Harry Harrison - SSR 07 - The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Draft

VIP免费

2024-12-14 0 0 377.96KB 155 页 5.9玖币

侵权投诉

The Stainless Steel RatGets Drafted

Stainless Steel Rat Book 7

Harry Harrison

CHAPTER 1

I am too young to die. Just eighteen years old—and now I'm as good as dead. My

grip is weakening, my fingers slipping, and the elevator shaft below me is a

kilometer deep. I can't hold on any longer. I'm going to fall . . .

Normally I am not prone to panic—but I was panicking

now. Shaking from head to toe with fatigue, knowing that there was just no way

out of this one.

I was in trouble, mortal trouble, and I had only myself to blame this time.

All the good advice I had given myself down through the years, the even better

counsel The Bishop had given me, all forgotten. All wiped away by sudden

impulse.

Perhaps I deserved to die. Maybe a Stainless Steel Rat had been born—but a

very rusty one was about to snuff it right now. The metal door frame was

greasy and I had to hold on hard with my aching fingers. My toes barely

gripped the narrow ledge—while my unsupported heels hung over the black drop

below. Now my arches began to ache with the effort of standing on tiptoe—-

which was nothing compared to the fire in my throbbing forearms.

It had seemed such a logical, simple, good, intelligent plan at the time.

I now knew it to be irrational, complex, bad and moronic. "You are an idiot,

Jimmy diGriz," I muttered through

2 Harry Harrison

my tightly shut teeth, realizing only then that they were clamped into my

lower lip and drawing blood. I unclamped and spat—and my right hand slipped.

The great spasm of fear that swept over me rode down the fatigue and I grabbed

a new hold with an explosion of desperate energy.

Which faded away as quickly as it had come, leaving me in the same

situation. Tireder if anything. There was no getting out of this one. I was

stuck here until I could no longer hold on, until my grip loosened and I fell.

Might as well let go now and get it over with . . . "No, Jim, no surrender. ".

Through the thudding o~ blood in my ears my voice seemed to come from a great

distance, to be deeper in register than my own, as though The Bishop himself

were speaking. The thought was his, the words might very well be his. I held

on, though I didn't really know why. And the distant whine was disturbing.

Whine? The elevator shaft was black as the grave and just as silent. Was the

magleviift moving again? With muscle-tight slowness I bent my head and looked

down the shaft. Nothing.

Something. A tiny glimmer of light. The elevator was coming up the shaft.

But so what? There were two hundred and thirty-three floors in this

government building. What were the odds that it would stop at the floor below

me so I could step neatly back onto its top? Astronomical I was sure, and I

was in no mood to work them out. Or perhaps it would come up to this floor and

scrape me off like a bug as it went by? Another nice thought. I watched the

light surge upward towards me, my eyes opening wider and wider to match the

growing glow. The increasing whine of the centering wheels, the rush of air

exploding at me, this was the end...

"The end of its upward motion. The car stopped just below me, so close that

I could hear the door swoosh open and the voices of the two guards inside.

"I'll cover you. Keep yolir safety off when you search the hall."

THE STAINLesS STEEL RAT GETS DRAFTED 5

"You'll cover me, thanks! I didn't hear myself volunteer." "You didn't—1 did.

My two stripes to your one mean

you take a look."

One-stripe muttered complaints as he moved out as slowly as he could. As his

shadow occulted the light from the open door I stepped down onto the car with

my left foot, as gingerly as I could. Hoping that any movement to the car

caused by my climbing onto it would be masked by his exiting.

. Not that it was easy to do. My thigh muscle spasmed with cramp and my

fingers were locked into place. I stepped slowly back with my vibrating right

foot until I

was standing on top of the elevator. My cramped fingers still gripped the

frame: I felt very much the fool. "Hall is empty," a distant voice called out.

"Take a reading from the proximity recorder." There were muttered grumbles and

clattering from outside as I wrenched my right hand free of the greasy metal,

reached over with it to grapple with my still recalcitrant left hand.

"Got a reading for myself. Other than that the last movement in the corridor

was at eighteen hundred. People going home."

"Then we do have a mystery," two-stripes said. "Come

on back. We had a readout that showed this car going up to this floor. We

called it back from this floor. Now you tell me that no one got out. A

mystery."

"That's no mystery, that's just a malfunction. A glitch in the computer. The

thing is giving itself instructions when no one else will."

"Much as I hate to agree—1 agree. Let's go back and finish the card game."

