lrh.villainyvictorious-第50部分

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there　and　hours　and　hours　every　day　filled　with　his　screams。　I've　thought　of　things　way　beyond　anything　dreamed　up　by　Pinch。　And　all　the　way　here　from　Palace　City　today；　I've　been　thinking　up　new　ones！　Oh；　I'm　MAD！〃
〃Teenie；〃　said　Madison　anxiously；　well　aware　it　could　be　himself；　not　Gris；　on　the　block　down　there；　〃what　has　happened？〃
〃The　（bleepard）　has　ruined　Too…Too's　life；　that's　what。〃
〃Too…Too？　How？〃
〃That　（bleepard）　Gris　just　reached　out　and　smashed　him！〃
〃WHAT？　Has　Gris　escaped？〃
〃No　such　luck；　for　maybe　then　I　could　trail　him　down　and　capture　him。　He's　still　in　that　stinking　Royal　prison　hiding　out　from　us。　And　（bleep）　all　you've　done　to　get　him　out　and　into　that　dungeon。　I'll　let　Too…Too　tell　you…if　he　can　talk。〃
She　turned　and　gave　a　signal　and　a　guard　rushed　off。　Teenie　took　an　agitated　tour　of　the　ornate　dressing　antechamber。　She　looked　like　an　angry　and　frustrated　menace　to　Madison。
There　was　a　clatter　at　the　door　and　two　white…coated　men　brought　in　a　stretcher。　One　of　Teenie's　maids　from　Palace　City　was　beside　it：　she　was　sponging　at　the　forehead　of　its　burden。
Too…Too　lay　with　ashen　face；　seemingly　a　corpse。　The　men　laid　the　stretcher　down　upon　a　sofa　and　the　maid　swabbed　anxiously　at　the　unconscious　visage。
Teenie　brushed　the　maid　aside。　She　bent　down　and　stroked　Too…Too's　pretty　face。　The　makeup　was　already　smeared。　Too…Too　did　not　respond。
Teenie　turned　to　Madison。　〃I　brought　him　with　me　in　the　hopes　the　quiet　here　would　help。　And　I　also　wanted　you　to　hear　what　a　（bleepard）　that　Gris　is。　I'm　going　to　have　to　use　mouth…to…mouth　resuscitation。〃　She　snapped　her　fingers　and　a　footman　raced　in　with　a　silver　tray。　Teenie　took　a　joint　out　of　a　silver　box　and　lit　it。　She　then　knelt　by　Too…Too。　She　took　a　puff　from　it　and　then　laid　her　lips　on　Too…Too's　and　blew。
Too…Too　began　to　cough　on　the　smoke。　Teenie　took　another　puff　and；　steadying　him；　pried　his　lips　apart　with　her　tongue　and　blew。
Too…Too　went　into　a　spasm。　He　had　sat　up。　He　saw　Teenie　and　put　his　arm　around　her　and　began　to　cry。
Teenie　held　him　off　and　made　him　puff　the　joint。　This　time　he　inhaled　deeply　and　then　the　smoke　blubbered　out　amongst　his　coughs　and　sobs。
Teenie　made　him　do　it　again。　He　became　calmer。
〃Oh；　Teenie；　dear　Teenie；〃　Too…Too　said；　〃my　life　has　e　to　an　end。　Hold　me　close；　dear　Teenie；　so　that　I　can　perish　in　your　arms。〃
〃Hush；　dear　Too…Too；　you'll　live　many　a　day　to　be　（bleeped）　by　many　men　yet。　We're　going　to　get　that　（bleepard）　Gris。　I'll　even　show　you　the　dungeon　where　he'll　be　tortured。　Now　tell　this　man　here　what　you　told　me　so　he'll　get　off　his　（bleep）　and　begin　working　like　he　meant　it！〃
〃It's　too　painful；〃　said　Too…Too。　And　Teenie　had　to　get　him　to　puff　the　joint　again。
Too…Too；　in　a　broken　voice；　began　to　talk。　Gris　had　forced　him　and　Oh　Dear　into　being　couriers　and　informers　by　a　mechanism　known　as　magic　mail。　Every　three　months；　by　mailing　a　card　through　a　certain　slot；　an　order　continued　to　be　held。　But　for　some　reason　the　Blixo's　schedule　had　been　advanced　and　although　Too…Too　had　mailed　the　last　card　he　had　been　given　on　Earth　punctually；　as　he　thought；　it　had　been　late。
The　order　which　had　been　held　had　already　gone。　The　mander　of　the　Knife　Section　on　Mistin　had　received　it。　Due　to　internal　Confederacy　delays　between　planets；　Too…Too　had　only　now　been　informed。
HIS　MOTHER　HAD　BEEN　MURDERED！
