lrh.villainyvictorious-第47部分

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with　the　machine。　His　father；　Cling；　despite　this　grave　provocation；　did　yet　speak　to　him　further　and　demanded　that　if　this　was　true；　the　technician　be　produced。　Alas　for　Mortiiy；　he　had　killed　the　offender　in　a　rage　of　grief　over　his　brother's　death。
Mortiiy　was　placed　under　house　arrest　for　a　considerable　period；　being　very　gloomy　and　surly；　refusing　to　apologize。
When；　five　years　ago；　the　heir　to　the　throne；　Glit；　was　found　dead　in　his　chambers　after　a　short　illness；　two　Lords　approached　the　palace　of　Mortiiy　to　inform　him　that　he　was　now　the　heir　to　the　throne。
Instead　of　receiving　the　news　graciously；　Mortiiy　flew　into　a　rage；　grievously　injured　both　of　them；　raced　to　his　father's　palace；　shot　down　the　guards　and　gained　audience。
Mortiiy　accused　Cling　before　the　entire　court　of　being　a　murderer　of　his　own　children；　renounced　any　succession　to　〃a　throne　drenched　in　family　blood；〃　fired　a　shot　which　narrowly　missed　Cling　and　then；　killing　several；　seized　an　air…tank　outside　and　made　his　escape。
Proclaimed　now　by　Cling　an　outcast　from　the　Royal　family　and　with　no　right　to　succession　to　the　throne；　Mortiiy　turned　up　at　the　Royal　estates　on　Calabar。　He　subverted　the　guards　and　raised　the　standard　of　revolt。　He　was　proclaimed　a　rebel　by　Cling。
His　Majesty　has　been　overheard　to　say　that　he　would　bestow　vast　estates　upon　the　man　who
brings　in　the　head　of　Mortiiy；　so　deep　has　the　insult　rankled。
Due　to　ding's　advanced　age　and　the　length　of　his　reign；　efforts　have　been　made　to　find　and　choose　an　heir　apparent。　But　those　clearly　eligible　in　direct　line　have　passed　away。　Succession　must　be　chosen　by　a　conclave　of　Lords　and　the　Grand　Council。

〃So　you　see；　Jettero；〃　said　the　Countess　when　she　finished　reading；　〃if　you　are　thinking　of　taking　His　Majesty　to　Calabar　and　joining　the　rebel　forces　you'd　seal　his　fate。　Mortiiy　would　simply　kill　him。〃
〃Mortiiy　is　not　a　madman；〃　said　Heller。
〃He'll　do　until　one　es　along；〃　said　the　Countess。　〃He　is　no　longer　in　line　for　the　succession。　The　whole　fighting　force　of　the　Apparatus；　as　we　heard　when　we　were　on　Voltar；　is　engaged　in　a　full…scale　attack　to　wipe　him　out。〃
Heller　did　not　answer　her。　Instead　he　went　to　see　Captain　Bolz；　who　was　sitting　in　his　ship　under　heavy　guard。
Bolz　looked　up　the　instant　Heller　appeared。　〃No　sense　talking　to　me；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　not　going　to　join　the　（bleeped）　Fleet　and　neither　will　my　crew。　We're　sensible　people。　We　belong　in　the　Apparatus　and　we　are　going　to　stay　there！〃
〃I　am　sure；〃　said　Heller；　〃that；　with　your　smuggling；　you　find　it　far　too　profitable。　But　I'm　not　asking　you　to　join。　All　I'm　asking　you　to　do　is　take　back　a　cargo　to　Voltar。〃
〃WHAT？〃　said　Bolz。　〃So　all　this　talk　about　no　more　drugs　was　just　wind。〃
〃It　will　take　several　days　to　get　your　cargo　here　from　New　York；　so　if　you　will　promise　to　sit　quietly　and　give　no　trouble；　you　can　go　home　with　it　and　you　won't　be　in　any　trouble　at　all。〃
〃That's　fair；〃　said　Bolz。
Heller　went　immediately　to　Faht　Bey's　office。　He　put　in　a　long…distance　call　to　the　president　of　I。　G。　Barben　and　you　could　almost　see　the　sweat　spurting　back　out　of　the　phone　when　the　man　realized　who　he　was　talking　to。
〃Now　hear　me　carefully；〃　said　Heller。　〃I　want　a　ton　of　tablets　made。　They　will　be　posed　of　50　percent　antihistamine　and　50　percent　methadone。　They　will　be　shaped　and　packaged　and　marked　as　amphetamines　and　you　will　get　them　to　the　airport　in　Afyon；　Turkey；　by　jet　within　four　days。〃
〃A　ton？〃
〃Correct；〃　said　Heller。　〃See　to　it。〃
The　antihistamine；　he　knew　from　his　studies；　would　give　a　semblance　of　reaction　like　amphetamines；　the　methadone　would　counteract　heroin。　If　Lombar　ran　out　of　drugs；　let　the　Lords　withdraw　more　easily　with　that。　He　doubted　anyone　would　detect　the　difference。　It　bought　time。
He　wrote　a　despatch　to　Bolz　telling　him　to　be　on　the　lookout　for　it；　load　it　up　when　it　came　and　go　home。　And　he　wrote　the　despatch　with　an　ink　that　would　fade　to　nothing　in　a　couple　of　days。
He　found　Faht　Bey。　〃How　many　freighters　do　you　have　that　will　operate？〃
〃We　got　the　old　ones　running。　Two　more　have　been　stopped　here。　Five　freighters。〃
〃Good。　That's　enough。　Disassemble　the　base　and　load　it　and　all　personnel。　Break　your　neck　and　be　ready　to　go　as　soon　as　possible。〃
〃It　will　take　days；〃　said　Faht　Bey。
〃I　hope　not；〃　said　Heller。　〃If　we　do　this　right　and　we　are　quick；　we　can　save　this　planet。〃

