the.stainless.steel.rats.revenge-第4部分

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　　　　〃Don't　play　wise　with　me；　you　aging　con　man。　If　I　turned　you　and　your　bride　over　to　the　Kamata　authorities　you　would　still　be　in　jail　600　years　from　now。〃
　　　　〃Little　chance　of　that；　Inskipp；　aging　con　man　yourself。　You　are　short　of　good　field　agents　as　it　is。　You　need　us　more　than　we　need　you。　So　consider　this　chewing　out　at　an　end　and　get　on　with　the　business。　I　have　been　chastised。　〃　I　tore　a　button　off　the　front　of　my　jacket　and　threw　it　across　the　desk　to　him。　〃Here；　rip　off　my　medals　and　reduce　me　to　the　ranks。　I　am　guilty。　Next　case。〃　
　　　　With　a　final　simulated　growl　of　anger　he　filed　the　papers　in　the　wastebasket　and　took　out　a　large　red　folder　that　buzzed　threateningly　when　he　touched　it。　His　thumbprint　defused　the　security　device　and　the　folder　dropped　open。
　　　　〃I　have　a　top　secret　gravely　important　assignment　here。〃　
　　　　〃What　other　kind　do　I　ever　get？〃
　　　　〃It　is　hideously　dangerous　as　well。〃
　　　　〃You　are　secretly　envious　of　my　good　looks　and　have　a　death　wish　for　me。　e　on；　Inskipp。　Stop　sparring　and　let　me　know　what　the　deal　is。　Angelina　and　I　can　handle　it　better　than　the　rest　of　your　senile　and　feeble　agents。〃
　　　　〃This　job　of　work　is　for　you　alone。　Angelina　is；　well　。　。　。〃　His　face　reddened　and　he　examined　the　file　closely。
　　　　〃Whoopee！'　I　shouted。　〃Inskipp　the　killer；　daredevil；　master　of　men；　secret　power　in　the　galaxy　today。　And　he　can't　say　the　word　pregnant！　How　about　baby？　Wait；　sex；　that　is　a　goodie。　You　blush　to　think　about　it。　Go　ahead；　say　sex　three　times　fast；　it　will　do　you　good〃
　　　　〃Shut　up；　diGriz；〃　he　growled。　〃At　least　you　finally　married　her　which　shows　you　have　a　single　drop　of　honesty　in　your　otherwise　rotten　carcass。　She　stays　behind。　You　go　out　on　this　one…man　job。　Probably　leaving　her　a　widow。〃
　　　　〃She　lodes　awful　in　black　so　you　can't　get　rid　of　me　that　easily。　Ten。〃
　　　　〃Look　at　this；〃　he　said；　taking　a　roll　of　film　from　the　folder　and　slipping　it　into　a　slot　in　his　desk。　A　screen　dropped　down　from　the　ceiling　and　the　room　darkened。　The　film　began。
　　　　The　camera　had　been　handheld；　the　color　was　off　at　times；　and　it　was　most　unprofessional。　But　it　was　the　best　home　movie　I　had　ever　seen　because　the　material　was　so　good。　Authentic；　no　doubt　about　it。
　　　　Someone　was　waging　war。　It　was　a　sunny　day　with　white　puffs　of　clouds　against　a　blue　sky。　And　black　puffs　of　antiaircraft　fire　in　among　them。　But　the　fire　was　not　heavy　and　there　was　not　enough　of　it　to　stop　the　troop　carriers　that　came　in　low　and　fast　for　landing。　This　was　at　an　average　sized　spaceport；　with　the　buildings　in　the　far　background　and　some　cargo　ships　nearby。　Other　craft　roared　in　low　and　bomb　explosions　readied　skyward　from　what　must　have　been　the　defense　positions。　The　impossibility　of　what　was　happening　finally　came　home　to　me。
　　　　〃Those　are　spaceships！〃　I　gurgled。　〃And　space　transports。　Is　some　numbskull　government　so　stupid　as　to　think　that　it　can　succeed　in　an　interplanetary　war？　What　happened　after　they　lostand　how　does　it　affect　me？〃
　　　　The　film　ended　and　the　lights　came　up　again。　Inskipp　steepled　his　fingers　on　the　desk　and　leered　over　them。
　　　　〃For　your　information；　Mr。　Know…it…all；　this　invasion　succeededand　so　did　the　other　ones　before　it。　This　film　was　taken　by　a　smuggler；　one　of　our　regular　informants；　whose　ship　was　just　fast　enough　to　get　away　during　the　battle。〃
　　　　This　was　a　stopper。　I　dragged　deeply　on　the　cigar　and　considered　what　little　I　knew　about　interplanetary　warfare。　There　was　little　enough　to　know。　Because　it　just　doesn't　work。　Maybe　a　few　times　in　the　galaxy　when　local　conditions　are　right；　say　a　solar　system　with　two　inhabited　planets。　If　one　planet　is　backward　and　the　other　advanced　industrially　the　primitive　one　might　be　invaded　successfully。　But　not　if　they　put　up　any　kind　of　a　real　defense。　The　distance…time　relationships　just　don't　make　this　kind　of　warfare　practical。　When　every　soldier　and　weapon　and　ration　has　to　be　lifted　from　the　gravity　well　of　a　planet　and　carried　across　space　the　energy　expenditure　is　considerable；　the　transport　demands　incredible　and　the　cost　unbelievable。　If；　in　addition；　the　invader　has　to　land　m　the　face　of　determined　apposition　the　invasion　is　impossible。　And　this　is　inside　a　solar　system　where　the　planets　are　practically　touching　on　a　galactic　scale。　The　thought　of　warfare　between　planets　at　different　star　systems　is　even　more　impossible。
