the　Apparatus　only　if　there　was　no　halt　in　drugs。〃
〃A　promotion？〃　said　Heller。　〃But　Hisst　is　the　Chief　of　Apparatus。〃
〃Well；　you　see；　the　plan　is　that　Hisst　will　be　moving　up　to　Emperor。　Any　time　now。　And　that's　all　I　had；　I　swear　it。〃
He　was　too　shaking…scared　not　to　be　believed。
As　Heller　left　he　saw　the　Countess　Krak　at　the　end　of　the　corridor。　She　was　ing　out　of　the　cell　that　still　held　Utanc…Colonel　Gaylov。
〃Dear；〃　said　Heller；　〃your　woman's　intuition　seems　to　have　been　right。　The　Apparatus　has　a　plan　on　foot　to　use　its　own　forces　to　smash　this　planet。　Hisst　is　crazy　insane。〃
〃Then　we've　got　to　get　off　it　right　away；〃　said　the　Countess。　〃We　and　you…know…who　must　not　be　here　when　they　crack　it　up。〃
〃And　waste　all　the　work　I've　been　doing　for　a　year？〃　said　Heller。　〃This　is　a　nice　planet。〃
〃Opinions　differ；〃　said　the　Countess　Krak。　〃Psychology；　psychiatry；　perversions　beyond　belief　and　a　population　that　doesn't　even　raise　its　voice　when　some　nut　like　Rockecenter　is　ruining　it。　It's　not　worth　saving；　Jettero。　We'd　better　get　a　move　on。〃
〃We've　got　time；〃　said　Faht　Bey。　〃It　will　take　more　than　three　months　for　them　to　make　the　voyages　and　hit　the　place。〃
Heller　shook　his　head。　〃How　long　ago　did　you　stop　the　first　freighter？〃
〃Oh；　that's　been　about　four　weeks　now；〃　said　Faht　Bey。
〃Then　they　will　know　for　sure；　within　a　couple　weeks；　that　it　didn't　e　back。　But　it　was　Bolz　that　triggered　it。　You　haven't　got　three　months。　You　may　not　even　have　five　days。〃
〃What　are　we　going　to　do？〃　said　Faht　Bey。　〃When　they　find　out　we　stopped　the　drugs；　they'll　slaughter　us　to　a　man　and　go　right　on　with　their　invasion。　We　won't　have　anything　left　to　stand　on　even　if　they　miss　us。〃
〃Steady；　steady；〃　said　Heller。　〃I　admit　this　is　quite　a　problem。　We've　got　to　make　sure　Prahd's　patient　is　secure；　we've　got　to　move　this　base　and　we've　got　to　safeguard　this　planet。〃
〃What？〃　said　the　Countess　Krak。　〃Try　to　stand　off　the　whole　Apparatus　fighting　force？　Please；　Jettero；　please。　Don't　try　to　save　this　planet！〃
〃I'll　e　up　with　something；〃　said　Heller。　〃And　make　no　mistake。　Whatever　else　happens；　I　am　going　to　make　every　effort　to　save　this　planet。〃
〃Oh；〃　said　the　Countess　Krak　in　a　voice　of　despair；　looking　at　the　set　expression　on　Heller's　face。
None　of　them　knew　that　none　of　their　estimates　were　correct。　Just　four　days　short　of　arriving；　an　Apparatus　Death　Battalion　was　approaching　with　orders　to　find　any　hostile　influence　at　the　base　and　destroy　it。　That　happened　to　include；　at　that　instant；　every　Voltarian　on　Earth　excepting　only　the　Blixo；　its　crew；　Captain　Bolz　and　Oh　Dear。　This　was　no　major　invasion；　not　yet；　but　it　could　be　the　preliminary　of　mass　slaughter。　Lombar　would　go　crazy　for　revenge　against　the　planet　for　getting　in　the　way　of　his　ambitions。
The　wings　of　death　hovered　over　Earth。

