bill_the_galactic_hero_v1.1-第17部分

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great　breakers　thundering　onto　a　shore。　He　snapped　his　snappiest　salute。
　　In　fact　he　snapped　just　about　the　snappiest　salute　possible；　since　there　aren't　very　many　people　with　two　right　arms。　Both　arms　swung　up　in　precise　circles；　both　elbows　quivered　at　right　angles；　both　palms　clicked　neatly　against　both　eyebrows。　It　was　well　done　and　took　the　Emperor　by　surprise；　and　for　one　vibrating　instant　he　managed　to　get　both　eyeballs　pointed　at　Bill　at　the　same　time　before　they　wandered　away　at　random　again。　The　Emperor；　still　a　little　disturbed　by　the　unusual　salute；　groped　for　the　medal　and　plunged　the　pin　through　Bill's　tunic　squarely　into　his　shivering　flesh。　
　　Bill　felt　no　pain；　but　the　sudden　stab　triggered　the　growing　emotion　that　had　been　rushing　through　him。　Dropping　the　salutes　he　fell　to　his　knees　in　good　old　peasant…serf　style；　just　like　a　historical　TV；　which　in　fact　was　just　where　his　obsequious　subconscious　had　dredged　up　the　idea　from；　and　seized　the　Emperor's　knob…knuckled　and　liver…spotted　hand。　〃Father　to　us　all！〃　Bill　exulted；　and　kissed　the　hand。
　　Grim…eyed；　the　bodyguard　of　generals　leaped　forward；　and　death　beat　sable　wings　over　Bill；　but　the　Emperor　smiled　as　he　pulled　his　hand　gently　away　and　　wiped　the　saliva　off　on　Bill's　tunic。　A　casual　flick　of　his　finger　restored　the　bodyguard　to　position；　and　he　moved　on　to　the　gunner；　pinned　on　the　remaining　medal；　and　stepped　back。
　　〃Cut！〃　Director　Ratt　shouted。　〃Print　that；　it's　a　natural　with　that　dumb　hick　going　through　the　slobbering　act。〃
　　As　Bill　struggled　back　to　his　feet　he　saw　that　the　Emperor　had　not　returned　to　the　throne　but　was　instead　standing　in　the　midst　of　the　milling　crowd　of　actors。　The　bodyguard　had　vanished。　Bill　blinked；　bewildered；　as　a　man　whipped　the　Emperor's　crown　from　his　head；　popped　it　into　a　box；　and　hurried　away　with　it。
　　〃The　brake　is　jammed；〃　the　gunner　said；　still　saluting　with　a　vibrating　arm。　〃Pull　the　damn　thing　down　for　me。　It　never　works　right　above　shoulder　level。〃
　　〃But…the　Emperor…〃　Bill　said；　tugging　at　the　locked　arm　until　the　brakes　squealed　and　released。
　　〃An　actor…what　else？　Do　you　think　they　have　the　real　Emperor　giving　out　medals　to　other…ranks？　Field　grade　and　higher；　I　bet。　But　they　put　on　a　bit　of　an　act　with　him　so　some　poor　rube；　like　you；　can　get　carried　away。　You　were　great。〃
　　〃Here　you　are；〃　a　man　said；　handing　them　both　stamped　metal　copies　of　the　medals　they　were　wearing　and　whipping　off　the　originals。
　　〃Places！〃　the　director's　amplified　voice　boomed。　〃We　got　just　ten　minutes　to　run　through　the　Empress　and　the　baby　kissing　with　the　Aldebranian　septuplets　for　the　Fertility　Hour。　Get　those　plastic　babies　out　here；　and　get　those　damn　spectators　off　the　set。〃
　　The　heroes　were　pushed　into　the　corridor　and　the　door　slammed　and　locked　behind　them。