One-stripe returned, the elevator door closed, I sat down as quietly as I

could, and we all dropped back down the shaft together. The guards got out at

the prison floor and I just sat there in creaking, silence as I kneaded the

knots out of my muscles with trembling fingers. When they were roughly under

control again I opened the hatch that I was sitting on, dropped down into the

car and

4 Harry Harrfson

looked out slowly and carefully. The card players were out of sight in the

guardroom, where they belonged. With infinite caution I retraced the route I

had taken during my abortive escape. Slinking guiltily along the walls—if I

had

a tail it would have been between my legs—making a fumbled hash of opening the

locked corridor doors with

my lockpick. Finally reaching my own cell, unlocking and relocking it,

slipping the lockpick back into my shoe sole— dropping onto my bed with a sigh

that must have been heard around the world. I did not dare speak out loud in

the sleeping silence of the cell block, but I did shout the words inside my

head. ~

"Jim, you are the dumbest most moronic idiot who ever came down the pike.

Don't, and I repeat, don't ever do anything like that again."

I won't, I promised in grim silence. That message had now been well drilled

into my medulla oblongata. The truth was inescapable. I had done everything

wrong in

my eagerness to get out of prison. Now I would see if I could get it right.

I had been in too much of a rush. There should never have been any hurry.

After he had arrested me, Captain Varod, strongman of the League Navy, had

admitted that he knew all about the lockpick that I had hidden. He did not

like prisons, he had told me that. Although he was a firm believer in law and

order he did not believe I should be incarcerated on my home planet, Bit 0'

Heaven, for all of the troubles that I had caused there. Neither, for that

matter, did 1. Since he knew I had the lockpick I should have bided my time.

Waited to make my escape during the transfer out of this place.

During the transfer. It had never been my intention of doing anything but

serve my time here in this heavily guarded and technologically protected

prison in the middle of the League building in the center of the League base

on this planet called Steren-Gwandra—about which I knew absolutely nothing

other than its name. I had been enjoying the rest, and the meals, a real

pleasure after the rigors of war on Spiovente and the disgusting slop that

THC STAINLESS SPTBEL MTCETS DMFTED 5

passed for food there. I should have kept on enjoying, building my strength in

preparation for my imminent freedom. So why had I tried to crack out of here?

Because of her, a woman, female creature briefly seen and instantly

recognized. One glimpse and all reason had fled, emotion had ruled and I had

attempted my disastrous escape. More fool 1. I grimaced at the memory,

recalling all too clearly how this idiot adventure had begun.

It,had been during our afternoon exercise period, that wildly exciting

occasion when the prisoners were let out of their cells arid permitted to

shufile around the ferroconcrete yard under the gentle light of the double

suns. I shuffled with the rest and tried to ignore my companions. Low

foreheads, joined eyebrows, pendulous and droolflecked lips; a very

unsatisfactory peer group of petty criminals that I was ashamed to be a part

of. Then something had stirred them, some unaccustomed novelty that had

excited their feeble intellects and had caused them to rush toward the

chainlink fence emitting hoarse cries and vulgar exhortations. Numbed by the

monotony of prison life even I had felt a twinge of curiosity and desire to

see what had caused this explosion of unfamiliar emotion. It should have been

obvious. Women. That, and strong drink and its aftereffects, were the only

topics that ever stirred the sluggish synapses of their teeny minds.

Three newly arrived female prisoners were passing by

on the other side of the fence. Two of them, cut from the same cloth as my

companions, responded with equally hoarse cries and interesting gestures of

the fingers and hand. The third prisoner walked quietly, if grimly, ignoring

her surroundings. Her walk was familiar. But how could it be? I had never even

heard of this planet before I had been forcefully brought here. This was a

mystery in need of a solution. I hurried along the fence to its end, cleared a

space for myself by applying my knuckles to a hair-covered neck in such a

manner that the neck's owner slipped into unconsciousness, took his space and

looked out.

At a very familiar face passing by not a meter distant. Without a doubt a

face and a name that I knew very well.

6 itafry tlWTiMR

Bibs, the crewgirl from Captain Garth's spacer.

She was a link to Garth and I had to talk to her, to find out where he was.

By kidnapping us and dumping us on the loathsome planet of Spiovente, Captain

Garth had been responsible for The Bishop's death. Which meant that I would

like to be responsible for his in return.

