the stainless steel rat-第10部分

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　　　It　didn't　make　any　difference；　we　were　still　too　late。　A　uniformed　watchman　frantically　waved　to　us　and　the　whole　convoy　jerked　to　a　stop。
　　　The　ship　was　gone。
　　　Rocca　couldn't　believe　it；　neither　could　the　president。　They　wandered　up　and　down　the　empty　ways　where　it　had　been　built。　I　just　crunched　down　in　the　back　of　the　car；　chewing　my　cigar　to　pieces　and　cursing　myself　for　being　a　fool。
　　　I　had　missed　the　obvious　fact；　being　carried　away　by　the　thought　of　a　planetary　government　building　a　warship。　The　government　was　involved　for　sure…but　only　as　a　pawn。　No　little　planet…bound　political　mind　could　have　dreamed　up　as　big　a　scheme　as　this。　I　smelled　a　rat…a　stainless　steel　one。　Someone　who　operated　the　way　I　had　done　before　my　conversion。
　　　Now　that　the　rodent　was　well　out　of　the　bag　I　knew　just　where　to　look；　and　had　a　pretty　good　idea　of　what　I　would　find。　Rocca；　the　spaceyard　manager；　had　staggered　back　and　was　pulling　at　his　hair；　cursing　and　crying　at　the　same　time。　President　Ferraro　had　his　gun　out　and　was　staring　at　it　grimly。　It　was　hard　to　tell　if　he　was　thinking　of　murder　or　suicide。　I　didn't　care　which。　All　he　had　to　worry　about　was　the　next　election；　when　the　voters　and　the　political　petition　would　carve　him　up　for　losing　the　ship。　My　troubles　were　a　little　bigger。
　　　I　had　to　find　the　battleship　before　it　blasted　its　way　across　the　galaxy。
　　　〃Rocca！〃　I　shouted。　〃Get　into　the　car。　I　want　to　see　your　records…all　of　your　records…and　I　want　to　see　them　right　now。〃
　　　He　climbed　wearily　in　and　had　directed　the　driver　before　he　fully　realized　what　was　happening。　Blinking　at　the　sickly　light　of　dawn　brought　him　slowly　back　to　reality。
　　　〃But　admiral　。　。　。　the　hour！　Everyone　will　be　asleep　。　。　。〃　
　　　I　just　growled；　but　it　was　enough。　Rocca　caught　the　idea　from　my　expression　and　grabbed　the　car　phone。　The　office　doors　were　open　when　we　got　there。
　　　Normally　I　curse　the　paper　tangles　of　bureaucracy；　but　this　was　one　time　when　I　blessed　them　all。　These　people　had　it　down　to　a　fine　science。　Not　a　rivet　fell；　but　that　its　fall　was　noted…in　quintuplicate。　And　later　followed　up　with　a　memo；　rivet；　wastage；　query。　The　facts　I　needed　were　all　neatly　tucked　away　in　their　paper　catabs。　All　I　had　to　do　was　sniff　them　out。　I　didn't　try　to　look　for　first　causes；　this　would　have　taken　too　long。　Instead　I　concentrated　my　attention　on　the　recent　modifications；　like　the　gun　turret；　that　would　quickly　give　me　a　trail　to　the　guilty　parties。
　　　Once　the　clerks　understood　what　I　had　in　mind　they　buried　themselves　into　their　work；　urged　on　by　the　fires　of　patriotism　and　the　burning　voices　of　their　superiors。　All　I　had　to　do　was　suggest　a　line　of　search　and　the　relevant　documents　would　begin　appearing　at　once。
　　　Bit　by　bit　a　pattern　started　to　emerge。　A　delicate　web…work　of　forgery；　bribery；　chicanery　and　falsehood。　It　could　only　have　been　conceived　by　a　mind　as　brilliantly　crooked　as　my　own。　I　chewed　my　lip　with　jealousy。　Like　all　great　ideas；　this　one　was　basically　simple。
　　　A　party　or　parties　unknown　had　neatly　warped　the　ship　construction　program　to　their　own　ends。　Undoubtedly　they　had　started　the　program　for　the　giant　transport；　that　would　have　to　be　checked　later。　And　once　the　program　was　underway；　it　had　been　guided　with　a　skill　that　bordered　on　genius。　Orders　were　originated　in　many　places；　passed　on；　changed　and　shuffled。　I　painfully　traced　each　one　to　its　source。　Many　times　the　source　was　a　forgery。　Some　changes　seemed　to　be　unexplainable；　until　I　noticed　the　officers　in　question　had　a　temporary　secretary　while　their　normal　assistants　were　ill。　All　the　girls　had　had　food　poisoning；　a　regular　epidemic　it　seemed。　Each　of　them　in　turn　had　been　replaced　by　the　same　girl。　She　stayed　just　long　enough　in　each　position　to　see　that　the　battleship　plan　moved　forward　one　more　notch。
