lrh.villainyvictorious-第57部分

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Teenie　nodded　and　they　carried　her　chair　out　into　the　main　courtroom。　They　set　it　down　in　the　empty　hall　before　the　witness　seat　and　enclosure。　Teenie　shut　her　curtains。
There　was　quite　a　wait。　But　at　last；　a　very　manacled　Gris　was　brought；　closely　escorted　by　six　armed　guards。
Gris　had　not　known　why　they　were　fetching　him。　The　curtained　chair　meant　nothing　to　him。　But　when　he　saw　that　he　was　not　being　taken　to　an　execution　chamber；　and　it　was　probably　just　a　matter　of　some　questions；　some　of　his　morale　returned。　He　sat　down　in　the　railed　witness　box；　trying　to　make　a　good　impression　on　Lord　Turn　who　was　now　taking　a　seat　on　his　judge's　dais。
〃Gris；〃　said　Turn；　〃have　you　ever　been　sentenced　to　life　imprisonment？〃
〃All　my　crimes　are　in　my　confession；　Your　Lordship。〃
〃Well；　that　may　or　may　not　be；〃　said　Lord　Turn。　〃I've　not　read　it。　So　please　just　answer　truthfully；　were　you　ever　tried　and　sentenced　in　a　country　called　Moviola？〃
Gris　had　had　a　very　hard　night。　But　he　knew　that　the　last　thing　he　must　look　was　guilty　about　anything。　After　all；　his　crimes　had　all　been　done　because　of　Heller　and　he　had　explained　that　in　his　confession。　He　forced　an　easy　laugh。　〃That's　ridiculous；〃　he　said。
〃There　is　someone　here　who　says　otherwise；〃　said　Lord　Turn　and　waved　a　hand　at　the　closed　palanquin。
Gris　managed　a　confident　smile。　〃There　isn't　anyone　on　Voltar　who　could　allege　such　a　falsity。〃　And　he　looked　easily　at　the　curtains。
Suddenly；　a　blue…gloved　hand　shot　the　covering　aside。
TEENIE！
Gris　went　white。
He　leaped　back！
He　hit　the　rail　of　the　witness　box　and　went　right　through　it！
With　a　rip　of　splintering　timber　he　reached　the　limit　of　his　shackles！
His　velocity　was　so　great　he　parted　chain　links！
He　hit　the　wall！
He　madly　tried　to　get　through　it！
With　a　shrieking；　frantic　moan；　he　realized　he　could　not　escape。
He　fainted。
Lord　Turn　looked　at　the　crumpled　heap　of　severed　chains；　fallen　plaster　and　Gris　amongst　it；　lying　there　unconscious；　now；　upon　the　floor。　Lord　Turn；　in　the　saddest　voice　said；　〃Oh；　no。〃
Lord　Turn　took　a　long　breath　and　looked　at　Teenie。　〃Well；　Your　Majesty；〃　he　said；　〃I　guess　that　settles　it。　I　have　no　choice　now　but　to　bring　Gris　to　trial　for　mitting　a　crime　in　my　own　prison。〃
〃I　said　it　would　be　embarrassing；〃　said　Teenie。　〃Pratia　Tayl　was　the　fourth　time　he　got　married。　He's　not　guilty　of　just　bigamy：　it's　QUADRIGAMY！〃
Madison；　two　hours　later；　was　dancing　with　joy。　His　plan　had　worked　perfectly。　He　had　brought　Gris　to　trial。　He　would　make　sure　the　trial　was　public。　WHAT　HEADLINES　THAT　WOULD　MAKE！　And　Gris　would　accuse　Heller。　Madison　had　it　made！　He　could　see　it　now！　The　greatest　manhunt　in　the　whole　universe！　The　Fleet；　the　Army；　everybody！　All　after　Heller！　Headlines；　headlines；　HEADLINES！　What　ecstasy！
Oh；　it　was　great　to　be　a　pure　genius　at　PR！

Chapter　6

On　a　lonely　mountaintop　of　Calabar　and　in　the　screaming　wind；　Jettero　Heller　stood；　stung　by　the　horizontally　hurtling　snow；　half…blinded　by　the　night；　surrounded　by　thirty　blastguns　ready　and　eager　to　blow　him　apart。
It　had　taken　him　many　days　and　several　different　applications　of　mand　location　geometry　to　find　the　headquarters　of　Prince　Mortiiy。
The　voyage　from　Blito…P3　had　only　taken　five　days。　It　had　been　quite　uneventful。　The　trouble　had　e　when　he　had　had　to　penetrate　the　Apparatus　planetary　net　all　tangled　up　with　the　beams　and　defenses　of　the　rebels。
