lrh.fortuneoffear-第58部分

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consultations　with　the　psychiatrist　in　charge　of　it。　And　no　one；　not　once；　has　ever　told　us　the　sensation　was　supposed　to　e　from　down　THERE！　Isn't　that　right；　Candy？〃
　　　〃That　is　correct；〃　said　Candy。　〃Not　the　faintest　mention　of　it　anywhere！　I　was　almost　to　the　breaking　point　of　pretending；　until　I　had　that。。。　that。。。〃
　　　〃Orgasm？〃　I　said。
　　　〃Oh；　is　THAT　what　an　organism　is？〃　said　Candy。
　　　〃O…R…G…A…S…M；〃　I　spelled　out　for　her。　〃Orgasm。〃
　　　〃Crikes；　what　a　beautiful　word；〃　said　Candy。　〃I　know　why　people　take　up　Christianity　now；　if　that　is　going　to　Heaven。〃
　　　〃They　lied　to　us；〃　said　Miss　Pinch　bitterly。　〃They　simply　told　us　that；　to　carry　out　Rockecenter's　program　to　cut　down　the　population　of　the　world；　we　had　to　be　lesbians。　I　was　supposed　to　be　the　man…one　and　Candy　was　supposed　to　be　my　wife。　We　couldn't　do　anything　else；　as　they've　also　turned　all　the　males　into　gays　and　made　it　a　crime　to　break　up　their　marriages。〃
　　　She　stood　up　suddenly。　It　made　me　very　nervous。　She　looked　around。　She　couldn't　find　anything　portable　to　throw　so　she　slammed　the　whole　Iron　Maiden　over　frontwards　on　the　floor。　〃（Bleep）　them！〃　she　gritted。　〃They've　made　us　underprivileged！　They　have　been　depriving　us　of　women's　rights　for　all　these　years！　I'm　going　to　get　my　revenge！〃
　　　I　was　alarmed。　〃Wait　a　minute。　This　is　treason；〃　I　said。　〃What　about　Rockecenter？〃
　　　She　spat！　She　picked　up　a　beer　can　and　slammed　it　down　on　the　floor。　〃Rockecenter　can　go　（bleep）　himself！
　　　Psychiatric　Birth　Control！　I　spit　on　Psychiatric　Birth　Control。〃　She　picked　up　another　beer　can　and　threw　it　down　with　a　crash。　〃I　spit　on　the　Chief　Psychiatrist！　I　spit　on　psychiatry！　I　spit　on　Rockecenter　for　promoting　psychiatry！　They've　cost　us　years　and　years　and　years　of　a　very　beautiful　thing！〃　She　was　looking　around　wildly　for　something　else　to　throw　down。
　　　I　knew　how　to　stop　this　barrage。　It　might　e　my　way　in　a　minute。　It　wasn't　psychology；　it　was　a　sense　of　self…preservation。　〃You　can't　expect　me　to　live　here　in　the　midst　of　all　this　mess…all　this　torture　equipment。　I'd　have　nightmares　and　walk　out　the　door。〃
　　　〃No；　no；〃　said　Candy　hurriedly。
　　　〃No；　no；〃　said　Miss　Pinch　in　a　sudden　change　of　attitude。　She　dive…bombed　straight　down　into　propitiation。　〃Listen。　We'll　have　it　all　moved　out。　We'll　redecorate　the　place。　You　can　have　the　back　room。　We'll　have　a　lock　put　on　the　inside　of　the　door。　We'll　have　the　garden　cleaned　up　so　you　can　have　a　nice　view　and　sit　and　rest　between　times。　You　can　e　and　go　as　you　please。　All　you　have　to　do　is　sleep　with　us　in　the　front　room　every　night　and　do　it　to　us。〃
　　　〃Not　in　that　bed；〃　I　said　firmly。　〃And　no　shackles　or　mustard。〃
　　　〃We'll　get　a　nice　big　bed　to　hold　three；〃　said　Candy。
　　　〃No　shackles；　no　mustard；〃　said　Miss　Pinch。　〃Oh；　please　don't　be　a　hard…hearted　（bleepard）；　Inkswitch　dear。　Please；　please；　pretty　please；　say　yes。〃
　　　She　looked　like　she　was　on　the　verge　of　honest　tears。　I　said；　〃Yes。〃
　　　〃Oh！〃　screamed　Candy；　〃untie　me　quick　so　I　can　kiss　you；　you　dear　man！〃
　　　I　had　trouble　cutting　her　bonds　off。　Miss　Pinch　was　hugging　me　and　letting　out　little　snarling　sounds。
　　　Candy　got　loose　finally　and　kissed　me。
　　　Miss　Pinch　said；　〃You'll　get　your　thousand　bucks　every　day。　And　we'll　fix　up　the　place。〃　Then　she　added；　〃And　it's　all　settled？〃　as　though　she　wanted　to　be　reassured。
　　　〃Yes；〃　I　said　again。
　　　〃Oh；　goody！〃　cried　Candy；　clapping　her　hands。　〃Let's　all　get　dressed　and　go　to　a　restaurant　and　have　a　deflowering　celebration。〃
　　　〃No；〃　said　Miss　Pinch；　looking　at　me　with　a　cocked　head；　pressed　mouth　and　hungry　eye；　〃Let's　stay　right　here　and　do　it　all　over　again。　We've　got　the　whole　night。　But　I'm　first　this　time；　Candy。　You　can　watch　if　you　promise　not　to　scream。　I'M　the　one　who　gets　to　scream　when　I　have　another　of　those　GORGEOUS　orgasms。　I'm　getting　breathless　just　thinking　about　it。〃
　　　That　was　how　I　got　the　safe　open。　In　fact；　three　safes。　Well；　not　exactly　as　I　planned；　but　one　must　learn　to　improvise。　One　must　know　how　to　go　deeper　into　things　than　one　might　have；　at　first；　intended。
　　　One　has　to　know　when　to　take　things　lying　down。
　　　Alas；　if　it　had　only　kept　up　on　a　level　with　that　night。

