the.stainless.steel.rats.revenge-第13部分

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ike　size。　All　that　remained　then　was　to　transfer　his　fingerprints　to　the　skintight　and　invisible　plastic　that　covered　my　own　fingers。　Nothing　to　it。
　　　　While　I　altered　Vaska's　best　uniform　to　a　better　fit　for　me　he　roseas　instructedand　ate　some　of　the　cold　dinner。　Sleep　overcame　him　soon　after　that　and　this　time　he　retired　to　the　bed　in　the　other　room　where　his　snores　and　grumbles　would　not　annoy　me。
　　　　I　mixed　a　stiff　drink　and　retired　early。　The　morrow　would　be　a　busy　day　in　my　new　identity。　I　was　going　into　the　Space　Armada。
　　　　With　a　little　luck　I　might　get　a　clue　as　to　the　nature　of　their　remarkable　military　powers。
Chapter　8

　　　　〃I'm　sorry；　sir；　but　you　can't　get　in；〃　the　guard　in　front　of　the　gate　said。　The　gate　itself　was　made　of　riveted　steel　and　was　solidly　set　into　a　high　stone　wall　capped　with　many　strands　of　barbed　wire。
　　　　〃What　do　you　mean　I　can't　get　in？　I　have　been　ordered　to　Glupost；〃　I　shouted　in　my　best　military…obnoxious　manner。　〃Now　press　the　button　or　whatever　else　you　do　to　unlock　that　thing。〃　
　　　　〃I　can't　open　it；　sir；　the　base　is　sealed　from　the　inside。　I'm　stationed　with　the　outside　guard　detail。〃　
　　　　〃I　want　to　see　your　superior　officer。〃
　　　　〃Here　I　am；〃　a　cold　voice　said　in　my　ear。　〃What　is　this　disturbance？〃
　　　　When　I　turned　around　I　looked　at　his　lieutenant's　bar　and　he　looked　at　my　flight…major's　double　cross　and　I　won　that　argument。　He　led　me　to　the　guardhouse　and　Acre　was　a　lot　of　calling　back　and　forth　on　the　TV　phone　until　he　handed　it　to　me　and　I　looked　a　steely…eyed　colonel　in　the　face。　I　had　already　lost　this　argument。　
　　　　〃The　base　is　sealed；　flight…major；〃　he　said。　
　　　　〃I　have　orders　to　report　here；　sir。〃
　　　　〃You　were　to　report　here　yesterday。　You　have　overstayed　your　leave。〃
　　　　〃I'm　sorry；　sir；　must　have　been　an　error　in　recording。　My　orders　read　report　today。〃　I　held　them　up　and　saw　that　the　reporting　date　was　the　previous　day。　That　drunkard　Vaska　had　got　me　into　the　trouble　he　deserved　himself。　The　colonel　smiled　with　all　the　sweetness　of　a　king　cobra　in　rut。
　　　　〃If　the　mistake　were　in　the　orders；　flight…major；　there　would　certainly　be　no　difficulty。　Since　the　mistake　was　yours；　lieutenant；　we　know　where　the　error　lies。　Report　to　the　security　entrance。〃　
　　　　I　hung　up　the　phone　and　the　guard　lieutenant；　grinning　evilly；　handed　me　a　set　of　lieutenant's　bars。　I　unclipped　my　double…crosses　and　accepted　the　humbler　rank。　I　hoped　promotion　was　as　fast　as　demotion　in　the　Space　Armada。　A　guard　detail　marched　me　along　the　wall　to　a　smaller　airlock　type　of　entrance　and　I　was　passed　through。　My　credentials　and　orders　were　examined；　my　fingerprints　taken；　and　in　a　few　minutes　I　was　through　the　last　gate　and　inside　the　base　of　Glupost。
　　　　A　car　was　summoned；　a　private　soldier　took　my　bags；　we　drove　to　the　officers'　quarters　and　I　was　shown　to　my　room。　And　all　the　time　I　kept　my　eyes　open。　Not　that　there　was　anything　fascinating　to　see。　See　one　military　base　and　you've　seen　them　all。　Buildings；　tents；　chaps　in　uniform　doing　repetitious　jumping；　heavy　expensive　equipment　all　painted　the　same　color；　that　sort　of　thing。　What　I　had　to　find　out　would　not　be　that　easy　to　uncover。　My　bags　were　dumped　in　the　tiny　room；　salutes　exchanged；　the　soldier　left；　and　a　voice　spoke　hoarsely　from　the　other　bed。
　　　　〃You　don't　happen　to　have　a　drink　on　you；　do　you？〃　
　　　　I　looked　closely　and　saw　that　what　I　at　first　thought　was　a　bundle　of　crumpled　blankets　now　appeared　to　contain　a　scrawny　individual　who　wore　dark　glasses。　The　effort　of　talking　must　have　exhausted　him　and　he　groaned；　adding　another　breath　of　alcoholic　vapor　to　the　already　rich　atmosphere　of　the　room。
　　　　〃It　so　happens　that　I　do；〃　I　said；　opening　the　window。　〃My　name　is　Vaska。　Do　you　prefer　any　particular　brand？〃　
　　　　〃Otrov。〃
　　　　I　could　think　of　no　drink　by　that　title　so　presumably　it　was　my　roommate's　name。　Taking　the　flask　with　the　most　potent　beverage　from　my　collection　I　poured　him　half　a　glass。　He　seized　it　with　trembling　fingers　and　drained　it　while　shudders　racked　his　frame。　It　must　have　done　some　good　because　he　sat　up　in　bed　and　held　out　the　glass　for　more。
