the stainless steel rat-第7部分

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eld。〃
　　　〃Meaning　I　am　in　the　hand…holding　category？〃　I　asked　with　as　much　sweetness　as　I　could。
　　　〃Put　yourself　in　any　category　you　damn　well　please；〃　he　grumbled　as　he　slumped　down　in　the　bed。　〃And　also　put　yourself　out　into　the　hall　and　see　me　tomorrow　during　working　hours。〃
　　　He　was　at　my　mercy；　really。　He　wanted　sleep　so　much。　And　he　was　going　to　be　wide…awake　so　very　soon。
　　　〃Do　you　know　what　this　is？〃　I　asked　him；　poking　a　large　glossy　pie　under　his　long　broken　nose。　One　eye　opened　slowly。
　　　〃Big　warship　of　some　kind；　looks　like　Empire　lines。　Now　for　the　last　time…go　away！〃　he　said。
　　　〃A　very　good　guess　for　this　late　at　night；〃　I　told　him　cheerily。　〃It　is　a　late　Empire　battleship　of　the　Warlord　class。　Undoubtedly　one　of　the　most　truly　efficient　engines　of　destruction　ever　manufactured。　Over　a　half　mile　of　defensive　screens　and　armament　that　could　probably　turn　any　fleet　existent　today　into　fine　radioactive　ash…〃
　　　〃Except　for　the　fact　that　the　last　one　was　broken　up　for　scrap　over　a　thousand　years　ago；〃　he　mumbled。

　　　I　leaned　over　and　put　my　lips　close　to　his　ear。　So　there　would　be　no　chance　of　misunderstanding。　Speaking　softly　but　clearly。
　　　〃True；　true；〃　I　said。　〃But　wouldn't　you　be　just　a　little　bit　interested　if　I　was　to　tell　you　that　one　is　being　built　today？〃
　　　Oh；　it　was　beautiful　to　watch。　The　covers　went　one　way　and　Inskipp　went　the　other。　In　a　single　unfolding；　concerted　motion　he　left　the　horizontal　and　recumbent　and　stood　tensely　vertical　against　the　wall　Examining　the　pic　of　the　battleship　under　the　light　He　apparently　did　not　believe　in　pajama　bottoms　and　it　hurt　me　to　see　the　goose　bumps　rising　on　those　thin　shanks。　But　if　the　legs　were　thin；　the　voice　was　more　than　full　enough　to　make　up　for　the　difference。
　　　〃Talk；　blast　you　diGriz…talk！〃　he　roared。　〃What　is　this　nonsense　about　a　battleship？　Who's　building　it？〃
　　　I　had　my　nail　file　and　was　touching　up　a　cuticle；　holding　it　out　for　inspection　before　I　said　anything。　From　the　corner　of　my　eye　I　could　see　him　getting　purple　about　the　face…but　he　kept　quiet。　I　savored　my　small　moment　of　power。
　　　〃Put　diGriz　in　charge　of　the　record　room　for　a　while；　you　said；　that　way　he　can　learn　the　ropes。　Burrowing　around　in　century…old；　dusty　files　will　be　just　the　thing　for　a　free　spirit　like　Slippery　Jim　diGriz。　Teach　him　discipline。　Show　him　what　the　Corps　stands　for。　At　the　same　time　it　will　get　the　records　in　shape。　They　have　been　needing　reorganization　for　quite　a　while。〃
　　　Inskipp　opened　his　mouth；　made　a　choking　noise；　then　closed　it。　He　undoubtedly　realized　that　any　interruption　would　only　lengthen　my　explanation；　not　shorten　it。　I　smiled　and　nodded　at　his　decision；　then　continued。
　　　〃So　you　thought　you　had　me　safely　out　of　the　way。　Breaking　my　spirit　under　the　guise　of　'giving　me　a　little　background　in　the　Corps'　activities。'　In　this　sense　your　plan　failed。　Something　else　happened　instead。　I　nosed　through　the　files　and　found　them　most　interesting。　Particularly　the　C　&　M　setup…the　Categorizer　and　Memory。　That　building　full　of　machinery　that　takes　in　and　digests　news　and　reports　from　all　the　planets　in　the　galaxy；　indexes　it　to　every　category　it　can　possibly　relate；　then　files　it。　Great　machine　to　work　with。　I　had　it　digging　out　spaceship　info　for　me；　something　I　have　always　been　interested　in…〃
　　　〃You　should　be；〃　Inskipp　interrupted　rudely。　〃You've　stolen　enough　of　them　in　your　time。〃
　　　I　gave　him　a　hurt　look　and　went　on…slowly。　〃I　won't　bore　you　with　all　the　details；　since　you　seem　impatient；　but　eventually　I　turned　up　this　plan。　〃He　had　it　out　of　my　fingers　before　it　cleared　my　wallet。
　　　〃What　are　you　getting　at？〃　he　mumbled　as　he　ran　his　eyes　over　the　blueprints。　〃This　is　an　ordinary　heavy…cargo　and　passenger　job。　It's　no　more　a　Warlord　battleship　than　I　am。〃
　