Screaming　it　out；　he　went　back　into　a　collapse　and　Teenie　had　to　work　hard　to　revive　him。　After　more　mouth…to…mouth　marijuana　resuscitation；　she　said；　〃Now；　Too…Too；　start　from　the　beginning　and　begin　to　spill　all　the　crimes　you　know　that　Gris　has　mitted。〃
Madison　listened。　This　catamite　knew　quite　a　bit。　It　was　all　headline　stuff。　Actually；　Madison　had　not　been　too　interested　in　Gris；　regarding　him　just　as　a　way　to　get　to　Heller。　But　as　he　listened　he　began　to　get　fascinated。　This　was　juicy　copy！
Finally　he　said；　〃You　say　he　gave　you　orders　to　kill　old　Bawtch　and　two　others　in　your　office。　Won't　that　implicate　you？〃
〃Oh；　no！〃　cried　Too…Too。　〃I　couldn't　murder　anybody。　I　simply　told　Lombar　Hisst。　We　just　transferred　Bawtch　to　another　section。　That　was　when　Hisst　began　to　set　Gris　up。〃
〃For　what？〃　said　Madison。
But　Too…Too　had　spent　what　little　energy　he　had　and　was　collapsed　again　in　Teenie's　arms。
〃Now　you've　heard　it；〃　Teenie　said；　her　eyes　smoldering　as　she　looked　at　Madison　over　Too…Too's　head。　〃Don't　let　any　grass　grow　under　your　feet。　GET　THAT　GRIS！〃
Madison　grinned。　With　material　like　this；　how　could　he　miss？　It　would　open　the　door　to　Heller　with　a　crash。

Chapter　3

Four　hours　later　Madison；　in　a　hurtling　Model　99；　was　hot　on　the　trail。　He　had　been　very　intrigued　by　the　information　that　Gris　had　been　〃set　up。〃　He　also　knew　from　recent　past　experience　that　the　media　here　had　a　nasty　idea　that　one　should　have　documents　and　proof　for　stories。　While　this　was　far　from　insurmountable…one　could　always　forge　and　find　false　witnesses…it　might　save　him　time　if　he　could　get　his　hands　on　the　real　thing　and；　thanks　to　Too…Too；　he　was　certain　that；　somewhere；　a　lot　of　evidence　existed。
He　had　been　cautioned　by　Lombar's　chief　clerk　not　to　barge　in　all　the　time　on　Lombar　Hisst；　so　the　logical　target　in　this　case　was　the　old　chief　clerk　himself。　The　man　would　be；　he　thought；　at　Spiteos　or　the　palace。
Madison；　having　crossed　the　green　seas　and　now　with　the　mainland　under　him；　was　still　trying　on　the　munications　system　to　locate　his　quarry。
Suddenly　into　his　calling；　a　harsh　voice　broke　in：　〃Divert！　Divert！　This　is　Apparatus　Traffic　Surveillance。　J。　Walter　Madison；　divert　from　your　course　at　once　and　proceed　to　the　Office　of　the　Chief　of　Apparatus；　Government　City；　without　delay。〃
〃Oh；　boy；〃　said　Flick；　overhearing　it；　〃you're　in　trouble。〃
〃Why　is　he　in　trouble？〃　said　Cun　who　had　bullied　herself　back　into　her　job；　Relax　Island　or　no　Relax　Island。
〃It　means　they　been　looking　for　him；〃　said　Flick　to　Cun。　〃It　means　they　were　calling　earlier　and　it　means　you　was　out　of　the　airbus　instead　of　standing　by　its　phone。　I　bet　you　got　yourself　（bleeped）！〃
〃I　did　not！〃　said　Cun　savagely。　〃I　was　just　peeking。〃
〃I'll　bet　you　were；〃　said　Flick。　〃How　e　the　front　of　your　uniform　is　wet？〃
〃I　was　getting　a　drink　of　water。　It　was　you　that　was　getting　all　hot。　And　over　a　scullery　maid；　too！〃
〃Peace！〃　said　Madison。　〃Head　for　Government　City。　Do　you　know　where　his　in…town　office　is？〃
〃You　can't　miss　it；〃　said　Flick。　〃Upper　end　of　the　town；　on　the　cliff　above　the　River　Wiel。　You　can　always　tell　it　from　the　dead　bodies　in　the　streets　around　it。〃
〃I　hope　you're　joking；〃　said　Madison。
〃Well；　yes；　actually　I　am；〃　said　Flick。　〃He　has　a　chute　so　he　can　dump　them　into　the　River　Wiel。〃
