the stainless steel rat-第6部分

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　into　a　drawer　and　relaxed　a　bit　himself。
　　　　　〃Had　me　worried　there　for　a　minute；　the　way　you　stood　there　rolling　your　eyes　and　waving　this　piece　of　field　artillery　around。〃　
　　　　　〃Who　are　you？〃
　　　　　He　smiled　at　the　abruptness　of　my　tone。　〃Well；　it　doesn't　matter　who　I　am。　What　does　matter　is　the　organization　that　I　represent。〃　
　　　　　〃The　Corps？〃
　　　　　〃Exactly。　The　Special　Corps。　You　didn't　think　I　was　the　local　police；　did　you？　They　have　orders　to　shoot　you　on　sight。　It　was　only　after　I　told　them　how　to　find　you　that　they　let　the　Corps　e　along　on　the　job。　I　have　some　of　my　men　in　the　building；　they're　the　ones　who　herded　you　up　here。　The　rest　are　all　locals　with　itchy　trigger　fingers。〃
　　　　　It　wasn't　very　flattering　but　it　was　true。　I　had　been　pushed　around　like　a　class　M　robot；　with　every　move　charted　in　advance。　The　old　boy　behind　the　desk…for　the　first　time　I　realized　he　was　about　sixty…five…really　had　my　number。　The　game　was　over。
　　　　　〃All　right　Mr。　Detective；　you　have　me　so　there　is　no　sense　in　gloating。　What's　next　on　the　program？　Psychological　reorientation；　lobotomy…or　just　plain　firing　squad？〃
　　　　　〃None　of　those。　I'm　afraid。　I　am　here　to　offer　you　a　job　on　the　Corps。〃
　　　　　The　whole　thing　was　so　ludicrous　that　I　almost　fell　out　of　the　chair　laughing。　Me。　James　diGriz；　the　interplanet　thief　working　as　a　policeman。　It　was　just　too　funny。　He　sat　patiently；　waiting　until　I　was　through。
　
　　　　　〃I　will　admit　it　has　its　ludicrous　side…but　only　at　first　glance。　If　'　you　stop　to　think；　you　will　have　to　admit　that　who　is　better　qualified　to　catch　a　thief　than　another　thief？〃
　　　　　There　was　more　than　a　little　truth　in　that；　but　I　wasn't　buying　my　freedom　by　turning　stool　pigeon。
　　　　　〃An　interesting　offer；　but　I'm　not　getting　out　of　this　by　playing　the　rat。　There　is　even　a　code　among　thieves；　you　know。〃　
　　　　　That　made　him　angry。　He　was　bigger　than　he　looked　sitting　down　and　the　fist　he　shook　in　my　face　was　as　large　as　a　shoe。
　　　　　〃What　kind　of　stupidity　do　you　call　that？　It　sounds　like　a　line　out　of　a　TV　thriller。　You've　never　met　another　crook　in　your　whole　life　and　you　know　it！　And　if　you　did　you　would　cheerfully　turn　him　in　if　you　could　make　a　profit　on　the　deal。　The　entire　essence　of　your　life　is　individualism…that　and　the　excitement　of　doing　what　others　can't　do。　Well　that's　over　now；　and　you　better　start　admitting　it　to　yourself。　You　can　no　longer　be　the　interplanet　playboy　you　used　to　be…but　you　can　do　a　job　that　will　require　every　bit　of　your　special　talents　and　abilities。　Have　you　ever　killed　a　man？〃　
　　　　　His　change　of　pace　caught　me　off　guard；　I　stumbled　out　an　answer。
　　　　　〃No　。　。　。　not　that　I　know　of。〃
　　　　　〃Well　you　haven't；　if　that　will　make　you　sleep　any　better　at　night。　You're　not　a　homicidal；　I　checked　that　on　your　record　before　I　came　out　after　you。　That　is　why　I　know　you　will　join　the　Corps　and　get　a　great　deal　of　pleasure　out　of　going　after　the　other　kind　of　criminal　who　is　sick；　not　just　socially　protesting。　The　man　who　can　kill　and　enjoy　it。〃
　　　　　He　was　too　convincing；　he　had　all　the　answers。　I　had　only　one　more　argument　and　I　threw　it　in　with　the　air　of　a　last　ditch　defense。
　　　　　〃What　about　the　Corps；　if　they　ever　find　out　you　are　hiring　half…reformed　criminals　to　do　your　dirty　work　we　will　both　be　shot　at　dawn。〃
　　　　　This　time　it　was　his　turn　to　laugh。　I　could　see　nothing　funny　so　I　ignored　him　until　he　was　finished。
　　　　　〃In　the　first　place　my　boy；　I　am　the　Corps…at　least　the　man　at　the　top…and　what　do　you　think　my　name　is？　Harold　Peters　Inskipp；　that's　what　it　is！〃　
　　　　　〃Not　the　Inskipp　that…〃
　　　　　〃The　same。　Inskipp　the　Uncatchable。　The　man　who　looted　the　Pharsydion　II　in　mid…flight　and　pulled　all　those　other　deals　I'm　sure　you　read　about　in　your　misspent　youth。　I　was　recruited　just　the　way　you　were。〃　He　had　me　on　the　ropes　and　knew　it。　He　moved　in　for　the　kill。