So, without further thought, and possessed only of a suicidal and

impractical enthusiasm, I had foolishly escaped. Only the luck that watches

over the completely witless had saved my life and permitted my return,

undetected, to my prison cell. I blushed now with shame as I thought about the

stupidity of my plan. Lack of thought, lack of foresight—and the incredibly

dumb assumption that all security in the giant building would be identical.

During our daily exodus and return to the cell block I had noted the

exceedingly simple locks on all of the doors, the absence of any alarms. I had

assumed that the rest of the building had been the same.

I had assumed wrong. The car of the magleviift had notified the guards when

it had been used. I had spotted the detectors in the corridor at once when the

door had opened on the top floor. That was why I had tried the

escape hatch in the roof, hoping to find a way out through the mechanism at

the top of the shaft.

Except that there had been no mechanism there—just another door. Opening

into ' another floor that did not

appear on the bank of buttons inside the car. Some secret location known only

to the authorities. Hoping to penetrate this secret I had climbed onto the

doorsill and searched for a way to open the door. Only to have the elevator

vanish from behind me leaving me stranded on top of the empty shaft.

I had come out of this little harebrained adventure far better than I had

deserved. Luck would not ride with me

a second time. Cool planning was needed. I put this nearly-disastrous escapade

behind me and thought furiously of schemes and ways to make contact with the

crewgirl.

"Do it honestly," I said, and shocked myself with the words.

THESTAim.BSSSTEIt.1MTCITSMMFTID 7

Honest? Me? The stainless steel rat who prowls the darkness of the night in

solitary silence, fearing no one, needing no one.

Yes. Painful as the realization was, just this once honesty was indeed the

best policy.

"Attention, foul jailers, attention!" I shouted and hammered on the bars of

my cage. "Arouse yourself from your sweat-sodden slumbers and vulgar, erotic

dreams and take

me to Captain Varod. Soonest—or even sooner!" My fellow prisoners awoke,

calling out in righteous anger and threatened all sorts of unimaginative

bodily harm. I returned the insults with enthusiasm and eventually the night

guard appeared, scowling with menace.

"Hi, there," I called out cheerily. "Nice to see a friendly face."

"You want your skull broke, kid?" he asked. His repartee just about as sharp

as that of the inmates.

"No. But I want you to stay out of trouble by instantly taking me to Captain

Varod since I have information of such military importance that you would be

shot instantly if suspected of keeping it from the captain for more than a

second or two."

He added some more threats, but there was a glint of worry, in his eyes as

he thought about what I had said. It seemed obvious, even to someone of his

guttering intelli-

gence, that passing the buck was the wisest fallback position. He growled some

more insults when I pointed back down the corridor, but left in any case and

went to his telephone. Nor was my wait a long one. A brace of overmuscled and

overweight guards appeared on the scene within minutes. They unlocked my cell,

clamped on the cuffs and hurried me into the magleviift and up a few hundred

stories to a bare office. Where they fastened the cuffs to a heavy chair and

left. The lieutenant who entered

a few minutes later was still blinking the sleep from his eyes and was not

happy at being disturbed in the middle of the night.

"I want Varod," I said. "I don't talkto.the hired help." "Shut up, diGriz,

before you get yourself into worse

8''- II- I

IMIiy IWfllMMI

trouble. The captain is in deep space and unreachable. I

am from his department and urge you to speak quickly before I bounce you out

of here."

It sounded reasonable enough. And I had very little choice.

"Have you ever heard of a space-going Venian swine who goes by the name of

Captain Garth?"

"Get on with it," he said in a bored voice, yawning to drive home the point.

"I worked on your case so you can speak freely. What do you know that you

haven't told us already?"

"I have information aboufbur gun-running friend. You do have him in custody,

don't you."

"DiGriz—you give us information, that is the way that it works, not the

other way around." That was what he said, but his expression spoke otherwise.

A fleeting instant of

worry. If that meant what I thought it meant then Garth had managed to escape

them.

"I saw a girl today, a new prisoner being brought in. Her name is Bibs."

"Did you get me out of bed to describe some sordid sexual secret?"

"No. I just thought you should know that Bibs was a crewgirl on Garth's

ship."

Tills caught his attention instantly, and not being as experienceo as his

commanding officer he could not conceal the look of sudden interest. "You are

sure of this?"

"Check for yourself. The information on today's arrivals should be readily

available."

It was: he sat behind the steel desk and hammered away at the keys on the

terminal there. Looked at the screen and scowled in my direction.

"Three women admitted today. None named Bibs," "How very unusual." Scorn

dripped from my voice. "Can it be that the criminal classes now use aliases?"

