the stainless steel rat-第9部分

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　　　〃I　am　arresting　you　for　conspiracy；　extortion；　theft；　and　whatever　other　charges　develop　after　a　careful　review　of　these　documents。　Seize　him。　〃This　last　order　was　directed　at　the　robot　who　was　well　briefed　in　its　role。　It　rumbled　forward　and　locked　its　hand　around　Ferraro's　wrist；　handcuff　style。　He　barely　noticed。
　　　〃I　can　explain；〃　he　said　desperately。　〃Everything　can　be　explained。　There　is　no　need　to　make　such　charges。　I　don't　know　what　papers　you　have　there；　so　I　wouldn't　attempt　to　say　they　are　all　forgeries。　I　have　many　enemies　you　know。　If　the　League　knew　the　difficulties　faced　on　a　backward　planet　like　this　。　。　。〃　
　　　〃That　will　be　entirely　enough；〃　I　snapped；　cutting　him　off　with　a　wave　of　my　hand。　〃All　those　questions　will　be　answered　by　a　court　at　the　proper　time。　There　is　only　one　question　I　want　an　answer　to　now。　Why　are　you　building　that　battleship？〃
　
　　　The　man　was　a　great　actor。　His　eyes　opened　wide；　his　jaw　dropped；　he　sank　back　into　the　chair　as　if　he　had　been　tapped　lightly　with　a　hammer。　When　he　managed　to　speak　the　words　were　pletely　unnecessary；　he　had　already　registered　every　evidence　of　injured　innocence。
　　　〃What　battleship？〃　he　gasped。
　　　〃The　Warlord　class　battleship　that　is　being　built　at　the　Cenerentola　Spaceyards。　Disguised　behind　these　blueprints。〃　I　threw　them　across　the　desk　to　him；　and　pointed　to　the　one　corner。　〃Those　are　your　initials　there；　authorizing　construction。〃
　　　Ferraro　still　had　the　baffled　act　going　as　he　fumbled　with　the　papers；　examined　the　initials　and　such。　I　gave　him　plenty　of　time。　He　finally　put　them　down；　shaking　his　head。
　　　〃I　know　nothing　about　any　battleship。　These　are　the　plans　for　a　new　cargo　liner。　Those　are　my　initials；　I　recall　putting　them　there。〃
　　　I　phrased　my　question　carefully；　as　I　had　him　right　where　I　wanted　him　now。　〃You　deny　any　knowledge　of　the　Warlord　battleship　that　is　being　built　from　these　modified　plans。〃　
　　　〃These　are　the　plans　for　an　ordinary　passenger…freighter；　that　is　all　I　know。〃
　　　His　words　had　the　simple　innocence　of　a　young　child's。　Was　he　ever　caught。　I　sat　back　with　a　relaxed　sigh　and　lit　a　cigar。
　　　〃Wouldn't　you　be　interested　in　knowing　something　about　that　robot　who　is　holding　you；〃　I　said。　He　looked　down；　as　if　aware　for　the　first　time　that　the　robot　had　been　holding　him　by　the　wrist　during　the　interview。　〃That　is　no　ordinary　robot。　It　has　a　number　of　interesting　devices　built　into　its　fingertips。　Thermocouples；　galvanometers；　things　like　that。　While　you　talked　it　registered　your　skin　temperature；　blood　pressure；　amount　of　perspiration　and　such。　In　other　words　it　is　an　efficient　and　fast　working　lie　detector。　We　will　now　hear　all　about　your　lies。〃
　　　Ferraro　pulled　away　from　the　robot's　hand　as　if　it　had　been　a　poisonous　snake。　I　blew　a　relaxed　smoke　ring。　〃Report；〃　I　said　to　the　robot。　〃Has　this　man　told　any　lies？〃
　　　〃Many。　〃　the　robot　said。　〃Exactly　seventy…four　per　cent　of　all　statements　he　made　were　false。〃
　　　〃Very　good；〃　I　nodded；　throwing　the　last　lock　on　my　trap。　〃That　means　he　knows　all　about　this　battleship。〃　
　　　〃The　subject　has　no　knowledge　of　the　battleship；〃　the　robot　said　coldly。　〃All　of　his　statements　concerning　the　construction　of　this　ship　were　true。〃
　　　Now　it　was　my　turn　for　the　gaping　and　eye…popping　act　while　Ferraro　pulled　himself　together。　He　had　no　idea　I　wasn't　interested　in　his　other　hanky…panky；　but　could　tell　I　had　had　a　low　blow。　It　took　an　effort；　but　I　managed　to　get　my　mind　back　into　gear　and　consider　the　evidence。
　　　If　President　Ferraro　didn't　know　about　the　battleship；　he　must　have　been　taken　in　by　the　cover…up　job。　But　if　he　wasn't　responsible…who　was？　Some　militaristic　clique　that　meant　to　overthrow　him　and　take　power？　I　didn't　know　enough　about　the　planet；　so　I　enlisted　Ferraro　on　my　side。
　　　This　was　easy…even　without　the　threat　of　exposure　of　the　documents　I　had　found　in　his　files。　Using　their　disclosure　as　a　prod　I　could　have　made　him　jump　through　hoops。　It　wasn't　necessary。　As　soon　as　I　showed　him　the　different　blueprints　and　explained　the　possibilities　he　understood。　If　anything；　he　was　more　eager　than　I　was　to　find　out　who　was　using　his　administration　as　a　cat's…paw。　By　silent　agreement　the　documents　were　forgotten。
