the stainless steel rat-第22部分

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eady　been　taken。　When　I　glanced　up　by　chance　and　saw　that　a　covert　smile　had　replaced　the　earlier　expression；　I　knew　it　was　time　to　reveal　the　rest　of　my　arrangements。
　　　　　〃An　air　cab　will　be　here　in　a　few　minutes；　we'll　leave　together。　I　regret　to　inform　you　that　there　won't　be　enough　time　after　we　arrive　in　Freiburbad　for　you　to　seek　out　Zina　and　thrash　her　as　planned；　and　get　the　money　back。〃　His　guilty　start　proved　that　he　was　really　an　amateur　at　this　sort　of　thing。　I　continued；　hoping　he　would　be　grateful　for　this　plete　revelation　of　how　to　do　things　in　an　efficient　criminal　manner。　〃I've　timed　everything　rather　carefully　from　here　on　in。　Today　is　a　bit　unusual　in　that　there　are　two　starships　leaving　the　port　within　minutes　of　each　other。　I've　booked　a　ticket　on　one　for　myselfhere　is　your　ticket　on　the　other。　I've　paid　in　advance　for　it；　though　I　don't　expect　you　to　thank　me。〃　He　took　the　ticket　with　all　the　spirited　interest　of　an　old　maid　picking　up　a　dead　snake。　〃The　need　for　speedif　you　will　pardon　the　rhymeis　urgent。　A　few　minutes　after　your　ship　leaves　an　envelope　will　be　delivered　to　the　police　describing　your　part　in　this　operation。〃　
　　　　　Dear　Doctor　Vulff　digested　all　this　as　we　waited　for　the　copter　to　arrive；　and　from　his　sickening　expression　I　saw　he　could　find　no　flaws　in　the　arrangements。　During　the　entire　flight　he　huddled　away　from　me　in　his　chair　and　never　said　a　word。　Without　a　bon　voyage　or　even　a　curse　he　made　for　his　ship　upon　our　arrival　and　I　watched　him　board　it。　I　of　course　merely　went　in　the　direction　of　mine　and　turned　off　before　entering　it。　I　had　as　much　intention　of　leaving　Freibur　as　I　had　of　informing　the　police　that　an　illegal　operation　had　taken　place。　The　last　thing　I　wanted　was　attention。　Both　little　lies　had　merely　been　devices　to　make　sure　that　the　alcoholic　doctor　went　away　and　stayed　away　before　he　began　his　solitary　journey　to　cirrhosis。　There　was　no　reason　for　me　to　leave；　in　fact　every　reason　for　me　to　stay。
　　　　　Angelina　was　still　on　this　planet；　and　I　wanted　no　interference　while　I　tracked　her　down。
　　　　　Perhaps　it　was　presumptuous　of　me　to　be　so　positive；　yet　I　felt　I　knew　Angelina　very　well　by　this　time。　Our　crooked　little　minds　rotated　in　many　of　the　same　cycles　of　dishonesty。　Up　to　a　certain　point　I　felt　I　could　predict　her　reactions　with　firm　logic。　Firstlyshe　would　be　very　happy　about　my　bloody　destruction。　She　got　the　same　big　bang　out　of　corpses　that　most　girls　get　from　new　clothes。　Thinking　toe　dead　would　make　following　her　that　much　easier。　I　knew　she　would　take　normal　precautions　against　the　police　and　other　agents　of　the　Corps。　But　they　wouldn't　know　she　was　on　Freiburthere　was　nothing　to　connect　my　death　with　her　presence。　Therefore　she　didn't　have　to　run　again；　but　could　stay　on　this　planet　under　a　new　cover　and　changed　personality。　That　she　would　want　to　stay　here　I　had　very　little　doubt。　Freibur　was　a　planet　that　seemed　designed　for　illegal　operation。　In　my　years　of　knocking　around　the　known　universe　I　had　never　before　e　up　against　a　piece　of　fruit　so　ripe　for　plucking。　A　heady　mixture　of　the　old　and　the　new。　In　the　old；　caste…ridden；　feudalistic　Freibur　a　stranger　would　have　been　instantly　recognized　and　watched。　On　the　modern　League　planets　puters；　mechanization；　robots　and　an　ever…vigilant　police　force　left　very　little　room　for　illegal　operations。　It　was　only　when　these　two　different　cultures　are　mixed　and　merged　that　imaginative　operations　became　really　possible。
　　　　　This　planet　was　peaceful　enough；　you　had　to　give　the　League　societies　experts　credit　for　that　much。　Before　they　brought　in　the　first　antibiotic　pill　or　punch…card　puter；　they　saw　to　it　that　law　and　order　were　firmly　instituted。　Nevertheless　the　opportunities　were　still　there　if　you　knew　where　to　look。　Angelina　knew　where　to　look　and　so　did　I。
