lrh.villainyvictorious-第7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！


ad　laughed　abruptly。
〃I　have　it！　I'll　just　begin　to　slip　hash　oil　into　his　hot　jolt。　Man；　I'll　have　him　（bleeping）　three　times　a　day！〃
Madison　had　retreated　to　his　cabin；　the　vision　of　being　on　a　spaceship　out　of　control　turning　into　nightmares　in　his　dreams。
He　had　suffered　through　the　rest　of　the　trip；　clinging　precariously　to　his　sanity。
He　had　landed　in　a　place　of　such　strange　architecture　he　could　not　accept　it。
He　had　been　talked　at　by　men　in　odd　uniforms。
In　a　room　that　seemed　to　be　made　of　stainless　steel；　they　had　plopped　a　helmet　on　his　head　and　then　for　six　successive　days　he　had　thought　that　he　must　have　some　awful　disease　that　had　put　him　in　a　a。
Just　this　morning　he　had　awakened　fully。　He　had　found　his　baggage　was　there　in　the　room　with　him。　He　had　seen　what　might　be　a　shower　but　couldn't　figure　out　how　to　turn　it　on。　He　had　then　stood　in　front　of　what　might　be　a　nozzle　and　peered　at　it　and　it　suddenly　sprayed　him！　Very　disconcerting！
Now　there　was　a　knock　and　he　was　soaking　wet。
He　went　to　the　door　intending　to　open　it；　but　it　opened。
A　man　was　standing　there　in　a　black　uniform。　〃You　better　get　a　move　on；〃　the　man　said。　〃The　chief　has　just　sent　for　you。〃
〃The　chief？〃
〃Lombar　Hisst！　Don't　stand　there　gaping。　If　that's　your　baggage；　get　some　clothes　out　and　get　dressed。　And　you　better　look　pretty　respectable。　But　don't　delay。　The　message　said　it　was　very　urgent。　So　put　some　throttle　to　it。〃
〃Where　am　I？〃　said　Madison。
〃You're　standing　right　there；　idiot。〃
〃No；　no。　I　mean　where　is　this　place？〃
〃Well；　the　chief　is　at　Palace　City　where　he　always　is　these　days；　and　I've　got　your　airbus　standing　by。　So　hurry。〃
〃No；　I　mean　where　is　this　place　I　am　in？〃
〃You're　in　the　Training　Center　of　the　Extra…Voltarian　Personnel　Induction　Unit；　Coordinated　Information　Apparatus。〃
〃Yes；　but　what　sun　or　star　or　something？〃
〃Oh；　sizzling　ets；　I　knew　I　should　have　brought　an　induction　escort　with　me。　You　mean　you　don't　know　where　you　are？〃
〃You　get　the　idea；〃　said　Madison。
〃This　is　the　planet　Voltar；　capital　of　the　Voltar　Confederacy。　You're　thirteen　miles　south　of　Government　City　in　an　Apparatus　pound。　I　am　Captain　Slash　of　the　43rd　Death　Battalion；　Apparatus。〃
〃What's　going　on？〃
〃Buckets；　how　would　I　know？　Here。〃　And　he　fished　out　something　and　gave　it　to　Madison。　〃But　don't　spend　any　time　on　it。　I　tell　you　the　chief　is　waiting！　Hells；　man；　get　DRESSED！〃
Madison　went　back　toward　his　baggage；　head　in　a　whirl。
Then　it　hit　him　suddenly。　HE　HAD　BEEN　SPEAKING　VOLTARIAN！
He　couldn't　understand　how　that　had　e　about。
He　started　to　lay　aside　whatever　it　was　the　man　had　handed　him。　His　eye　caught　at　it。
A　NEWSPAPER！
He　read　something　about　the　storming　of　a　mountain　on　Calabar　where　the　Apparatus　had　lost　a　thousand　troops　to　heavy　fire　from　the　rebel　forces　of　Prince　Mortiiy。
NEWSPAPERS！　THEY　HAD　NEWSPAPERS　HERE！
He　suddenly　felt　more　at　home。
Then　he　was　startled　to　realize　he　was　reading　it　all　with　ease！
Had　he　forgotten　English？　He　said；　〃The　quick　brown　fox　jumps　over　the　lazy　dog。〃　No；　he　could　still　speak　English。
He　looked　at　the　paper　again。　It　had　headlines　and　news　stories；　just　like　a　paper　should。　It　was　all　kind　of　bland；　with　no　appeal　to　a　PR；　but　it　was　a　real　newspaper；　titled　The　Daily　Speaker。
Oh；　this　was　great。　It　wasn't　such　a　foreign　world　after　all。
He　opened　up　the　sheet　to　an　inner　page。　There　were　some　pictures；　three…dimensional；　in　color。　He　turned　another　sheet。
A　small　picture。　Was　it　familiar？
YES！
JEROME　TERRANCE　WISTER！
No；　this　must　be　just　coincidence　rampant。　What　would　a　picture　of　him　be　doing　in　a　Voltar　paper？　Madison　knew　that　even　he　wasn't　good　enough　to　reach　out　into　circulation　like　that！
He　read　the　caption　and　story。　It　said：