　　　It　is　hard　to　curl　your　lips　with　contempt　and　talk　at　the　same　time；　but　I　succeeded。　〃Of　course。　You　don't　expect　them　to　file　warship　plans　with　the　League　Registry；　do　you？　But；　as　I　said；　I　know　more　than　a　little　bit　about　ships。　It　seemed　to　me　this　thing　was　just　too　big　for　the　use　intended。　Enough　old　ships　are　fuel…wasters；　you　don't　have　to　build　new　ones　to　do　that。　This　started　me　thinking　and　I　punched　for　a　plete　list　of　ships　that　size　that　had　been　constructed　in　the　past。　You　can　imagine　my　surprise　when；　after　three　minutes　of　groaning；　the　C　&　M　only　produced　six。　One　was　built　for　self…sustaining　colony　attempt　at　the　second　galaxy。　For　all　we　know　she　is　still　on　the　way。　The　other　five　were　all　D…class　colonizers；　built　during　the　Expansion　when　large　populations　were　moved。　Too　big　to　be　practical　now。
　　　〃I　was　still　teased；　as　I　had　no　idea　what　a　ship　this　large　could　be　used　for。　So　I　removed　the　time　interlock　on　the　C　&　M　and　let　it　pick　around　through　the　entire　history　of　space　to　see　if　it　could　find　a　parison。　It　sure　did。　Right　at　the　Golden　Age　of　Empire　expansion；　the　giant　Warlord　battleship。　The　machine　even　found　a　blueprint　for　me。〃
　　　Inskipp　grabbed　again　and　began　paring　the　two　prints。　I　leaned　over　his　shoulder　and　pointed　out　the　interesting　parts。
　　　〃Notice…if　the　engine　room　specs　are　changed　slightly　to　include　this　cargo　hold；　there　is　plenty　of　room　for　the　brutes　needed。　This　superstructure…obviously　just　tacked　onto　the　plans…gets　thrown　away；　and　turrets　take　its　place。　The　hulls　are　identical。　A　change　here；　a　shift　there；　and　the　stodgy　freighter　bees　the　fast　battlewagon。　These　changes　could　be　made　during　construction；　then　plans　filed。　By　the　time　any　（me　in　the　League　found　out　what　was　being　built　the　ship　would　be　finished　and　launched。　Of　course；　this　could　all　be　coincidence…the　plans　of　a　newly　built　ship　agreeing　to　six　places　with　those　of　a　ship　built　a　thousand　years　ago。　But　if　you　think　so；　I　will　give　you　hundred…to…one　odds　you　are　wrong；　any　size　bet　you　name。〃
　　　I　wasn't　winning　any　sucker　bets　that　night。　Inskipp　had　led　just　as　crooked　a　youth　as　I　had；　and　needed　no　help　in　smelling　a　fishy　deal。　While　he　pulled　on　his　clothes　he　shot　questions　at　me。
　　　〃And　the　name　of　the　peace…loving　planet　that　is　building　this　bad…memory　from　the　past？〃
　　　〃Cittanuvo。　Second　planet　of　a　B　star　in　Corona　Borealis。　No　other　colonized　planets　in　the　system。〃
　　　〃Never　heard　of　it；〃　Inskipp　said　as　we　took　the　private　drop　chute　to　his　office。　〃Which　may　be　a　good　or　a　bad　sign。　Wouldn't　be　the　first　time　trouble　came　from　some　out…of…the…way　spot　I　never　even　knew　existed。〃
　　　With　the　automatic　disregard　for　others　of　the　truly　dedicated；　he　pressed　the　scramble　button　on　his　desk。　Very　quickly　sleepy…eyed　clerks　and　assistants　were　bringing　files　and　records。　We　went　through　them　together。
　　　Modesty　prevented　me　from　speaking　first；　but　I　had　a　very　short　wait　before　Inskipp　reached　the　same　conclusion　I　had。　He　buried　a　folder　the　length　of　the　room　and　scowled　out　at　the　harsh　dawn　light。
　　　〃The　more　I　look　at　this　thing；〃　he　said；　〃the　fishier　it　gets。　This　planet　seems　to　have　no　possible　motive　or　use　for　a　battleship。　But　they　are　building　one…that　I　will　swear　on　a　stack　of　one　thousand　credit　notes　as　high　as　this　building。　Yet　what　will　they　do　with　it　when　they　have　it　built？　They　have　an　expanding　culture；　no　unemployment；　a　surplus　of　heavy　metals　and　ready　markets　for　all　they　produce。　No　hereditary　enemies；　feuds　or　the　like。　If　it　wasn't　for　this　battleship　thing；　I　would　call　them　an　ideal　League　planet。　I　have　to　know　more　about　them。〃
　　　〃I've　already　called　the　spaceport…in　your　name　of　course；〃　I　told　him。　〃Ordered　a　fast　courier　ship。　I'll　leave　within　the　hour。〃　
　〃Aren't　you　getting　a　little　ahead　of　yourself；　diGriz；〃　he　said。　Voice　chill　as　the　icecap。　〃I　still　give　the　orders　and　I'll　tell　you　when　you're　ready　for　an　independent　mand。〃　
　　　I　was　sweetness　and　light　because　a　lot　depended　on　his　decision。　〃Just　trying　to　help；　chief；　get　things　ready　in　case　you　wanted　more　info。　And　this　isn't　really　an　operation；　just　a　reconnaissance。　I　can　do　that　as　well　as　any　of　the　experienced　operators。　And　it　may　give　me　the　experience　I　need；　so　that　some　day；　I；　too；　will　be　qualified　to　join　the　ranks　。　。　。〃
　　　〃All　right；〃　he　sa