　　　　　Exceptafter　weeks　of　futile　investigationI　finally　faced　the　brutal　fact　that　we　were　both　looking　for　different　things。　I　can't　deny　the　time　was　spent　pleasantly　since　I　uncovered　countless　opportunities　for　fine　jobs　and　lucrative　capers。　If　it　hadn't　been　for　the　pressure　of　finding　Angelina　I　do　believe　I　could　have　had　the　time　of　my　life　in　this　crook　'　s　paradise。　This　pleasure　was　denied　me　because　the　pressure　to　catch　up　with　Angelina　nagged　at　me　constantly　like　an　aching　tooth。
　　　　　Finding　intuition　wanting　I　tried　mechanical　means。　Hiring　the　best　puter　available；　I　fed　entire　libraries　into　its　memory　circuits　and　set　it　countless　problems。　In　the　course　of　this　kilowatt　consuming　business　I　became　an　expert　on　the　economy　of　Freibur；　but　in　the　end　was　no　closer　to　finding　Angelina　than　I　had　been　when　I　started。　She　had　a　driving　urge　for　power　and　control；　but　I　had　no　idea　in　what　way　it　would　find　its　outlet。　There　were　many　economic　solutions　I　turned　up　for　grabbing　the　reins　of　Freibur　society；　but　investigation　showed　that　she　was　involved　in　none　of　these。　The　KingVillelm　IXseemed　the　obvious　pressure　point　for　actual　physical　control　of　the　planet。　A　plete　investigation　of　Vill；　his　family　and　close　royal　relatives；　turned　up　some　juicy　scandal　but　no　Angelina。　I　was　stopped　dead。
　　　　　While　drowning　my　sorrows　in　a　bottle　of　distilled　spirits　the　solution　to　this　dilemma　finally　struck　me。　Admittedly　I　was　sodden　with　drink　at　the　time；　yet　the　paralysis　of　my　neural　axons　was　undoubtedly　the　source　of　the　idea。　Any　man　that　says　he　thinks　better　drunk　than　sober　is　a　fool。　But　this　was　a　different　case　altogether。　I　was　feeling；　not　thinking；　and　my　anger　at　her　escape　cracked　the　lid　off　my　more　civilized　impulses。　I　choked　a　pillow　to　death　imagining　it　was　her　neck　and　finally　shouted；　〃Crazy；　crazy；　that's　her　trouble；　all　the　way　around　the　bend　and　dotty　as　polka…dots！〃　When　I　fell　onto　the　bed　everything　swooped　around　and　around　in　sickening　circles　and　I　mumbled；　〃Just　plain　crazy。　I　would　have　to　be　crazy　myself　to　figure　out　which　way　she　will　jump　next。〃　With　this　my　eyes　closed　and　I　fell　asleep。　While　the　words　swam　down　through　the　alcohol…saturated　layers　until　they　reached　a　deeper　level　where　a　spark　of　rationality　still　dwelled。
　　　　　When　they　hit　bottom　I　was　wide…awake　and　sitting　up　in　bed；　struck　dumb　by　the　ghastly　truth。　I　would　require　all　the　conviction　I　hadand　a　little　moreto　do　it。
　　　　　I　would　have　to　follow　her　down　the　path　of　insanity　if　I　wanted　to　find　her。
　Chapter　13
　
　　　　　In　the　cold　light　of　morning　the　idea　didn't　look　any　more　attractiveor　any　less　true。　I　could　do　it；　or　not　do　it；　as　I　chose。　There　could　be　no　doubting　the　wild　tinge　of　insanity　that　colored　Angelina's　life。　Every　one　of　our　contacts　had　been　marked　by　a　ruthless　indifference　to　human　life。　She　killed　with　coldness　or　with　pleasureas　when　she　had　shot　mebut　always　with　total　disregard　for　people。　I　doubt　if　even　she　had　any　idea　of　how　many　murders　she　had　mitted　in　her　lifetime。　By　her　standards　I　was　a　rank　amateur。　I　hadn't　killed　more　thanthat　kind　of　violence　was　rarely　necessary　in　my　type　of　operationsurely　no　more　than　。　。　。　none？
　　　　　Well；　wellold　chicken…hearted　revealed　at　last。　Rough　and　tough　diGriz　the　Killer　who　never　killed！　It　was　nothing　to　be　ashamed　of；　quite　the　opposite　in　fact。　I　placed　a　value　on　human　life；　the　one　unchanging　value　in　existence。　Angelina　valued　herself　and　her　desires；　and　nothing　else。　To　follow　her　down　the　twisted　path　of　her　own　making　I　would　have　to　place　myself　in　the　same　mental　state　that　she　lived　in。
　　　　　This　is　not　as　difficult　as　it　soundsat　least　in　theory。　I　have　had　some　experience　with　the　psychotomimetic　drugs　and　was　well　aware　of　their　potency。　Centuries　of　research　have　produced　drugs　that　can　simulate　any　mental　condition　in　the　user。　Like　to　be　paranoid　for　a　day？　Take　a　pill。　You　too　can　go　around　the　bend；　friend。　It　is　a　matter　of　record　that　people　have　actually　tried　these　concoctions　for　kicks；　but　that　bored　with　life　I　don't　want　to　be。　There　would　have　to　be　a　lot　stronger　reason　before　I　would　subject　my　delicate　gray　cells　to　this　kind　of　jarring　around。　Like　finding　Angelina；　for　instance。
　　　　　About　the　only　good　thing　about　these　pixilation　producers　is　the　accepted　fact　that　the　effects　are　only　temporary