He did not answer but tapped away at the terminal again. The fax buzzed and

produced three sheets of paper. Three color portraits. I dropped two of them

onto the floor and handed the third back.

TUB CT&IMI BCC CfflXI PAT fiBTK MIABTMn

«<T« 41 »

Bibs.

He hashed some more keys, then slumped back and rubbed his chin as he studied

the screen.

"It fits, it fits," he muttered. "Marianney Giuffrida, age twenty-five,

occupation given as electrotechnician with deepspace experience. Arrested on a

drugs possession charge, anonymous tip, swears she was framed. No other

details." "Ask her about Garth. Use persuasion. Make her talk." "You have our

thanks for your assistance, diGriz. It will

go on your record." He tapped a number into the phone. "But you have been

watching too many films. Uiere is no

way we can force people to give evidence. But we can question and observe and

draw conclusions. They will take you back to your cell now."

"Gee, thanks for the thanks. Thanks for nothing. Can

you at least do me the favor of telling me how long you intend to keep me

here?"

"That should be easy enough to find out." A quick

access of the terminal and a sage nod of the head as the door opened behind

me. "You will be leaving us the day after tomorrow. A spacer will be stopping

at a planet with the interesting name of Bit 0' Heaven where, it appears,

you have to answer some criminal charges." "Guilty until found guilty, I

suppose." I sneered and whined to hide the surge of enthusiasm that raced

through

me. Once out of here I really would be out of here. I ignored the rough clutch

and muttered complaints of my warders and permitted myself to be docilely led

back to

my cell. I was going to be good, very, very good, until the day after

tomorrow.

But I lay awake a long time after that, staring into the darkness, working

out how I was going to pry the informaKnn T nf>f{\»<\ m\t nf fr<"wmPmharr Rih<

CHAPTER 2

"Sign here."

I signed. The ancient graybeard behind the desk passed over the plastic bag

containing all of my worldly possessions, forcibly removed from me when I had

been incarcerated. I reached for them but the fat guard reached even faster.

"Not yet, prisoner," he said, whisking them away from my clutching fingers.

"These will be forwarded to the arresting authorities." "They're mine!" "Take

it up with them. All set, Rasco?" "My name's not Rasco!"

"Mine is. Shut up, " the other guard said. A well-muscled and nasty

individual whose right wrist was secured to my left by a pair of shining

cuffs. He pulled hard on this connecting link so I stumbled toward him. "You

do what I say and no backtalk or fanny stuff." "Yes, sir. Sorry."

I lowered my eyes in humility which caused him to smirk with assumed

superiority. He should only know that I was using the opportunity to look more

closely at the cuffs. Bulldog-Crunchers, sold throughout the known galaxy,

guaranteed foolproof. Maybe proof against fools but I

•me STAINLESS STBH. RAT CCTS I

could open them in under two seconds. It was going to be

a nice day.

Fatso walked on my right side, well-connected Rasco on my left. I marched in

step with them, eager to leave the prison and examine the world waiting

outside the League building. I had come here in a closed van and had seen

nothing. Eagerness possessed me in expectation of a first glimpse of my new

home; thoughts about my forcefill removal from this planet may have

preoccupied my guardians—but were the farthest thing from my mind at this

moment.

Exiting the building was not easily done—and I gave myself another mental

lack for even thinking of breaking out of this bunker-skyscraper. There were

three doors to go out through, one after another, each sealed as tightly as an

airlock. Our passes were slipped into computerized machines that hummed and

clicked—then robot sensors examined our fingerprints and retinal patterns to

make

sure we matched the details on the passes. This was done three times before

the outer portal hummed open and a

wave of warm air, smell and sound washed in.

As we went down the steps to the street I gaped like a rube. I had never

seen anything like this before. Of course

my experience was strictly limited since this was only the third planet I had

ever visited. My life on the porcuswine farms of Bit 0' Heaven and my service

in the swamps of Spiovente had not prepared me for the manifold impressions

that bombarded me.

A wave of heat and dusty air washed over me. It was filled with pungent

aromas, loud cries and acacophony of strange noises. At the same time as my

ears and nose were being assaulted my eyes bulged at the seething mass of

humanity, the strange vehicles—and the four-legged alien creatures. One passed

close by, a man sitting on its back, its great feet thudding on the ground,

eyes rolling in my direction. Its mouth opened to reveal hideous yellow teeth

and it squealed loudly. I drew back and my guards laughed aloud at this

perfectly reasonable reaction.