　　　　But；　once　again；　it　has　been　proven　that　nothing　is　basically　impossible　if　people　want　to　tackle　it　hard　enough。　And　things　like　violence；　warfare　and　bloodshed　are　still　hideously　attractive　to　the　lurking　violence　potential　of　mankind；　despite　the　centuries　of　peace　and　stagnation。　I　had　a　sudden　and　depressing　thought。
　　　　〃Are　you　telling　me　that　a　successful　interplanetary　invasion　has　been　acplished？〃　I　asked。
　　　　〃More　than　one。〃　That　evil　smirk　was　decorating　his　face　as　he　spoke。
　　　　〃And　you　and　the　League　would　like　to　see　this　practice　stopped？〃　
　　　　〃Right　on　the　head；　Jim　my　boy。〃
　　　　〃And　I　am　the　sucker　who　has　been　picked　for　the　assignment？〃　
　　　　He　reached　out；　took　my　cigar　from　my　numb　fingers　and　dropped　it　into　the　ashtray…then　solemnly　shock　my　hand。　〃It's　your　job。　Go　out　there　and　win。〃
　　　　I　slipped　my　hand　from　his　treacherous　embrace；　wiped　my　fingers　on　my　pants　leg　and　grabbed　back　my　cigar。
　　　　〃I'm　sure　that　you　will　see　that　I　have　the　best　funeral　the　Corps　can　afford。　Now；　would　you　care　to　squeeze　out　a　few　details　or　would　you　prefer　to　blindfold　me　and　shoot　me　out　in　a　one…way　cargo　rocket？〃
　　　　〃Temper；　my　boy；　temper。　The　situation　seems　to　be　quite　clear。　There　has　been　little　word　about　this　in　the　news　media　because　of　a　certain　political　confusion　surrounding　the　invasions；　plus　a　rigid　censorship　by　the　planets　under　consideration。　As　we　have　reconstructed　itand　good　men　have　died　getting　this　informationthe　responsible　world　is　named　Cliaand；　the　third　planet　in　the　Epsilon　Indi　system。　There　are　two　score　planets　orbiting　this　sun；　but　only　three　are　inhabitable。　And　inhabited。　Cliaand　took　over　both　the　sister　worlds　some　years　ago；　but　we　considered　this　no　cause　for　alarm。　What　is　alarming　is　the　fact　that　they　have　expanded　their　scope。　Interstellar　conquest；　heretofore　considered　an　impossibility。　They　have　invaded　and　conquered　five　other　planets　in　nearby　systems　and　seem　poised　for　bigger　and　better　things。　We　don't　know　how　they　are　doing　it；　but　they　must　be　doing　something　right。　We　have　had　agents　on　the　conquered　worlds　but　have　learned　little　of　value。　The　decision　has　been　made；　a　high　level　one　I　assure　youyou　would　stand　and　salute　if　you　heard　some　of　the　names　of　the　people　involvedthat　we　must　get　a　man　to　Cliaand　to　root　out　the　problem　at　the　core　of　the　woodpile　and　cut　the　Gordian　knot。〃
　　　　〃Other　than　being　contained　in　a　mixed　and　disgusting　metaphor　I　think　the　idea　is　a　suicidal　one。　Instead　of　this　we　could　。　。　。〃　
　　　　〃You　are　going。　There　is　no　possible　way　to　wriggle　out　of　this　one。　Slippery　Jim。〃
　　　　I　tried。　But　nothing　worked。　I　was　given　a　copy　of　all　the　known　details；　a　cortex　recording　of　the　language　and　the　master　key　to　a　fast　pursuit　ship　to　take　me　there。　I　returned　gloomily　too　our　quarters　where　Angelina；　tired　of　doing　her　hair　and　her　nails；　was　throwing　a　knife　at　a　head…sized　target　on　the　far　wall。　She　was　very　good。　Even　underhand；　after　a　quick　draw　from　her　arm　sheath；　she　could　hit　the　black　spot　of　either　eye。
　　　　〃Let　me　get　a　pic　of　Inskipp；〃　I　said。　〃It　will　make　a　more　interesting　target　and　one　that　you　can　get　a　degree　of　pleasure　out　of。〃　
　　　　〃Is　that　evil　old　man　sending　my　darling　out　on　a　job？〃　
　　　　〃That　dirty　old　goat　is　trying　to　get　me　killed。　The　assignment　is　so　top　secret　I　can't　tell　a　soul　about　it；　particularly　you；　so　here　are　all　the　papers；　read　them　for　yourself。〃
　　　　While　she　did　this　I　slipped　the　Cliaand　language　recording　into　the　stamping　machine。　This　recorded　the　material　directly　on　my　cortex　without　the　boring　and　time　consuming　intermediary　of　any　learning　process。　The　first　session　would　take　about　a　half　an　hour　with　a　dozen　or　more　shorter　reinforcing　sessions　after　that。　I　would　aid　up　speaking　the　language　and　having　one　hell　of　a　headach