　　　　　〃And　who　do　you　think　the　rest　of　our　agents　are？　I　don't　mean　the　bright…eyed　grads　of　our　technical　schools；　like　the　ones　on　my　squad　downstairs。　I　mean　the　full　agents。　The　men　who　plan　the　operations；　do　the　preliminary　fieldwork　and　see　that　everything　es　off　smoothly。　They're　crooks。　All　crooks。　The　better　they　were　on　their　own；　the　better　a　job　they　do　for　the　Corps。　It's　a　great；　big；　brawling　universe　and　you　would　be　surprised　at　some　of　the　problems　that　e　up。　The　only　men　we　can　recruit　to　do　the　job　are　the　ones　who　have　already　succeeded　at　it。　
　　　　　〃Are　you　on？〃
　　　　　It　had　happened　too　fast　and　I　hadn't　had　time　to　think。　I　would　probably　go　on　arguing　for　an　hour。　But　way　down　in　the　back　of　my　mind　the　decision　had　been　made。　I　was　going　to　do　it；　I　couldn't　say　no。
　　　　　I　was　losing　something；　and　I　hoped　I　wouldn't　miss　it。　No　matter　what　freedom　I　had　working　with　an　organization；　I　would　still　be　working　with　other　people。　The　old　carefree；　sole　responsibility　days　were　over。　I　was　joining　the　ranks　of　society　again。
　　　　　There　was　the　beginning　of　a　warm　feeling　at　the　thought。　It　would　at　least　be　the　end　of　loneliness。　Friendship　would　make　up　for　what　I　had　lost。
　Chapter　4
　
　　　I　have　never　been　more　wrong。
　　　The　people　I　met　were　dull　to　the　point　of　extinction。　They　treated　me　like　just　another　cog　going　around　with　the　rest　of　the　wheels。　I　was　coggy　all　right；　and　kept　wondering　how　I　had　ever　gotten　into　this　mess。　Not　really　wondering；　since　the　memory　was　still　quite　vivid。　I　was　carried　along　with　the　rest　of　the　gears；　their　teeth　sunk　into　mine。
　　　We　ended　up　on　a　planetoid；　that　much　was　obvious。　But　I　hadn't　the　dimmest　idea　of　what　planets　we　were　near　or　even　what　solar　system　we　were　in。　Everything　was　highly　secret　and　hush…hush；　as　this　place　was　obviously　the　super…secret　headquarters　and　main　base　of　the　Corps　School　too。
　　　This　part　I　liked。　It　was　the　only　thing　that　kept　me　from　cracking　out。　Dull　as　the　cubes　were　who　taught　the　courses；　the　material　was　something　I　could　really　sink　my　teeth　into　and　shake。　I　began　to　see　how　crude　my　operations　had　been。　With　the　gadgetry　and　techniques　I　soaked　up　I　could　be　ten　times　the　crook　I　had　been　before。　Pushing　the　thought　firmly　away　helped　for　a　while；　but　it　had　a　way　of　sneaking　back　and　whispering　nastily　in　my　ear　during　periods　of　depression　and　gloom。
　　　Things　went　from　dull　to　dead。　Half　my　time　was　spent　working　at　the　files；　learning　about　the　numberless　successes　and　few　failures　of　the　Corps。　I　contemplated　cracking　out；　yet　at　the　same　time　couldn't　help　but　wonder　if　this　wasn't　part　of　a　testing　period…to　see　if　I　had　enough　sticktoitiveness　to　last。　I　swallowed　my　temper；　muffled　my　yawns；　and　took　a　careful　look　around。　If　I　couldn't　crack　out…I　could　crack　in。　There　had　to　be　something　I　could　do　to　terminate　this　term　of　penal　servitude。
　　　It　wasn't　easy…but　I　found　it。　By　the　time　I　tracked　everything　down　it　was　well　into　sleep　period。　But　that　was　all　right。　In　some　ways　it　even　made　it　more　interesting。
　　　When　it　es　to　picking　locks　and　cracking　safes　I　admit　to　no　master。　The　door　to　Inskipp's　private　quarters　had　an　old…fashioned　tumbler　drum　that　was　easier　to　pick　than　my　teeth。　I　must　have　gone　through　that　door　without　breaking　step。　Quiet　as　I　was　though；　Inskipp　still　heard　me。　The　light　came　on　and　there　he　was　sitting　up　in　bed　pointing　a　。75　caliber　recoilless　at　my　sternum。
　　　〃You　should　have　more　brains　than　that；　diGriz；〃　he　snarled。　〃Creeping　into　my　room　at　night！　You　could　have　been　shot。〃　
　　　〃No　I　couldn't；〃　I　told　him；　as　he　stowed　the　cannon　back　under　his　pillow。　〃A　man　with　a　curiosity　bump　as　big　as　yours　will　always　talk　first　and　shoot　later。　And　besides…none　of　this　pussyfooting　around　in　the　dark　would　be　necessary　if　your　screen　was　open　and　I　could　have　got　a　call　through。〃
　　　Inskipp　yawned　and　poured　himself　a　glass　of　water　from　the　dispenser　unit　above　the　bed。　〃Just　because　I　head　the　Special　Corps；　doesn't　mean　that　I　am　the　Special　Corps；〃　he　said　moistly　while　he　drained　the　glass。　'　I　have　to　sleep　sometime。　My　screen　is　open　only　for　emergency　calls；　not　for　every　agent　who　needs　his　hand　held。〃
　　　〃Meaning　I　am　in　the　hand…holding　category？〃　I　asked　with　as　much　sweetness　as　I　could。