Using　one　identification　or　another；　he　had　managed　to　slip　through　and　the　Prince　Caucalsia　lay　up　there　now；　twenty　miles　above　them；　invisible　to　all　intents　and　purposes　but；　with　her　vital　passengers；　a　total　loss　if　anything　happened　to　him。
He　had　e　down　here　in　a　spacetrooper　sled；　he　was　chilled　to　the　bone；　his　oxygen　was　almost　gone　and　they　were　standing　on　what　was　a　〃hill〃　for　Calabar　but　which　was　nevertheless　thirty　thousand　feet。　Gun　flashes　flickered　on　the　distant　horizon；　a　burning　city　was　a　patch　of　pink　smudge。
There　was　a　dimly　seen　figure　about　fifty　feet　away；　hidden　by　a　rock。
Through　his　face　mask　that　also　had　an　amplifier　speaker；　Heller　called；　〃I　will　have　to　stand　closer　to　you　to　give　you　my　message。〃　Thirty　blastguns　in　the　ring　around　him　twitched。
The　amplified　voice　came　from　behind　the　rock；　〃You're　close　enough。　I　can't　believe　that　the　great　Jettero　Heller；　idol　of　the　Fleet；　wants　to　e　over　to　the　rebels。　I　am　very　well　aware　of　what　a　bat　engineer　can　do。　Give　me　your　message　from　there。〃
〃I　don't　even　know　if　I'm　talking　to　Prince　Mortiiy；〃　Heller　shouted　above　the　shrieking　wind。
〃I　don't　even　know　that　you're　Jettero　Heller！〃
〃I　was　introduced　to　you　as　a　cadet　aboard　the　warship　Illusive　twelve　years　ago；〃　Heller　shouted　back。　〃You　were　wearing　slippers　because　your　feet　had　gotten　burned。〃
〃Anybody　could　know　that。　I've　met　thousands　of　cadets。〃
〃I　have　to　see　your　face　up　close　to　know　it's　really　you！〃　shouted　Heller。　〃The　message；　as　I　have　told　you；　is　for　your　ears　alone。〃
〃That's　how　you　got　this　far。　Men；　bind　his　hands　behind　him　and　take　any　weapons。　Only　Jettero　Heller　would　be　crazy　enough　to　try　to　penetrate　these　lines　making　all　this　noise。〃
Two　pressure…suited　soldiers　detached　themselves　from　the　ring　and　moved　forward　very　gingerly。　They　found　no　weapons　and　they　tied　his　hands。　They　pushed　him　forward　across　the　intervening　gap。　Heller　found　it　hard　walking：　in　addition　to　the　wind；　the　1。5　gravity　of　Calabar　made　him　feel　like　he　weighed　a　ton。
He　came　to　a　place　behind　a　rock。　A　light　hit　him　in　the　face。　A　hand　pulled　away　his　oxygen　mask　and　then　let　it　drop　back。　〃It　looks　like　Jettero　Heller　all　right；〃　said　a　gruff　voice。
〃Turn　the　light　on　your　own　face；〃　said　Heller。
〃That's　nerve。　Don't　you　realize　you're　talking　to　a　prince？〃
〃I'm　talking　to　a　rebel；〃　said　Heller；　〃and　unless　you　listen　to　me；　you'll　go　right　on　being　one。〃
A　barking　laugh　met　this。　〃Gods…blast！　What　nerve！〃　Then　the　light　was　suddenly　reversed　and；　through　the　faceplate；　Heller　saw　and　recognized　the　craggy　features　and　thick　black　beard　of　Prince　Mortiiy。
〃All　right；〃　said　Heller。　〃I　give　you　my　word　I　am　not　here　to　assassinate　you　or　harm　you　in　any　way。　Send　these　men　back　out　of　earshot。　My　message　really　is　for　your　ears　alone。〃
〃ets！　I　must　be　crazy。　All　right；　you　men；　draw　back　but　keep　weapons　trained　on　him。〃
〃I　have　a　plete　repair　crew；　five　ships　ing　here。　They'll　arrive　in　a　few　weeks。　I　think　you　need　them。〃
〃I　don't　need　anything。　The　people　of　this　planet　support　me：　they're　in　a　livid　rage　against　the　Apparatus。　Furthermore；　Apparatus　units　are　pulling　out　and　the　Fleet　and　Army　are　inactive。　I'm　winning　this　war。〃
It　was　a　shock　to　Heller。　If　the　Apparatus　was　pulling　out；　they　had　only　one　destination：　Earth。
Heller　glanced　around　him。　The　others　were　now　well　out　of　earshot。　He　leaned　closer。　〃You'll　never　win　this　war　without　something　I've　brought　you。〃