II

〃I'm　tired；〃　the　gunner　said；　〃and　besides；　my　burns　hurt。〃　He　had　had　a　short　circuit　during　action　in　the　Enlisted　Men's　Olde　Knocking　Shoppe　and　had　set　the　bed　on　fire。
　　〃Aw；　e　on；〃　Bill　insisted。　〃We　have　three…day　passes　before　our　ship　leaves；　and　we　are　on　Helior；　the　Imperial　Planet！　What　riches　there　are　to　see　here；　the　Hanging　Gardens；　the　Rainbow　Fountains；　the　Jeweled　Palaces。　You　can't　miss　them。〃
　　〃Just　watch　me。　As　soon　as　I　catch　up　on　some　sleep　it's　back　to　the　Olde　Knocking　Shoppe　for　me。　If　you're　so　hot　on　someone　holding　your　hand　while　you　go　sightseeing；　take　the　sergeant。〃
　　〃He's　still　drunk。〃
　　The　infantry　sergeant　was　a　solitary　drinker　who　did　not　believe　in　cutting　ers。　Neither　did　he　believe　in　dilution　or　in　wasting　money　on　fancy　packaging。　He　had　used　all　of　his　money　to　bribe　a　medical　orderly　and　had　obtained　two　carboys　of　99　per　cent　pure　grain　alcohol；　a　drum　of　glucose　and　saline　solution；　a　hypodermic　needle；　and　a　length　of　rubber　tubing。　The　ethyl…glucose…saline　mixture　in　carboys　had　been　slung　from　a　rafter　over　his　bunk　with　the　tubing　leading　to　the　needle　plunged　into　his　arm　and　taped　into　place　as　an　intravenous　drip。　Now　he　was　unmoving；　well　fed；　and　pletely　blind…drunk　all　the　time；　and　if　the　metered　flow　were　undisturbed　he　should　stay　drunk　for　two　and　a　half　years。　　　Bill　put　a　finishing　gloss　on　his　boots　and　locked　the　brush　into　his　locker　with　the　rest　of　his　gear。　He　might　be　late　getting　back。　it　was　easy　to　get　lost　here　on　Helior　when　you　didn't　have　a　Guide。　It　had　taken　them　almost　an　entire　day　to　find　their　way　from　the　studio　to　their　quarters　even　with　the　sergeant；　a　man　who　knew　all　about　maps；　leading　the　way。　As　long　as　they　stayed　near　their　own　area　there　was　no　problem；　but　Bill　had　had　his　fill
of　the　homely　pleasures　provided　for　the　fighting　men。　He　wanted　to　see　Helior；　the　real　Hehor；　the　first　city　of　the　galaxy。　If　no　one　would　go　with　him；　he　would　do　it　alone。
　　It　was　very　hard；　in　spite。　of　the　floor　plan；　to　tell　just　exactly　how　far　away　anything　was　on　Helior；　since　the　diagrams　were　all　diagrammatic　and　had　no　scale。　But　the　trip　he　was　planning　seemed　to　be　a　long　one；　since　one　of　the　key　bits　of　transportation；　an　evacuated　tunnellinear　magnetic　car；　went　across　at　least　eighty…four　submaps。　His　destination　might　very　well　be　on　the　other　side　of　the　planetl　A　city　as　large　as　a　planet＇　The　concept　was　almost　too　big　to　grasps　In　fact；　when　he　thought　about　it；　the　concept　was　too　big　to　grasp。
　　The　sandwiches　he　had　bought　from　the　dispenser　in　the　barracks　ran　out　before　he　was　halfway　to　his　destination；　and　his　stomach；　greedily　getting　adjusted　to　solid　food　again；　rumbled　plaints　until　he　left　the　slideway　in　Area　9266…L；　Level　something　or　other；　or　wherever　the　hell　he　was；　and　looked　for　a　canteen。　He　was　obviously　in　a　Typing　Area；　because　the　crowds　were　posed　almost　pletely　of　women　with　rounded　shoulders　and　great；　long　fingers。　The　only　canteen　he　could　find　was　jammed　with　them；　and　he　sat　in　the　middle　of　the　high…pitched；　yattering　crowd　and　forced　himself　to　eat　a　meal　posed　of　the　only　available　food：　dated…fruitbreadcheese…and…anchovy…paste　sandwiches　and　mashed　potatoes　with　raisin　and　onion　sauce；　washed　down　by　herb　tea　served　lukewarm　in　cups　the
size　of　his　thumb。　It　wouldn't　have　been　so　bad　if　the　dispenser　hadn't　automatically　covered　everything　with　butterscotch　sauce。　None　of　the　girls　seemed　to　notice　him；　since　they　were　all　under　light　hypnosis　during　the　working　day　in　order　to　cut　down　their　error　percentages。　He　worked　his　way　through　the　food　feeling　very　much　like　a　ghost　as　they　tittered　and　yammered　over　and　around　him；　their　fingers；　if　they　weren't　eating；　pulsively　typing　their　words　onto　the　edge　of　the　table　while　they　talked。　He　finally　escaped；　but　the　meal　had　had　a　depressing　effect；　and　this　was　probably　where　he　made　the　mistake　and　boarded　the　wrong　car。
　　Since　the　same　level　and　block　numbers　were　repeated　in　every　area；　it　was　possible　to　get　into　the　wrong　area　and　spend　a　good　deal　of　time　getting　good　and　lost　before　the　mistake　was　finally　realized。　Bill　did　this；　and　after　the　usual　astronomical　number　of　changes　and　varieties　of　transportation　he　boarded　the　elevator　that　terminated；　he　thought；　in　the　galaxy…famed　Palace　Gardens。　All　of　the　other　passengers　got　off　on　lower　levels；　and　the　robelevator　picked　up　speed　as　it　hurtled　up　to　the　topmost　level。　He　rose　into　the　air　as　it　braked　to　a　stop；　and　his　ears　popped　with　the　pressure　change；　and　when　the　doors　opened　he　stepped　out　into　a　snow…filled　wind。　He　gaped　about　with　unbelief　and　behind　him　the　doors　snicked　shut　and　the　elevator　vanished。　
　　The　doors　had　opened　directly　onto　the　metal　plain　that　made　up　the　topmost　layer　of　the　city；　now　obscured　by　the　swirling　clouds　of　snow。　Bill　groped　for　the　button　to　recall　the　elevator；　when　a　vagrant　swirl　of　wind　whipped　the　snow　away　and　the　warm　sun　beat　down　on　him　from　the　cloudless　sky。　This　was　impossible。
　　〃This　is　impossible；〃　Bill　said　with　forthright　indignation。
　　〃Nothing　is　impossible　if　I　will　it；〃　a　scratchy　voice　spoke　from　behind　Bill's　shoulder。　〃For　I　am　the　Spirit　of　Life。〃
　　Bill　skittered　sideways　like　a　homeostatic　robhorse；　rolling　his　eyes　at　the　small；　white…whiskered　man　with　a　twitching　nose　and　red…rimmed　eyes　who　had　appeared　soundlessly　b