HELLER　WHEREABOUTS
UNKNOWN

menting　yesterday　on　the　general　arrest　warrant　broadcast　on　Homeview；　a　Fleet　spokesman　said；　〃The　Fleet　has　no　knowledge　of　any　general　warrant　for　Jettero　Heller。　The　famed　bat　engineer　was　last　reported　on　mission　and　the　Fleet　has　no　knowledge　of　his　whereabouts。　It　is　probable　that　the　rumored　general　warrant　is　just　some　clerical　blunder　on　the　part　of　the　Apparatus　which；　it　might　be　pointed　out；　never　loses　a　chance　to　defame　the　Fleet。　As　a　bat　engineer；　Royal　Officer　Heller　is　empowered　to　act　on　his　own　cognizance　and　report　back　when　he　believes　his　assignment　finished。　The　Fleet　has　no　slightest　worry　about　Jettero　Heller。〃

Madison　stared　at　the　picture。
There　could　be　no　mistake！
The　photo　was　too　lifelike！
Almost　no　men…and　nobody　he　had　seen　amongst　Voltarians…were　as　handsome　as　that！　Nobody　else　he　knew　had　ever　worn　such　a　devil…may…care　expression。
IT　WAS　WISTER！
Captain　Slash　had　gotten　tired　of　waiting。　〃Blast　it；　Madison；　GET　DRESSED！　The　chief　goes　absolutely　crazy　when　he　doesn't　get　what　he　wants　in　a　rush。　And　he　wants　you！　NOW！〃
Rushing　now　to　get　dressed；　Madison　was　in　a　daze。　Maybe　he　hadn't　failed　on　Wister。　A　general　warrant？　Of　course；　that　wasn't　good　enough。　It　was　even　being　denied。　And　then　a　thrill　went　through　him。　Maybe　God　was　giving　him　another　chance！　He　must　hurry　over　to　see　this　powerful　and　frantic　chief。