12 MnryHwrtem

"We'll protect you from the margh," Fatso said, and they chortled with dim

pleasure.

Maybe it was called a margh in the local lingo, but it

was still a horse to me. I had seen them in the ancient history tapes at

school. The creatures had been used for farming when Bit 0' Heaven was first

settled, but had

soon succumbed to the deadly native life. Only the indestructible porcuswine

had been able to survive. I looked

more closely at the horse, at the obviously herbivorous teeth, and realized it

posed no threat. But it was big. Two

more of the creatures came up, towing a boxlike affair mounted on large

wheels. The driver, sitting high above, pulled the thing to a stop when Rasco

whistled to him.

"Get in," Fatso ordered, swinging open a door in the vehicle's side. I held

back, pointed with distaste.

"It's filthy in there! Can't the League Navy provide decent transportation .

. ."

Rasco kicked me in the back of the leg so I fell forward. "Inside—and no

backtalk!" They climbed in after me. "It is Navy policy to use native

transport when possible, to aid the local economy. So shut up and enjoy." I

shut, but I didn't enjoy. I looked unseeingly at the crowded street as we

rumbled away, thinking of the best Vvay to escape my captors while inflicting

a bit of damage on my sadistic companion. Now would be as good a time as any.

Strike like lightning, then leave them both unconscious in this vehicle while

I slipped away in the crowd. I bent over and scratched furiously at my ankle.

"I've been bitten! There are bugs in here!" "Bite them back," Fatso said and

they both roared with juvenile' laughter. Wonderful. Neither saw me slip the

lockpick from my shoe and palm it. I turned toward Rasco with mayhem in mind

just as the vehicle lurched to a stop and Fatso reached across and threw open

the door. "Out," he ordered and Rasco pulled painftilly on the handcuff. I

gaped at the marble-fronted building before us. "This isn't the spaceport," I

protested.

"You got good eyes," Rasco sneered and dragged me after him. "A local

version of a linear. Let's go."

THE STAINLESS MB. MT GITS DMPUD

I decided I wouldn't. I had had more than enough of their repellent company.

But I had to stumble after them for the moment, looking about for some

opportunity—and seeing it just ahead. Men, and only men, were entering and

exiting a doorway under a sign that proudly proclaimed PYCHER FYSA GORRYTH.

Though I knew nothing of the local language I could figure this one out easily

enough. I drew back and pointed.

"Before we get on the linear I gotta go in there." "No way," Rasco said.

Sadist. But I got unexpected aid from his companion.

"Take him in. It's going to be a long trip." Rasco muttered disgustedly. But

Fatso was obviously his superior because he pushed me forward. The pycher

pysa was about as primitive as they come, a simple trough against one wall, a

line of men facing ifc I headed for a vacant position on the far end and

fumbled with my clothing. Rasco watched me with obvious displeasure. "I can't

do anything with you watching," I wailed.

He rolled his eyes upward for a second. Just long enough for me to get his

neck with my free hand. His look of surprise faded as I clamped down hard with

my thumb. After this I had only to guide his unconscious fall to the tile

floor. As he hit with a satisfactory thud I clicked open the cuff on my wrist.

He snored lightly as I quickly frisked him, I had a reputation as a thief to

live up to, and slipped his wallet from his hip pocket. It was safely hidden

in my

own before I stood and turned about. The row of men against the wall were all

looking at me.

"He fainted," I said, and they gaped with incomprehension. "Li svenas," I

added, which did not clarify it for them in any way. I pointed to the

unconscious copper, to the door, then at myself. "I'm going for help. You lads

keep an eye on him and I'll be right back."

None of them was in any position to follow me as I scuttled out of the

entrance. Practically into Fatso's arms. He shouted something and reached for

me—but I was long gone. Out of the station and into the crowd. There

were some more outcries from behind me but they soon

14 Harry itiWTfton

died away as I twisted between two horses, around a coach and down a dark

alley on the far side of the street. It

was that easy.

The alley opened into another street, just as crowded as the first, and I

strolled along it, just a part of the crowd. Free as a bird. I actually

whistled as I walked, staring around at the sights, the veiled women and the

brightly garbed men. This was the life!