Chapter　3

In　the　coolness　of　the　patio　at　the　villa；　Jettero　Heller　paced　up　and　down。　His　mood　of　grimness　did　not　match　the　tinkle　of　the　fountain。
For　weeks　the　Countess　Krak　had　been　after　him　to　give　some　serious　thought　to　their　plight　but　had　made　no　penetration　in　his　easygoing　attitude。　She　was　learning　something　about　trying　to　live　with　a　personality　like　his：　with　peril　a　constant　panion；　a　bat　engineer　took　joy　in　life　when　he　could　and　tended　to　shrug　off　dangers　he　considered　minor。　But　once　he　conceived　that　something　should　be　done　about　a　situation；　his　dedication　to　getting　it　handled　was　a　little　awe…inspiring。
She　had　thought　he　would　simply　shrug　and　leave　the　planet　to　its　fate。　His　carefree　attitude　did　not　carry　over　into　his　suddenly　confronted　tasks。
She　sat　on　the　fountain's　edge；　hopeful　that　at　any　moment　he　would　simply　turn　and　say；　〃You're　right。　It　is　too　much　for　us。　We'll　just　put　the　Emperor　in　the　tug　and　go　someplace　nobody　ever　heard　of。〃
He　turned　all　right。　But　he　didn't　say　that。　He　said；　〃What　do　we　know　of　Prince　Mortiiy？〃
She　chilled。　Calabar　was　writhing　in　the　toils　of　raw；　red　war。　What　he　inferred　was　even　worse！　But　she　said；　managing　a　calm　voice；　〃Nothing　good；　I'm　afraid。〃
〃Good；　bad；　what　does　it　matter？〃　said　Heller。　〃I　need　information。〃
He　was　asking　her　because　she　had　lately　been　entertaining　him　with　bits　of　Royal　history　she　had　read　in　the　books　Gris　had　left　in　her　cell　during　her　captivity。　Suddenly　she　grasped　an　opportunity　to　discourage　him　from　some　mad　course　that　could　end　in　their　destruction。　He　wouldn't　believe　her　unless　he　saw　it　himself　in　print。　〃Wait　right　there；〃　she　said。　〃I'll　get　the　books。〃
She　returned　in　minutes　with　the　latest　supplement　of　the　pendium　she　could　find。　It　was　only　a　year　old。　She　fluttered　pages。　There　it　was　and　she　showed　him；　reading　aloud：

MORTIIY；　ex…Royal　Prince。　Proclaimed　rebel　Denied　succession　by　Royal　Proclamation。　Banished　from　Royal　family。

Mortiiy；　the　youngest　of　three　Royal　sons　of　Cling　the　Lofty　and　the　late　Empress　Fohl；　was　considered　so　distant　from　succession　in　his　youth　that　he　was　permitted　to　follow　his　chosen　career　as　an　officer　of　the　Fleet。　Graduated　from　the　Royal　Academy　rather　than　Protocol　School　at　Palace　City。
Served　with　the　Fleet　with　no　very　notable　distinction：　three　times　excused　courts…martial；　striking　and；　in　one　instance；　killing　an　officer　superior　in　rank；　not　tried　due　to　Royal　lineage。　Much　given　to　brawling。
At　the　age　of　seventy；　some　ten　years　ago；　Mortiiy's　oldest　brother；　heir　to　the　throne；　was　killed　in　an　air…limousine　accident。　As　this　left　only　one　heir　at　Palace　City；　the　Grand　Council　ordered　Mortiiy　to　return　from　the　Fleet　and　assume　his　princely　duties；　which　he　did。
For　a　time；　Mortiiy　behaved　himself　and　supported　his　brother　Glit；　who　had　bee　the　heir　and　of　whom　Mortiiy　appeared　very　fond。
However；　during　a　banquet　Mortiiy；　possibly　stimulated　with　strong　drink；　took　his　father；　Cling；　to　task　on　the　outrageous　accusation　that　Cling；　not　liking　the　eldest　brother；　had　connived　to　have　him　murdered　under　the　apparency　of　the　air…limousine　accident。　Mortiiy　advanced　the　weird　theory　that　a　technician　had　tampered
with　the　machine。　His　father；　Cling；　despite　this　grave　provoc