They　sped　across　the　green　countryside　and　soon　were　over　the　masses　of　tall　buildings　which　housed　the　bulk　of　the　government。　The　vast　area　at　the　upper　end　skirted　tall　cliffs　which　fell　into　the　River　Wiel。　This　section　was　the　oldest　and　most　decayed　part　of　Government　City；　and　the　Apparatus；　while　not　the　oldest；　was　certainly　the　most　decayed　part　of　the　government　and　had　fallen　heir　to　it。
There　was　a　square；　occupied　by　a　central　building　which　was　surrounded　by　broken　pavement　and　monuments　to　forgotten　glory。　All　of　this　would　seem　to　indicate　that　the　Apparatus　was　also　old　but　this　was　not　true：　the　service　was　really　quite　young　as　things　in　Voltar　go。　It　was　only　that　the　other　parts　of　the　government　would　no　longer　live　in　this　place　where　the　fountains　no　longer　ran　and　the　statues　were　missing　heads　and　legs。
As　the　Model　99　swept　in　to　land；　there　was　immediate　trouble　to　find　a　parking　place。　Wide　as　the　surrounding　pavements　were；　they　were　covered　with　randomly　parked　tanks　and　vehicles。
Flick　squeezed　in　between　a　personnel　carrier　and　a　flight　mand　car；　each　of　which　bore　a　general's　guidon。　Cun　opened　the　door　while　ogling　some　of　the　drivers。
〃There's　something　going　on　here；〃　said　Flick。　〃These　are　the　vehicles　of　the　Apparatus　General　Staff！　You　watch　it；　Chief。　They're　the　most　vicious　（bleepards）　in　the　Confederacy！〃
Madison　got　out。　He　felt　a　little　conspicuous　in　his　gray　business　suit。　He　made　his　way　through　clusters　of　officers　and　men　in　mustard　uniforms；　black　uniforms；　green　uniforms；　every　one　of　them　badged　with　the　Apparatus　symbol　which；　if　you　looked　at　it　from　a　certain　angle；　did　resemble　a　bottle。
An　overly　dressed　young　woman　with　a　snug　on　a　leash　was　sauntering　in　front　of　the　main　door。　Another　one；　considerably　underdressed　and　with　a　hard　face；　was　impatiently　twirling　a　cane。　The　latter　accosted　Madison；　〃How　much　longer　is　this　silly　meeting　going　to　go　on？〃　she　said。
〃I　have　no　idea；　madam；〃　said　Madison。
〃Well；　if　you're　going　in　there；　you　just　tell　General
Buc　that　his　mistress　has　been　waiting　for　five　（bleeping）　hours。　I'm　fed　up！〃
Madison　went　up　the　broken　steps。　Two　sentries　in　mustard　barred　his　way。　An　officer　bawled　at　him；　〃Madison？　Where　the　blast　have　you　been？　Get　the　Hells　in　there　and　fast！〃
Madison　found　himself　being　propelled　across　a　cluttered　lobby　and　then　down　a　flight　of　stairs。　The　officer　thrust　him　into　a　crowded　room。
The　place　looked　more　like　a　cave　than　an　office。　It　also　stank。
Generals　in　red　uniforms　were　sitting　in　chairs　around　the　rough　rock　walls。　In　the　recorded　strips　of　this　meeting　they　look　just　like　Manco　Devils。
Lombar　Hisst　was　sitting　behind　a　desk；　also　uniformed　in　red。　He　was　turned　sideways；　watching　a　staff　officer　with　a　remote　control　in　his　hand　who　was　electronically　chasing　an　orange　arrow　around　on　a　projected　map。
〃This　is　Omaha〃　the　staff　officer　said。　〃According　to　earlier　intelligence　advices；　it　is　a　sort　of　military　nerve　center。　Estimates　are　that　it　will　take　a　million　men；　after　it　is　occupied；　to　hold　the　position　and　fan　out　eastward。〃
〃A　million　men！〃　mented　a　general。　〃That　means　no　supplementary　reserve。〃
〃Well；　if　we　are　denied　the　right　to　simply　bomb　New　York。。。〃
〃That　has　to　be　denied；〃　said　Hisst。　〃It　would　obliterate　the　installations　that　must　be　seized　in　operational　condition　in　New　Jersey。　That　requires　a　solely　infantry　approach；　moving　through　cities　on　a　slaughter　basis。　Are　you　afraid　of　casualties？〃　he　asked　the　first　general　with　a　sneer。
〃No；〃　said　the　first　general。　〃I　was　simply　hoping　that　some　way　t