Chapter　4

There　seemed；　suddenly；　to　be　a　thousand　details　to　what　had　looked　like　a　simple　undertaking。　Family　connections　who　had　been　unaware　of　extraterrestrial　husbands　and　domestic　connections　who　had　never　known　who　their　employers　really　were　had　to　be　cared　for　somehow；　at　least　decently　set　up　in　life。　Faht　Bey　remarked　that　the　Apparatus　would　simply　have　killed　them　and　then　hastily　said　he　was　just　menting；　when　he　saw　Heller's　look。
The　New　York　office　had　to　be　shut　down　and　its　personnel　hauled　back。
Heller　found　out　from　Prahd　that　there　was　now　a　lot　of　trained　Earth　staff；　including　doctors；　and　that　made　up　Heller's　mind。　He　phoned　Mudur　Zengin　at　the　Piastre　National　Bank。
〃Make　up　papers；〃　Heller　said；　〃transferring　amounts　which　have　been　scheduled　for　'pany　maintenance；　Afyon'　over　to　'hospital　and　disease…eradication　use。'　Make　them　up　so　they　stay　in　effect　pending　any　cancellation　from　me。〃
〃That's　an　awful　lot　of　money　for　health；〃　said　Zengin。
〃We're　earmarking　a　good　chunk　of　it　for　drug　rehabilitation；〃　said　Heller。
〃That's　a　big　job；〃　said　Zengin。
〃Right。　Maybe　we　can　undo　some　of　the　damage　that's　been　done。　Would　it　be　asking　too　much　to　fly　the　papers　down　here？〃
〃Not　at　all；〃　said　Zengin。　〃I'll　e　myself。〃
Krak　got　hold　of　Heller。　〃That　Russian　spy　colonel　is　still　sitting　there　in　his　cell。　You　were　holding　him　in　case　they　needed　more　when　they　tried　Gris。　Remember？〃
〃Well；　he　hasn't　got　a　country　anymore；〃　said　Heller。　〃He　can't　be　very　dangerous。　Put　a　hypnohelmet　on　him　and　suppress　his　memory　of　the　base　and　let　him　go。〃
〃It's　not　that　simple；〃　said　the　Countess。　〃There's　the　two　little　boys　he　corrupted。　They're　caving　in；　nobody　can　do　a　thing　with　them。　I　had　an　idea。　France　has　been　exporting　an　awful　lot　of　drugs。〃
〃What's　that　got　to　do　with　Colonel　Gaylov？〃　said　Heller。　〃He　was　also　exporting　heroin。　From　here。　To　keep　the　international　KGB　network　running。〃
〃Well；　those　that　mit　crimes　like　that；〃　said　the　Countess　Krak；　〃will　often　turn　pletely　around　and　campaign　against　such　deeds。　What　I　want　to　do　is　send　Colonel　Gaylov　to　France　with　the　two　little　boys。〃
〃You　must　be　awfully　mad　at　France。　They'd　corrupt　the　whole　nation！〃
〃No；　I　don't　think　so；〃　said　the　Countess。　〃You　see；　I've　been　talking　to　the　colonel　and　he's　absolutely　spinning　with　the　glory　of　it。〃
〃Of　what？〃
〃To　show　up　in　France　and　use　the　old　KGB　network　to　convince　everybody　he's　the　reincarnation　of　Joan　of　Arc。　I　didn't　even　touch　the　helmet。　He's　sure　he　can　be　the　greatest　Joan　of　Arc　that　ever　lived！〃
Heller　gave　her　a　sizable　draft　on　the　Grabbe…Manhattan　Bank　in　Paris；　to　be　paid　out　to　Gaylov；　month　by　month　for　years。
When　she　put　him　and　the　two　boys　on　the　plane　the　following　morning；　there　was　a　holy　gleam　in　ex…Utanc's　eye。　Standing　there　in　a　silver　travelling　gown；　he/she　said；　〃You　are　an　angel　and　I　bless　the　day　I　met　you。　I　can　in　truth　say　that　I　was　visited　by　the　Lord　of　Hosts　on　high。　France　is　about　to　bee　the　holiest　and　most　drugless　place　on　Earth。〃　And　they　were　gone。
Handling　Babe　was　not　quite　as　happy　an　occasion　for　Heller。
He　got　her　on　the　phone　and　said；　〃Mrs。　Corleone；　I'm　terribly　sorry　to　have　to　cancel　out　on　the　wedding　you　had　planned　for　the　cathedral　next　month。〃
Babe；　startled；　said；　〃She's　left　you？〃
〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Heller。　〃It's　just　that　things　got　pretty　urgent。〃
〃Oh；　I　get　it。　You're　going　to　pull　a　fast　justice　of　the　peace　before　those　nine　months　and　the　stork　catches　up　with　you。　Well；　all　right；　son；　Mama　understands。　Just　don't　forget　to　name　the　baby　Giuseppe　after　'Holy　Joe'　if　it's　a　boy；　or　Alma　Maria　after　me　if　it's　a　girl。　And　get　that　beautiful　countess　into　bed　and　resting　as　soon　as　you're　hitched　and　you　leave　her　alone　until　she　delivers。　You　hear　me　now；　Jerome；　and　don't　interrupt。　You're　not　doing　me　out　of　a　grandchild；　do　you　hear？〃
〃Yes；　Mrs。　Corleone。〃
〃And　can　this　'Mrs。　Corleone'　stuff。　You　can't　soft…soap　your　own　mother。　Get　that　girl　to　the　justice　of　the　peace　quick；　you　hear　me？〃
〃Yes；　ma'am。〃
〃All　right；　then。　And　e　back　when　the　coast　is　clear　and　she　can　be　seen　in　public　again。　You're　a　dear
boy；　Jerome；　but　you　sure　as　hell　take　a　lot　of　guidance。　Keep　your　nose　clean；　kid。〃　There　was　an　audible　sniff。　〃I　got　to　run　off　now；　something's　in　my　eyes。　Bye…bye；　son。〃
Heller's　own　eyes；　as　he　hung　up；　were　wet。　He　doubted　that　he　would　ever　see　her　again。