　　　This　girl　was　obviously　the　assistant　to　the　Mastermind　who　originated　the　scheme。　He　sat　in　the　center　of　the　plot；　like　a　spider　on　its　web　pulling　the　strings　that　set　things　into　motion。　My　first　thought　that　a　gang　was　involved　proved　wrong。　All　my　secondary　suspects　turned　out　to　be　simple　forgeries；　not　individuals。　In　the　few　cases　where　forgery　wasn't　adequate；　my　mysterious　X　had　apparently　hired　himself　to　do　the　job。　X　himself　had　the　permanent　job　of　Assistant　Engineering　Designer。　One　by　one　the　untangled　threads　ran　to　this　office。　He　also　had　a　secretary　whose　〃illnesses〃　coincided　with　her　employment　in　other　offices。
　　　When　I　straightened　up　from　my　desk　the　ache　in　my　back　stabbed　like　a　hot　wire。　I　swallowed　a　painkiller　and　looked　around　at　my　drooping；　sack…eyed　assistants　who　had　shared　the　sleepless　seventy…two　hour　task。　They　sat　or　slumped　against　the　furniture；　waiting　for　my　conclusions。　Even　President　Ferraro　was　there；　his　hair　looking　scraggly　where　he　had　pulled　out　handfuls。
　　　〃You've　found　them；　the　criminal　ring？〃　he　asked；　his　fingers　groping　over　his　scalp　for　a　fresh　hold。
　　　〃I　have　found　them；　yes；〃　I　said　hoarsely。　〃But　not　a　criminal　ring。　An　inspired　master　criminal…who　apparently　has　more　executive　ability　in　one　ear　lobe　than　all　your　bribe…bloated　bureaucrats…and　his　female　assistant。　They　pulled　the　entire　job　by　themselves。　His　name；　or　undoubtedly　pseudoname；　is　Pepe　Nero。　The　girl　is　called　Angelina　。　。　。〃
　　　〃Arrest　them　at　once！　Guards　。　。　。　guards…〃　Ferraro's　voice　died　away　as　he　ran　out　of　the　room。　I　talked　to　his　vanishing　back。
　　　〃That　is　just　what　we　intend　to　do；　but　it's　a　little　difficult　at　the　moment　since　they　are　the　ones　who　not　only　built　the　battleship；　but　undoubtedly　stole　it　as　well。　It　was　fully　automated　so　no　crew　is　necessary。〃
　　　〃What　do　you　plan　to　do？〃　one　of　the　clerks　asked。
　　　I　shall　do　nothing；〃　I　told　him；　with　the　snapped　precision　of　an　old　space　veteran。　〃The　League　fleet　is　already　closing　in　on　the　renegades　and　you　will　be　informed　of　the　capture。　Thank　you　for　your　assistance。〃
　Chapter　6
　
　　　　　I　threw　them　as　snappy　a　salute　as　I　could　muster　and　they　filed　out。　Staring　gloomily　at　their　backs　I　envied　for　one　moment　their　simple　faith　in　the　League　Navy。　When　in　reality　the　vengeful　fleet　was　just　as　imaginary　as　my　admiral's　rating。　This　was　still　a　job　for　the　Corps。　Inskipp　would　have　to　be　given　the　latest　information　at　once。　I　had　sent　him　a　psigram　about　the　theft；　but　there　was　no　answer　as　yet。　Maybe　the　identity　of　the　thieves　would　stir　some　response　out　of　him。
　　　　　My　message　was　in　code；　but　it　could　be　quickly　broken　if　someone　wanted　to　try　hard　enough。　I　took　it　to　the　message　center　myself。　The　psiman　was　in　his　transparent　cubicle　and　I　locked　myself　in　with　him。　His　eyes　were　unfocused　as　he　spoke　softly　into　a　mike；　pulling　in　a　message　from　somewhere　across　the　galaxy。　Outside　the　rushing　transcribers　copied；　coded　and　filed　messages；　but　no　sound　penetrated　the　insulated　wall。　I　waited　until　his　attention　clicked　back　into　the　room；　and　handed　him　the　sheets　of　paper。
　　　　　〃League　Central　14…rush；〃　I　told　him。
　　　　　He　raised　his　eyebrows；　but　didn't　ask　any　questions。　Establishing　contact　only　took　a　few　seconds；　as　they　had　an　entire　battery　of　psimen　for　their　munications。　He　read　the　code　words　carefully；　shaping　them　with　his　mouth　but　not　speaking　aloud；　the　power　of　his　thoughts　carrying　across　the　light…years　of　distance。　As　soon　as　he　was　finished　I　took　back　the　sheet；　tore　it　up　and　pocketed　the　pieces。
　　　　　I　had　my　answer　back　quickly　enough；　Inskipp　must　have　been　hovering　around　waiting　for　my　message。　The　mike　was　turned　off　to　the　transcribers　outside；　and　I　took　the　code　groups　down　in　shorthand　myself。
　　　　　〃。　。　。　xybb　dfil　fdno；　and　if　you　don't…don't　e　back！〃　
　　　　　The　message　broke　into　clear　at　the　end　and　the　psiman　smiled　as　he　spoke　the　words。　I　broke　the　point　off　my　stylus　and　growled　at　him　not　to　repeat　any　of　this　message；　as　it　was　classified；　and　I　would　personally　see　him　shot　if　he　did。　That　got　rid　of　the　smile；　but　didn't　make　me　feel　any　better。
　　　　　The　decoded　message　turned　out　not　to　be　as　bad　as　I　had　imagined。　Until　further　notice　I　was　in　charge　of　tracking　and　capturing　the　stolen　battleship。　I　could　call　on　the　League　for　any　aid　I　n