the.stainless.steel.rats.revenge-第24部分

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　　　　〃What　did　you　do？　You　couldn't　have　amputated　my　hands　and　sewed　them　back。　I　could　tell；　it　would　take　time；　you　couldn't　。　。　。〃　I　realized　that　I　was　starting　to　babble　and　I　shut　up。　
　　　　〃You　don't　believe　it　happened？　Should　I　do　it　again？〃　
　　　　〃No！〃　I　said；　almost　shouting　the　word；　drawing　back　from　him。　He　nodded　approvingly　at　this。
　　　　〃So　the　training　begins。　You　have　lost　a　little　bit　of　reality。　You　do　not　know　what　happenedbut　you　do　know　that　you　do　not　wish　it　to　happen　again。　This　is　the　way　it　will　go。　Eventually　you　will　lose　all　touch　with　the　reality　you　have　known　all　your　life；　and　then　will　lose　contact　with　the　person　you　have　been　all　your　life。　When　you　reach　that　state　we　will　accept　you　as　one　of　us。　Then　you　will　go　into　great　detail　about　your　Special　Corps；　not　only　racking　your　memory　for　crumbs　of　fact　you　may　have　missed；　but　in　actively　originating　plans　for　their　destruction。〃
　　　　〃It　won't　work；〃　I　said　with　a　great　deal　more　sincerity　than　I　really　felt。　〃I　am　not　alone。　The　Corps　is　on　to　you　now　and　actively　working　against　you；　so　that　it　is　now　just　a　matter　of　time　before　they　pull　the　plug　and　all　your　little　invasion　schemes　go　down　the　drain。〃
　　　　〃Quite　the　opposite；〃　Kraj　said　clasping　his　hands　together　on　the　desk　before　him　like　a　teacher　about　to　lecture　a　class。　〃We　have　been　aware　of　their　attention　for　a　long　time　and　have　forestalled　them　at　every　turn。　We　have　captured；　tortured　and　killed　a　number　of　the　Corps　people　to　get　information。　We　know　that　everything　is　geared　to　follow　the　lead　of　a　field　agent；　such　as　yourself；　and　we　have　been　waiting　for　one　to　e　along。　You　have　e；　and　we　have　you。　It　is　that　simple。　You　are　the　weapon　with　which　we　will　destroy　the　Special　Corps。〃
　　　　He　had　me　half　believing　him。　The　plan　he　proposed　sounded　like　a　reasonable　one　and　I　put　that　thought　away　as　fast　as　it　arrived。　I　was　going　to　have　to　stop　agreeing　with　him；　attack　rather　than　defend。
　　　　〃That　is　very　ambitious　of　you　and　I　hope　you　don't　bite　off　more　than　you　can　chew。　Aren't　you　forgetting　the　hundreds　of　planets　that　support　the　league　and　what　they　can　do　to　you　when　they　find　out　the　kind　of　trouble　you　are　causing？〃
　　　　〃There　are　hundreds　of　planets　only　in　theory；　in　reality　they　are　just　one　after　the　other。　We　pluck　them　in　that　manner；　they　fall　before　us；　we　cannot　be　stopped；　and　the　process　is　an　accelerating　one。　As　our　empire　expands　we　move　faster　and　faster。〃　
　　　　〃And　there　is　a　limit　to　that　speed；〃　I　broke　in；　trying　to　work　a　sneer　into　my　words。　〃I　know　how　your　invasion　technique　works　You　don't　invade　a　planet　until　they　have　already　lost。　Isn't　that　right？〃　
　　　　〃Perfectly　correct。〃　He　nodded　agreement　and　I　rushed　on。
　　　　〃You　find　a　planet　that　is　ripe　for　the　picking　with　some　dissident　element　in　the　population；　there　are　people　who　would　plain　about　paradise　so　you　have　no　problem　in　finding　a　group　on　any　world。　Here　on　Burada　it　was　the　men；　the　Konsolosluk　party。　They　were　hot　for　male　rule。　You　backed　them　with　whatever　they　needed。　Your　underground　operators　supplied　them　with　money；　weapons；　propaganda；　all　the　essentials　of　a　takeoverand　it　worked。　And　you　asked　nothing　in　return　for　all　this　aid；　other　than　only　a　token　resistance　when　the　invasion　began。　Your　agents　saw　to　it　that　the　armed　forces　surrendered　after　only　the　briefest　show　of　force。　This　invasion　was　won　before　it　began！　No　wonder　your　military　people　aren't　used　to　taking　losses。〃
　　　　〃Very　observant　of　you。　This　is　exactly　what　we　do；　your　analysis　is　a　masterly　description　of　the　way　in　which　we　operate。〃　
　　　　〃There；　I　have　you；〃　I　said　happily。
　　　　〃On　the　contrarywe　have　you。　You　are　the　only　one　who　knows　about　our　techniques　and　you　will　never　report　them　to　your　superiors。〃　
　　　　〃Oh；　I　don't　know；〃　I　said　with　a　bravado　I　did　not　feel。
　　　　〃Perhaps　you　do　not　know；　but　we　do。　We　have　intercepted　the　report　you　made　and　it　will　never　be　sent。　They　will　wait　in　vain　for　any　word　from　you　and　time　will　pass　and　soon　it　will　be　too　late　for　them　to　do　anything　because　we　will　move　into　phase　two　of　our　operation。　With　the　many　allies　we　have　gained　by　occupying　planets　with　governments　now　friendly　to　us；　we　will　have　a　considerable　number　of　troops　available　to　us。　Mercenaries　I　believe　they　are　called。　They　will　be　invasion　troops　and　great　numbers　of　them　will　be　killed；　but　we　will　always　win　because　our　supply　will　be　relatively　inexhaustible。　It　presents　an　interesting　picture；　does　it　not？〃
　　　　〃It　will　never　work；〃　I　shouted；　with　the　sinking　feeling　at　the　same　time　that　it　would。　〃The　Corps　will　stop　you。〃　How；　with　their　only　agent　run　to　earth　and　trapped？　I　was　having　a　hard　job　convincing　myself　and　getting　nowhere　at　all　in　convincing　him。　
　　　　Kraj　rose　and　started　around　the　desk。　
　　　　〃Now　it　is　time　for　your　indoctrination　to　begin。〃　
　　　　I　cannot　express　the　fear　that　overwhelmed　and　possessed　me　when　I　heard　those　words。