Chapter　5

Regulations　required　that　an　installation　on　a　foreign　planet　could　not　be　abandoned　without　being　destroyed。　There　were　many　reasons　for　this：　included　amongst　them　was　the　misuse　of　such　a　base　for　piracy　and　smuggling。
Jettero　Heller；　as　a　petent　bat　engineer；　did　a　petent　job　of　setting　it　up。　He　used　metal…disintegrator　mines。　These；　inserted　near　connection　boxes　and　along　conduits；　would　cause　an　atomic　shift　of　heavier　metals　to　silica：　with　a　surge　of　enormous　heat　from　the　converted　atoms；　every　piece　of　metal　that　prised　the　hangar　area　would　bee　sand。　This　meant　that　the　tension…beam　boxes　would　go　and　the　twist　and　stresses　in　the　rocks　that　had　been　restrained　through　a　thousand　earthquakes　would　no　longer　be　braked。　The　result　would　be　a　furious　flash　of　fire　and　then　a　wall　collapse。　It　would　simply　appear　that　an　earthquake　had　caused　the　mountain　to　collapse　into　an　unsuspected　fissure。
He　attached　the　fuses　to　a　central　firing　box　and　this　he　triggered　to　a　remote　control。
〃Bolz；〃　he　said　to　the　captain　of　the　Blixo；　〃I　am　going　to　have　to　trust　you。　You　will　not　join　the　Fleet。　Your　cargo　will　not　arrive　until　the　day　after　we　are　gone。　When　you　have　loaded　and　exited　spaceward；　your　last　act　must　be　to　push　this　button。〃　And　he　gave　him　the　very　small　box。
〃What　will　happen？〃　said　Bolz。
〃Well；　don't　experiment；〃　said　Heller。　〃The　Blixo　had　better　be　up　there　a　couple　miles　when　you　do　it。　Every　piece　of　m