　　　We　agreed　that　the　next　logical　step　would　be　the　Cenerentola　Spaceyards。　He　had　some　idea　of　sniffing　around　quietly　first；　trying　to　get　a　line　to　his　political　opponents。　I　gave　him　to　understand　that　the　League；　and　the　League　Navy　in　particular；　wanted　to　stop　the　construction　of　the　battleship。　After　that　he　could　play　his　politics。　With　this　point　understood　he　called　his　car　and　squadron　of　guards　and　we　made　a　parade　to　the　shipyards。　It　was　a　four…hour　drive　and　we　made　plans　on　the　way　down。
　
　　　The　spaceyard　manager　was　named　Rocca；　and　he　was　happily　asleep　when　we　arrived。　But　not　for　long。　The　parade　of　uniforms　and　guns　in　the　middle　of　the　night　had　him　frightened　into　a　state　where　he　could　hardly　walk。　I　imagine　he　was　as　full　of　petty　larceny　as　Ferraro。　No　innocent　man　could　have　looked　so　terror　stricken。　Taking　advantage　of　the　situation；　I　latched　my　motorized　lie　detector　onto　him　and　began　snapping　the　questions。
　　　Even　before　I　had　all　the　answers　I　began　to　get　the　drift　of　things。　They　were　a　little　frightening；　too。　The　manager　of　the　spaceyard　that　was　building　the　ship　had　no　idea　of　its　true　nature。
　　　Anyone　with　less　self…esteem　than　myself…or　who　had　led　a　more　honest　early　life…might　have　doubted　his　own　reasoning　at　that　moment。　I　didn't。　The　ship　on　the　ways　stilt　resembled　a　warship　to　six　places。　And　knowing　human　nature　the　way　I　do；　that　was　too　much　of　a　coincidence　to　expect。　Occam's　razor　always　points　the　way。　If　there　are　two　choices　to　take；　take　the　simpler。　In　this　case　I　chose　the　natural　acquisitive　instinct　of　man　as　opposed　to　blind　chance　and　accident。　Nevertheless　I　put　the　theory　to　the　test。
　　　Looking　over　the　original　blueprints　again；　the　big　superstructure　hit　my　eye。　In　order　to　turn　the　ship　into　a　warship　that　would　have　to　be　one　of　the　first　things　to　go。
　　　〃Rocca！〃　I　barked；　in　what　I　hoped　was　authentic　old　space…dog　manner。　〃Look　at　these　plans；　at　this　space…going　front　porch　here。　Is　it　still　being　built　onto　the　ship？〃
　　　He　shook　his　head　at　once　and　said；　〃No；　the　plans　were　changed。　We　had　to　fit　in　some　kind　of　new　meteor…repelling　gear　for　operating　in　the　planetary　debris　belt。〃
　　　I　flipped　through　my　case　and　drew　out　a　plan。　〃Does　your　new　gear　look　anything　like　this？　〃I　asked；　throwing　it　across　the　table　to　him。
　　　He　rubbed　his　jaw　while　he　looked　at　it。　〃Well；〃　he　said　hesitatingly；　〃I　don't　want　to　say　for　certain。　After　all；　these　details　aren't　in　my　department。　I'm　just　responsible　for　final　assembly；　not　unit　work。　But　this　surely　looks　like　the　thing　they　installed。　Big　thing。　Lots　of　power　leads…〃
　　　It　was　a　battleship　all　right；　no　doubt　of　that　now；　I　was　mentally　reaching　around　to　pat　myself　on　the　back　when　the　meaning　of　his　words　sank　in。
　　　〃Installed！〃　I　shouted。　〃Did　you　say　installed？〃　
　　　Rocca　collapsed　away　from　my　roar　and　gnawed　his　nails。　〃Yes…〃　he　said；　〃not　too　long　ago。　I　remember　there　was　some　trouble。。。〃
　　　〃And　what　else？〃　I　interrupted　him。　Cold　moisture　was　beginning　to　collect　along　my　spine　now。　〃The　drives；　controls…are　they　in；　too？〃
　　　〃Why；　yes；〃　he　said。　〃How　did　you　know？　The　normal　scheduling　was　changed　around；　causing　a　great　deal　of　unnecessary　trouble。〃
　　　The　cold　sweat　was　now　a　running　river　of　fear。　I　was　beginning　to　have　the　feeling　that　I　had　been　'missing　the　boat　all　along　the　line。　The　original　estimated　date　of　pletion　was　nearly　a　year　away。　But　there　was　no　real　reason　why　that　couldn't　be　changed；　too。
　　　〃Cars！　Guns！〃　I　bellowed。　〃To　the　spaceyard。　If　that　ship　is　anywhere　near　pletion；　we　are　in　big；　big　trouble！〃
　
　　　All　the　bored　guards　had　a　great　time　with　the　sirens；　lights；　accelerators　on　the　floor　and　that　sort　of　thing。　We　blasted　a　screaming　hole　through　the　night　right　to　the　spaceyard　and　through　the　gate。
　　　It　didn't　make　any　difference；　we　were　still　too　late。　A　uniformed　watchman　frantically　waved　to　us　and　the　whole　convoy　jer