Chapter　14

　　　　I　was　taken　to　a　cell。　A　bare；　windowless　room　whose　only　furnishing　was　an　empty　bucket。　A　ceiling　hook　had　recently　been　installed　here　and　my　attendant　gray　man　obligingly　hooked　me　up　to　it。
　　　　〃There　is　little　chance　of　my　starving　to　death；〃　I　told　him。　〃Because　I'll　die　of　thirst　first。〃
　　　　He　gave　no　spoken　answer　but　he　did　return　with　a　soft　plastic　water　bottle　and　a　standard　Cliaand　field　ration。　Not　the　world's　most　inspiring　food；　but　it　would　keep　me　alive。
　　　　As　I　chewed　and　sipped　I　clamped　hard　on　that　last　thought。　Keep　me　alive。　They　would　do　anything　except　kill　me。　They　wanted　me；　actually　needed　me。　They　knew　that　the　Special　Corps　was　breathing　hot　on　their　trail　and　they　would　have　to　exert　an　all…out　effort　to　stop　them。　Kraj　had　talked　big　and　half　convinced　me；　I　looked　at　my　wrists　and　shuddered。　He　had　convinced　me。　But　why　had　he　tried　so　hard？
　　　　Because　I　was　obviously　more　than　a　pawn　in　this　game。　I　was　the　factor　that　could　swing　the　oute　either　way。　Right　now　Cliaand　was　doing　well　in　the　invasion　businessbut　they　could　be　stopped。　With　what　I　knew　the　Special　Corps　could　start　work　as　counterinsurgents　and　prevent　expansion　to　other　planets。　Cliaand　might　even　be　stopped　here。　If　I　were　to　change　sides　my　specialized　knowledge　might　not　defeat　the　Corps；　but　it　could　surely　slow　it　down　long　enough　for　the　second　phase　of　the　invasion　operation　to　go　into　effect。
　　　　Which　means　the　gray　men　had　made　a　mistake。　They　should　have　killed　me　as　soon　as　they　discovered　who　I　was。　If　I　could　be　tortured　and　convinced　to　change　my　mind　I　might　be　a　weapon　in　their　hands。　Two　maybes。　That　ignored　the　fact　that　as　long　as　I　was　alive　I　was　the　most　deadly　and　potent　weapon　against　them。
　　　　They　had　made　a　mistake。　I　grabbed　to　that　conclusion　and　worried　it　just　as　I　worried　the　law…breaking　ration。　I　did　not　consider　that　I　was　their　prisoner　in　every　way。　Every　way？　Ha！　Physically；　yes。　Mentallya　resounding　no。　They　had　almost　had　me　there　for　a　while　with　the　nerve　torture　and　the　positive　assurance　that　I　would　fall　into　their　hands。　At　the　thought　of　amputation　my　stomach　gave　a　heave　and　I　suddenly　lost　my　appetite。　I　had　put　the　sight　of　my　severed　hands　out　of　my　mind。　For　good　reasons。
　　　　Now　I　would　have　to　remember　and　think　about　it。　But　not　in　the　way　they　wanted。　It　was　a　trick；　it　had　to　be　a　trick；　and　that　was　the　supposition　I　must　hold　on　to。　While　I　chewed　and　glugged　down　the　rest　of　my　unappetizing　meal　I　gave　myself　the　hard　sell。　Listen　diGriz；　you　know　enough　about　reality　to　be　able　to　tell　when　it　has　been　tampered　with。　You　are　always　tampering　with　it　yourself　for　your　own　benefit　and　others'　dismoding。　So　now　someone　has　turned　the　same　trick　on　you。　The　severed　wrists　pumping　blood！　Down；　boy。　Drain　away　some　of　the　emotion。　We'll　get　to　the　memories　after　a　while。　But　let　us　first　look　at　the　realities。
　　　　Reality。　Marvelous　as　medicine　is　it　cannot　repair　amputation　in　a　couple　of　hours　or　a　couple　of　days。
　　　　Now　where　did　that　figure　e　from？　At　some　unconscious　level　I　felt　that　only　a　brief　time　had　passed　between　the　amputation　and　the　recovery。　We　all　have　a　clock　ticking　away　down　deep　in　the　brain；