Chapter　10

　　　For　more　than　sixty　hours　now；　my　best…laid　plans　were　getting　blocked。　Stopping　Heller　was　not　making　any　progress；　and　it　MUST；　it　MUST；　it　MUST！
　　　In　the　back　room　of　the　apartment；　I　was　fidgeting。　Part　of　it　was　scratching　fleas。
　　　For　two　days　a　Hellish　din　had　been　going　on　in　the　basement　flat　and　garden。　Redecoration　and　refurnishing　were　proceeding　apace。
　　　I　had　signed　a　couple　of　Octopus　Oil　blank　petty　cash　invoices　with　the　name　John　Smith；　and　after　that　all　Hades　had　e　unstuck。　Workmen　in　the　front　room；　workmen　in　the　back　room；　workmen　in　the　garden。　Plumbers；　painters；　electricians　and　even　gays　directing　the　new　decor　and　furnishings。　It　was　a　very　good　lesson　that　one　should　never　sign　invoices！
　　　But　the　main　reason　I　was　fidgeting　（aside　from　scratching　fleas）　was　my　inability　to　raise　Raht　on　the　two…way…response　radio。　I　knew　he　had　it　and　I　also　knew　he　was　refusing　to　answer　it；　just　to　spite　me。
　　　I　did　not　dare　phone　the　New　York　office；　as　I　was　on　the　run。　Raht　was　different；　because　on　the　two…way　I　could　fool　him　into　thinking　I　was　in　Africa。
　　　That　I　contact　him　was　desperately　crucial：　The　831　Relayers　were　on　and　at　this　close　range　my　viewers　were　just　flared　out。　I　did　NOT　know　what　was　going　on　with　my　Target　One：　Heller！　Without　that　data　and　without　a　check　on　that　hellhound；　the　Countess　Krak；　I　dared　not　act。
　　　I　was　in　a　rage　to　get　something…anything…done　to　begin　the　job　of　finishing　him　off。
　　　I　had　money…three　thousand　dollars。　Two　of　the　bills　were　my　regular　pay。　The　third　one　was　for　overtime。
　　　I　stared　disconsolately　into　a　bucket　of　daffodil…yellow　paint。　A　flea　was　swimming　around　in　it；　getting　all　yellow。　I　was　about　to　push　him　under　with　a　paint　paddle　when　he　jumped　out　and　vanished。　The　incident　sharpened　my　restless　mood。　I　had　to　get　out　of　this　overrun　place　and　think。
　　　I　wiped　some　yellow　paint　spatters　off　my　trench　coat　and　went　out　for　a　walk。　The　brisk　and　windy　day　should　cool　my　fevered　brow；　calm　me　and　let　me　concentrate。
　　　All　unsuspecting；　I　walked　by　a　newsstand。　And　there　on　the　front　page　of　the　New　York　Grimes；　big　as　big；　it　said：

WOMEN'S　BOMB　RIGHTS　
ING　UP　AT　UN　
SECURITY　COUNCIL

PETTICOAT　PICKETING　BEGINS

ANTINUCLEAR　PROTEST　
MARCHERS　HOLD　RALLY　
AT　EMPIRE　UNIVERSITY

　　　Heller　again！　They　had　put　that　headline　there　just　to　nag　me。
　　　Then　the　full　import　of　it　hit　me。　If　that　bill　passed　the　Security　Council　now；　Miss　Simmons　would　be　drooling　all　over　Heller！　Rather　than　flunk　him　out　of　Empire　as　she　had　promised；　she　would　pass　him！　I　would　have　lost　a　vital　ally　I　had　counted　on　to　block　his　villainous　rehabilitation　of　this　planet；　a　plot　that　would　ruin　me；　Lombar　and　Rockecenter。
　　　Oh；　I　knew　an　emergency　when　I　saw　one。　What　could　I　do？
　　　I　stood　on　the　corner；　almost　frantic　with　the　urgency　of　the　emergency。　I　stared　up　into　the　sky；　beseeching　the　Gods　for　an　omen。　I　got　it！　Right　in　my　line　of　view　was　the　Octopus　Oil　pany　Building！　Rockecenter　was　in　his　Heaven　and　all　would　soon　be　right　with　the　world。　I　realized　that　Bury　could　not　possibly　know　that　〃Wister〃　was　behind　this　women's　rights　thing。　Rockecenter；　Bury　and　everyone　who　mattered　knew　how　dangerous　women　were　already。　But　pletely　aside　from　that；　Rockecenter　controlled　the　uranium　supplies　of　the　world；　and　the　thermonuclear…bomb　market　would　crash　if　there　was　no　more　war　on　the　horizon！　That　bill；　if　passed；　could　bring　about　a　devastating　and　disastrous　peace！　Rockecenter　must　be　frantic！
　　　No　sooner　realized　than　activated。　I　strode　with　swift　stride　to　the　Octopus　building。
　　　I　walked　straight　in　through　the　Benevolent　Association　door。　I　was　in　luck！　There　sat　Bury！　His　little　snap…brim　hat　was　sitting　on　top　of　a　cage　of　white　mice　on　his　desk。　He　looked　up　and　the　sides　of　his　mouth　twitched；　as　close　to　a　smile　as　ever　appeared　on　that