PART　SEVENTY…TWO
Chapter　1

J。　Walter　Madison；　dressed　in　a　neat　gray　flannel　suit　and　blue　bow　tie；　walked　out　of　the　training　barracks　on　the　heels　of　Captain　Slash　of　the　43rd　Death　Battalion。
They　walked　across　a　littered　yard；　old　papers　and　dust　blowing　around。　It　was　a　sort　of　stockade　but　it　had　long　rows　of　training　rooms：　Madison；　not　knowing　he　had　been　hypno…language…trained　in　the　past　week；　was　amazed　to　find　he　could　read　all　the　signs；　even　Check　Out　Here。
Captain　Slash　made　him　sign　a　book　and　then　a　receipt。　A　clerk　handed　him　his　wallet：　his　money　was　gone。　When　he　tried　to　ask　what　had　happened　to　it；　they　gave　him　an　identoplate　that　said　J。　Walter　Madison。　PR　Man。　Coordinated　Information　Apparatus。　When　you　pushed　the　back　of　it　his　picture　flashed　on　it。　When　you　pushed　it　a　second　time；　his　fingerprints　showed　up。　They　must　have　gotten　these　when　he　was　in　a　a。　He　pushed　the　back　a　third　time　and　a　legend　flashed；　Pay　Status…No　Pay…P。　Oh　dear；　thought　Madison；　he　was　certainly　off　to　a　bad　start！　How　on　earth　could　he　remedy　that？　He　wasn't　on　Earth！　Disaster！　How　would　he　eat？
Things　promptly　began　to　go　from　bad　to　worse。　Captain　Slash　walked　him　over　to　a　squat　thing　that　was　sitting　in　a　flat　circle。　It　had　front　and　side　windows　but　he　couldn't　see　any　wheels。　However；　it　could　only　be　a　car；　for　it　had　a　front　seat　and　a　back　seat。
Slash　opened　the　back　door　even　though　it　didn't　seem　to　have　any　handle。　〃This　is　your　driver；　Flick。〃
The　driver；　Flick；　had　a　face　like　a　squashed　oval。　He　hadn't　gotten　out。　He　didn't　look　pleased。　He　was　in　a　mustard…colored　uniform　and　he　might　be　a　chauffeur　but　he　looked　more　like　a　bandit；　and　a　very　scruffy　bandit　at　that。
〃Flick；〃　said　the　captain；　〃deliver　this　fellow　to　the　Royal　Palace　and　make　sure　Lombar　Hisst　gets　to　see　him。　It's　urgent。〃　And　he　gave　the　driver　the　copy　of　an　order。
〃Wait；〃　said　Madison　in　alarm　to　Captain　Slash。　〃Aren't　you　going　to　acpany　me？〃
〃Why？〃　said　the　Apparatus　officer。　〃You're　rated　'harmless。'〃
〃Well；　all　right；〃　said　Madison；　〃but　I　apparently　am　not　ing　back　here。　I　will　need　my　baggage；　particularly　a　portable　typewriter　to　do　my　work　with。〃
〃Oh；　is　that　what　that　funny　machine　is？〃　said　Slash。　〃I　wondered　when　I　vetted　your　gear　for　weapons　two　days　ago。　Pretty　clumsy。　I　think　you'll　find　now　that　you　can　use　both　a　pen　and　a　vocoscriber。　But　quit　worrying。　Flick　put　it　all　in　the　back　of　the　airbus　while　you　were　signing　out。　So　good…bye　and　good　fortune　and　don't　ever　get　on　my　list　in　a　professional　capacity。〃　He　laughed。　Then　he　turned　to　the　driver　and　said；　〃Get　a　move　on；　Flick。　The　chief　is　chewing　his　short　hairs　off　to　see　this　guy。〃
Madison　promptly　got　his　second　shock。　He　expected　the　car　to　roll　along　the　ground。　Instead；　it　leaped　into　the　air　like　an　express　elevator。　It　scared　him　half　to　death。　The　thing　couldn't　possibly　fly…it　didn't　have　wings！
When　he　had　swallowed　his　stomach；　they　were　levelled　out　and　joining　a　traffic　lane　at　a　height　of　what　must　be　ten　thousand　feet。　A　strange　city；　all　swirls；　lay　over　to　his　right；　about　the　size　of　three　New　Yorks。　〃What　town　is　that？〃　he　asked　the　driver。
〃The　fancy　name　is　Ardaucus；〃　said　Flick。　〃But　everybody　calls　it　Slum　City。　That's　Government　City　ahead　and　to　the　north。〃
They　turned　to　the　southwest　and　flew　over　a　range　of　mountains　as　high　as　the　Rockies；　and　all　before　them　lay　a　vast　expanse　of　desert。　Mile…high　dancing　dust　devils　were　purple　and　tan　in　the　sun；　weird　as　a　chorus　line　of　crazy　giants。　Madison　hoped　they　weren't　live　beings　of　some　alien　race　that　dined　on　airplanes　that　had　no　wings。
It　started　him　worrying　about　this　powerful　being　he　was　supposed　to　see。　He　would　venture　a　question。
〃Who　is　this　chief　I　am　supposed　to　see？〃
Flick　glanced　back　at　him　and　then　looked　at　the　card　he　had　been　handed。　〃Apparently　you're　an　Earth…man；　whatever　that　is。　And　we're　in　the　air　so　we　can't　be　overheard。　The　chief's　name　is　Lombar　Hisst。　Today　he　controls　the　Confederacy；　all　110　planets　of　it。　Confidentially；　he's　an　egotistical　（bleepard）。　Crazy　as　a　gyro　with　a　nick　in　the　rim。　You　better　watch　your　step　if　you're　really　going　to　see　him。　He　bites　off　the　arms　and　legs　of　babies　just　for　kicks。〃
〃Thank　you；〃　said　Madison。　But　he　thought　to　himself；　sounds　just　like　Rockecenter：　bad　image　with　the　help　and　everything。
They　were　going　at　a　frightening　speed。　A　couple　hundred　miles　of　the　awfullest　desert　he　had　ever　seen　had　reeled　off　below。　To　crash　in　that　would　be　fatal。　And　this　driver　seemed　to　be　more　interested　in　trying　to　light　a　strange　cigarette　with　a　lighter　that　threw　a　laser　beam　instead　of　a　flame。　The　air　was　bumpy　and　he　kept　missing。
〃Are　you　going　to　be　my　driver　now？〃　he　asked　Flick。
〃Unless　the　chief　throws　you　into　that　thing；〃　said　Flick；　pointing　to　their　right。
On　the　horizon　stood　a　huge　black　castle；　fronted　by　a　camp　that　must　contain　thousands　of　men。
〃That's　Spiteos。　The　camp　is　called　Camp　Endurance　on　the　maps　but　the　real　name　is　Camp　Kill。　If　the　Apparatus　gets　unhappy　with　you；　they　send　you　there　to