the stainless steel rat-第2部分

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a　second　skin；　a　touch　of　solvent　though　and　they　peel　off　like　a　pair　of　transparent　gloves。
　　　　　All　my　clothes　next…and　then　the　girdle　in　reverse…that　lovely　paunch　that　straps　around　my　belly　and　holds　twenty　kilos　of　lead　mixed　with　thermite。　A　quick　wipe　from　the　bottle　of　bleach　and　my　hair　was　its　natural　shade　of　brown；　the　eyebrows；　too。　The　nose　plugs　and　cheek　pads　hurt　ing　out；　but　that　only　lasts　a　second。　Then　the　blue…eyed　contact　lenses。　This　process　leaves　me　mother…naked　and　I　always　feel　as　if　I　have　been　born　again。　In　a　sense　it　is　true；　I　had　bee　a　new　man；　twenty　kilos　lighter；　ten　years　younger　and　with　a　pletely　different　description。　The　large　suitcase　held　a　plete　change　of　clothes　and　a　pair　of　dark…rimmed　glasses　that　replaced　the　contact　lenses。　All　the　loose　money　fitted　neatly　into　a　brief　case。
　　　　　When　I　straightened　up　I　really　felt　as　if　ten　years　had　been　stripped　from　me。　I　was　so　used　to　wearing　that　weight　that　I　never　noticed　it…until　it　was　gone。　Put　a　real　spring　in　my　step。
　　　　　The　thermite　would　take　care　of　all　the　evidence。　I　kicked　it　all　into　a　heap　and　triggered　the　fuse。　It　caught　with　a　roar　and　bottles；　clothes；　bag；　shoes；　weights；　et　al；　burned　with　a　cheerful　glare。　The　police　would　find　a　charred　spot　on　the　cement　and　microanalysis　might　get　them　a　few　molecules　off　the　walls；　but　that　was　all　they　would　get。　The　glare　of　the　burning　thermite　threw　jumping　shadows　around　me　as　I　walked　down　three　flights　to　the　one　hundred　twelfth　floor。
　　　　　Luck　was　still　with　me；　there　was　no　one　on　the　floor　when　I　opened　the　door。　One　minute　later　the　express　elevator　let　me　and　a　handful　of　other　business　types　out　into　the　lobby。
　　　　　Only　one　door　was　open　to　the　street　and　a　portable　TV　camera　was　trained　on　it。　No　attempt　was　being　made　to　stop　people　from　going　in　and　out　of　the　building；　most　of　them　didn't　even　notice　the　camera　and　the　little　group　of　cops　around　it。　I　walked　towards　it　at　an　even　pace。　Strong　nerves　count　for　a　lot　in　this　business。
　　　　　For　one　instant　I　was　square　in　the　field　of　that　cold；　glass　eye；　then　I　was　past。　Nothing　happened　so　I　knew　I　was　clear。　That　camera　must　have　fed　directly　to　the　main　puter　at　police　headquarters；　if　my　description　had　been　close　enough　to　the　one　they　had　on　file　those　robots　would　have　been　notified　and　I　would　have　been　pinned　before　I　had　taken　a　step。　You　can't　outmove　a　puter…robot　bination；　not　when　they　move　and　react　in　micro…seconds…but　you　can　outthink　them。　I　had　done　it　again。
　　　　　A　cab　took　me　about　ten　blocks　away。　I　waited　until　it　was　out　of　sight　then　took　another　one。　It　wasn't　until　I　was　in　the　third　cab　that　I　felt　safe　enough　to　go　to　the　space　terminal。　The　sounds　of　sirens　were　growing　fainter　and　fainter　behind　me　and　only　an　occasional　police　car　tore　by　in　the　opposite　direction。
　　　　　They　were　sure　making　a　big　fuss　over　a　little　larceny；　but　that's　the　way　it　goes　on　these　overcivilized　worlds。　Crime　is　such　a　rarity　now　that　the　police　really　get　carried　away　when　they　run　across　some。　In　a　way　I　can't　blame　them；　giving　out　traffic　tickets　must　be　an　awful　dull　job。　I　really　believe　they　ought　to　thank　me　for　putting　a　little　excitement　in　their　otherwise　dull　lives。
　Chapter　2
　
　　　　　It　was　a　nice　ride　to　the　spaceport　being　located；　of　course；　far　out　of　town。　I　had　time　to　lean　back　and　watch　the　scenery　and　gather　my　thoughts。　Even　time　to　be　a　little　philosophical。　For　one　thing　I　could　enjoy　a　good　cigar　again；　I　smoked　only　cigarettes　in　my　other　personality　and　never　violated　that　personality；　even　in　strictest　privacy。　The　cigars　were　still　fresh　in　the　pocket　humidor　where　I　had　put　them　six　months　ago。　I　sucked　a　long　mouthful　and　blew　the　smoke　out　at　the　flashing　scenery。　It　was　good　to　be　off　the　job；　just　about　as　good　as　being　on　it。　I　could　never　make　my　mind　up　which　period　I　enjoyed　more…I　guess　they　are　both　right　at　the　time。