Mortiiy　barked　an　amused　laugh。　〃There　isn't　anything　in　the　universe　that　you　could　bring　that's　that　important。〃
Heller　said；　〃I've　brought　your　father。〃
〃WHAT？〃
〃His　Majesty；　Cling　the　Lofty；〃　said　Heller。
〃Oh；　well；　if　you　really　have　him；　bring　him　in；　bring　him　in　so　that　I　can　execute　him！　But；　of　course；　I　don't　believe　you　for　an　instant；　as　you　couldn't　possibly　have　him。〃
〃Your　Highness；　I　do　assure　you　that　I　have　him。　I　also　have　the　regalia　and　seal。〃　And　he　quickly　sketched　the　turn　of　fate　which　had　brought　the　Emperor　into　his　hands。
〃Then　actually　he's　running　from　Hisst！〃　said　Mortiiy。　〃Will　he　cancel　my　rebel　status？〃
〃He's　unconscious。〃
〃Then　he　can't　declare　me　his　successor。〃
〃Not　until　he　gains　consciousness。〃
〃Wait　a　minute；〃　said　Mortiiy。　〃This　is　dangerous！　If　Hisst　knows　he　is　here；　he　will　launch　all　his　troops　against　us！　If　it　gets　out　that　you　kidnapped　him；　the
Fleet　and　Army　will　join　in。　This　is　EXPLOSIVE！　They'd　slaughter　us！〃
〃Are　there　no　advantages　to　having　him？〃　said　Heller。
〃Does　the　G。　C。　know　he　is　gone？〃
〃I　came　here　past　Voltar。　There's　no　trace　of　it　in　the　news。　All　they're　talking　about　is　a　man　named　Gris　that　I　thought　was　dead。〃
〃Then　Hisst　is　playing　this　quiet。〃
〃I　think　so〃　said　Heller。
Mortiiy　leaned　back　against　a　rock。　The　wind　screamed　above　them。　Finally；　he　said；　〃It　has　just　e　to　me　with　a　shock　what　must　have　happened　to　my　brothers　and　other　successors　to　the　throne。　It　might　not　have　been　my　father。　It　could　have　been　Hisst。　Heller；　do　you　suppose　that　man　has　the　incredible　effrontery　to　try　to　proclaim　himself　Emperor？〃
〃He　is　calling　himself　a　dictator。　Emperor　is　just　one　step　away。〃
〃Well；　he　can't　do　it；〃　said　Mortiiy。　〃The　G。　C。　and　the　Lords　of　the　land　have　to　have　positive　evidence；　a　body　and　the　regalia；　in　order　to　declare　the　throne　vacant　and　appoint　a　successor。　If　you　have　the　body　and　the　regalia；　he　has　to　recover　them。　Gods…blast　it；　Heller；　all　you've　brought　me　is　a　total　assault！　Whether　he　does　or　does　not　say　you　have　the　Emperor；　he　won't　let　anything　stand　in　his　way　to　recovering　what　you　have。　You　are　A　LIVING　BOMB！〃
Heller　would　have　spoken　but　Mortiiy　silenced　him　with　his　hand。　〃I'm　trying　to　think　my　way　through　this。　Is　there　any　chance　my　father　will　recover　consciousness　long　enough　to　cancel　the　proclamation　that　made　me　a　rebel　and　reinstate　me　as　his　successor？〃
〃That　is　in　the　lap　of　the　Gods。〃
〃Heller；　if　he　did　or　didn't　announce　it；　you're　sitting　on　a　shell　that　is　about　to　explode。　I　know　you　have　a　good　reputation　but　somebody　could　stir　things　up　to　try　to　find　you　and　Hisst　would　have　the　body　and　regalia。　With　those；　he　could　make　himself　Emperor。。。。　Oh；　I　almost　wish　you'd　gone　someplace　else！〃
〃Your　Highness；　how　much　assault　can　you　withstand　here　on　Calabar？〃
〃There's　two　billion　population　left。　The　rest　have　been　slaughtered。　Most　of　the　cities　are　rubble。　I　frankly　don't　know。〃
〃I　got　an　estimate；〃　said　Heller；　〃while　I　was　looking　for　you。　This　war　has　gone　on　for　five　years　so　you　have　not　done　too　badly。　I　think　you　could　stand　off　the　full　force　of　the　Apparatus。　The　rivers　are　so　wide；　the　mountains　so　high。。。。〃
〃We　couldn't　stand　off　the　Apparatus　PLUS　the　Fleet　and　the　Army。〃
〃How　about　a　gamble？〃　said　Heller。　〃How　about　gambling　that　your　father　will　regain　consciousness　in　a　few　months　and　let's　gamb