　　　　〃We　blast　off　in　two　days；〃　he　said；　sniffing　his　drink。　〃This　really　isn't　paint　remover；　is　it？〃
　　　　〃No；　it　just　smells　that　way　to　fool　the　MP's。　Where　to？〃　
　　　　〃Don't　make　jokes　so　early　in　the　morning。　You　know　we　never　know　what　planet　we're　hitting。　Security。　Or　are　you　with　security？〃
　　　　He　blinked　suspiciously　in　my　direction：　I　would　have　to　watch　the　questions　until　I　knew　more。　I　forced　a　smile　and　poured　a　drink　for　myself。
　　　　〃A　joke。　I　don't　feel　so　good　myself。　I　woke　up　a　flight…major　this　morning。。。〃
　　　　〃And　now　you're　a　lieutenant。　Easy　e；　easy　go。〃　
　　　　〃They　didn't　e　that　easy！〃
　　　　〃Sorry。　Figure　of　speech。　I've　always　been　a　lieutenant　so　I　wouldn't　know　how　the　others　feel。　You　couldn't　just　tip　a　little　more　into　this　glass？　Then　I'll　be　able　to　dress　and　we　can　get　over　to　the　club　and　get　into　some　serious　drinking。　It's　going　to　be　awful；　all　those　weeks　without　drink　until　we　get　back。〃　
　　　　Another　fact。　The　Cliaand　fought　their　battles　refreshed　with　water。　I　wondered　if　I　could。　I　sipped　and　the　disturbing　thought　that　had　been　poking　at　me　for　some　minutes　surfaced。
　　　　The　real　Vaska　Hulja　was　back　at　the　hotel　and　would　be　discovered。　And　I　could　do　nothing　about　it　because　I　was　in　this　sealed　base。
　　　　Some　of　the　drink　went　down　the　wrong　pipe　and　I　coughed　and　Otrov　beat　me　on　the　back。
　　　　〃I　think　it　really　is　paint　remover；〃　he　said　gloomily　when　I　had　stopped　gasping；　and　began　to　dress。
　　　　As　we　walked　to　the　officers'　club　I　was　in　no　mood　for　munication；　which　Otrov　probably　blamed　on　my　recent　demotion。　What　to　do？　Drink　seemed　to　be　in　order；　it　wasn't　noon　yet；　and　it　would　be　wisest　to　wait　until　evening　to　crack　out　of　the　base。　Face　the　problems　as　they　arose。　Right　now　I　was　in　a　perfect　position　to　imbibe　drink　with　my　new　peer　group　and　gather　information　at　the　same　time。　Which；　after　all；　was　the　reason　that　I　was　here　in　the　first　place。　Before　leaving　I　had　slipped　a　tube　of　killalc　pills　into　my　pocket。　One　of　these　every　two　hours　would　produce　a　massive　heartburn；　but　would　also　grab　onto　and　neutralize　most　of　the　alcohol　as　soon　as　it　hit　the　stomach。　I　would　drink　deep　and　listen。　And　stay　sober。　As　we　walked　through　the　garish　doorway　of　the　club　I　slipped　one　out　and　swallowed　it。
　　　　It　was　all　rather　depressing；　particularly　since　I　was　sloshing　the　stuff　down　my　throat　as　fast　as　I　could　drink　it　and　buying　rounds　for　the　others　and　not　feeling　it　at　'all。　As　the　afternoon　went　on　and　thirsts　increased　other　officers　appeared　in　the　club　and　there　were　soon　a　dozen　other　pilots　crowded　around　our　free…spending　table。　All　drinking　well　and　saying　little　of　any　interest。
　　　　〃Drink；　drink；〃　I　insisted。　〃Won　it　gambling。　Don't　need　it　where　we're　going；〃　and　bought　another　round。
　　　　There　was　a　great　deal　said；　as　one　might　well　imagine；　about　the　flying　characteristics　of　various　ships　and　I　filed　all　relevant　details。　And　much　mumbling　over　old　campaigns；　I　dived　from　50；000；　planted　the　bombs；　pulled　up　and　that　sort　of　thing。　The　only　thing　remarkable　about　all　this　was　the　unsullied　record　of　victories。　I　knew　the　Cliaand　armed　forces　were　good；　but　looking　at　this　collection　of　drunks　almost　made　it　impossible　to　believe　they　could　be　that　good。　But　apparently　they　were。　There　were　endless　boasting　tales　of　victory　after　victory　and　nothing　else；　and　after　a　period　I　too　came　to　believe。　These　boys　were　good　and　the　Space　Armada　of　Cliaand　a　winner。　It　was　all　too　depressing。　By　evening　there　was　a　literal　falling　away　of　the　original　drinkers；　though　their　places　at　the　table　were　filled　quickly　enough。　When　one　of　them　slid　to　the　floor　the　servants　would　gently　carry　him　off。　I　realized　that　I　was　the　last　of　the　originals　so　no　one　would　notice　if　I　also　made　an　exit　in　this　apparently　traditional　manner。　Letting　my　eyes　close　I　sank　deep　into　my　chair；　hoping　this　would　do　since　I　did　not　relish　a　trip　to　the　debris　littered　floor。　It　took　them　some　minutes　to　notice　I　was　no　longer　functioning；　but　eventually　they　did。　Hard　hands　caught　me　at　knees　a