　　　　　My　life　is　so　different　from　that　of　the　overwhelming　majority　of　people　in　our　society　that　I　doubt　if　I　could　even　explain　it　to　them。　They　exist　in　a　fat；　rich　union　of　worlds　that　have　almost　forgotten　the；　meaning　of　the　word　crime。　There　are　few　malcontents　and　even　fewer　that　are　socially　maladjusted。　The　few　of　these　that　are　born；　in　spite　of　centuries　of　genetic　control；　are　caught　early　and　the　aberration　quickly　adjusted。　Some　don't　show　their　weakness　until　they　are　adults；　they　are　the　ones　who　try　their　hand　at　petty　crime…burglary；　shoplifting　or　such。　They　get　away　with　it　for　a　week　or　two　or　a　month　or　two；　depending　on　the　degree　of　their　native　intelligence。　But　sure　as　atomic　decay…and　just　as　predestined…the　police　reach　out　and　pull　them　in。
　　　　　That　is　almost　the　full　extent　of　crime　in　our　organized；　dandified　society。　Ninety…nine　per　cent　of　it；　let's　say。　It　is　that　last　and　vital　one　per　cent　that　keeps　the　police　departments　in　business。　That　one　per　cent　is　me；　and　a　handful　of　men　scattered　around　the　galaxy。　Theoretically　we　can't　exist；　and　if　we　do　exist　we　can't　operate…but　we　do。　We　are　the　rats　in　the　wainscoting　of　society…we　operate　outside　of　their　barriers　and　outside　of　their　rules。　Society　had　more　rats　when　the　rules　were　looser；　just　as　the　old　wooden　buildings　had　more　rats　than　the　concrete　buildings　that　came　later。　But　they　still　had　rats。　Now　that　society　is　all　ferroconcrete　and　stainless　steel　there　are　fewer　gaps　between　the　joints；　and　it　takes　a　smart　rat　to　find　them。　A　stainless　steel　rat　is　right　at　home　in　this　environment。
　　　　　It　is　a　proud　and　lonely　thing　to　be　a　stainless　steel　rat…and　it　is　the　greatest　experience　in　the　galaxy　if　you　can　get　away　with　it。　The　sociological　experts　can't　seem　to　agree　why　we　exist；　some　even　doubt　that　we　do。　The　most　widely　accepted　theory　says　that　we　are　victims　of　delayed　psychological　disturbance　that　shows　no　evidence　in　childhood　when　it　can　be　detected　and　corrected　and　only　appears　later　in　life。　I　have　naturally　given　a　lot　of　thought　to　the　topic　and　I　don't　hold　with　that　idea　at　all。
　　　　　A　few　years　back　I　wrote　a　small　book　on　the　subject…under　a　nom　de　plume　of　course…that　was　rather　well　received。　My　theory　is　that　the　aberration　is　a　philosophical　one；　not　a　psychological　one。　At　a　certain　stage　the　realization　strikes　through　that　one　must　either　live　outside　of　society's　bonds　or　die　of　absolute　boredom。　There　is　no　future　or　freedom　in　the　circumscribed　life　and　the　only　other　life　is　plete　rejection　of　the　rules。　There　is　no　longer　room　for　the　soldier　of　fortune　or　the　gentleman　adventurer　who　can　live　both　within　and　outside　of　society。　Today　it　is　all　or　nothing。　To　save　my　own　sanity　I　chose　the　nothing。
　
　　　　　The　cab　just　reached　the　spaceport　as　I　hit　on　this　negative　line　of　thought　and　I　was　glad　to　abandon　it。　Loneliness　is　the　thing　to　fear　in　this　business；　that　and　self…pity　can　destroy　you　if　they　get　the　upper　hand。　Action　has　always　helped　me；　the　elation　of　danger　and　escape　always　clears　my　mind。　When　I　paid　the　cab　I　short…changed　the　driver　right　under　his　nose；　palming　one　of　the　credit　notes　in　the　act　of　handing　it　to　him。　He　was　blind　as　a　riveted　bulkhead；　his　gullibility　had　me　humming　with　delight。　The　tip　I　gave　him　more　than　made　up　the　loss　since　I　only　do　this　sort　of　petty　business　to　break　the　monotony。
　　　　　There　was　a　robot　clerk　behind　the　ticket　window；　he　had　that　extra　third　eye　in　the　center　of　his　forehead　that　meant　a　camera。　It　clicked　slightly　as　I　purchased　a　ticket；　recording　my　face　and　destination。　A　normal　precaution　on　the　part　of　the　police；　I　would　have　been　surprised　if　it　hadn't　happened。　My　destination　was　intersystem　so　I　doubted　if　the　picture　would　appear　any　place　except　in　the　files。　I　wasn't　making　an　interstellar　hop　this　time；　as　I　usually　did　after　a　big　job；　it　wasn't　necessary。　After　a　job　a　single　world　or　a　small　system　is　too　small　for　more　work；　but　Beta　Cygnus　has　a　system　of　almost　twenty　planets　all　with　terrafied　weather。　This　planet；　III；　was　too　hot　now；　but　the　rest　of　the　system　was　wide　open。　There　was　a　lot　of　mercial　rivalry　within　the　system　and　I　knew　their　police　departments　didn't　co…operate　too　well。　Th