Or was it? Alone on a primitive planet, not speaking the language, sought by

the authorities—what did I have to be cheerful about? Black gloom descended

instantly and I sneered aloud. "•

"That's it, Jim? You turn coward at the slightest setback. For shame! What

would The Bishop say to this?" He would say stop talking in public, I thought

as I noticed the strange looks I was getting. So I whistled happily, not a

care in the world, turned a corner and saw the tables and chairs, men sitting

and drinking interesting beverages, under a sign that said SOSTEN HA GWYRAS

which conveyed exactly nothing to me. But underneath it was printed Nl PAROLOS

ESPERANTO, BONVENUU. I hoped that they spoke Esperanto better than they wrote

it. I found a table against the wall, dropped into a chair and snapped

my fingers at the ancient waiter. "Dhethplegadow," he said.

"Plegadow the others," I said. "We speak Esperanto. What's to drink. Dad?"

"Beer, wirie, dowr-tom-ys."

"I'm just not in the mood for a dowr-tom-ys today. A large beer, if you

please."

When he turned away I dug out Rasco's wallet. If my guards were supposed to

encourage the local economy they should be carrying some of the local

currency. The wallet clunked when I dropped it onto the table, heavy with

little metal discs. I shook one out and turned it over. It had the number two

stamped into one side, with Arghans on the other.

"That will be one Arghans," the waiter said, putting a brimming clay pot in

front of me. I passed over the coin.

Twe eruM cee »MMI MKT MTS nDARTEB

"Take that, my good man, and keep the change." "You offworlders are so

generous," he said, muffledly as he bit the coin. "Not mean, stupid, vicious

like the locals. You want girl? Boy? Kewarghen to smoke?"

"Later perhaps. I'll let you know. Beer now and the heady pleasures of

native life to come."

He went away xnuttering and I took a great slug of the beer. Instantly

regretting it. I swallowed—and regretted that as well as the noxious brew

bubbled and seethed its

way through my digestive tract. I pushed the jar away and belched. Enough of

this tomfoolery. I had escaped, great, step one. But what came next?

Nothing that I could think of at the moment. I sipped at the beer, it still

tasted just as repulsive, but even this heroic treatment produced no

inspiration. I was grateful for the interruption when the waiter sidled over

and whis-

, pered hoarsely behind the back of his hand.

"New shipment kewarghen fresh from the fields. You get high, stay up for

many days. Want some? No? What about girl with whips? Snakes? Leather straps

and hot mud..."

I interrupted since I wasn't sure that I enjoyed where the conversation was

going. "I am sated, I tell you sated. All I wish are directions to return to

the municipal edifice." "Do not know what long words mean."

"Want to find building big, high, filled with plenty oflworlders."

"Ahh, you mean the lys. For one Arghans I take you there."

"For one Arghans you give me instructions. I don't want to drag you away

from your work." Nor did I want to be led astray to one of the many offers he

had made. In the end he had to agree. I memorized the instructions, sipped

some more of the beer and instantly regretted it, then slipped away when he

had vanished into the back room.

As I walked a glimmer of a plan began to develop. I must think of a way to

get to Bibs, the crewgirl from the freighter. Garth, the captain of her ship,

had escaped, I

wa<i iiirf nf that. But she might know more about him.

HarrvHarrteon

She was my only link with this villain. But how could I get into the prison? I

knew the name she had been arrested under, Marianney Giuffrida. Could I pass

myself off as a concerned relative, one Hasenpeffer Giufinda? The local

identification should be easy to forge—if it existed at all. But would the

computer identify me as an ex-prisoner when I entered the building? Or had I

been wiped from its memory when I had left? Perhaps I had been, but would

Fatso put me back in memory when he reported

my escape?

These thoughts were rattling around in my head when I turned the next corner

aftd found the gigantic edifice before me. It rose up from the low buildings

of the city like a towering cliff—and looked just as impenetrable. I strolled

by and looked up at the steps I had so recently descended, watched the doors

open to admit a visitor. Then close again like a bank vault. My mind was still

blank. I stood with my back to a brick wall across from the building. Which

was perhaps not too bright, since I was still wearing prison garb. But such

was the variety of local costume that my uniform drew no notice at all. I

leaned and waited for inspiration to strike.

It didn't. But pure, random luck, a chance in athousand did. The doors

opened one more time and three people emerged. Two minions of the law, this

obvious from the size of their boots, flanking a delicate female form. One

thick wrist was manacled to her tiny one. It was Bibs.

The suddenness of her appearance froze me in place. Kept me leaning against

the wall as they descended to street level where one of the guards waved and

whistled. In quick response two of the horsedrawn vehicles raced their way,

one of them neatly cutting off the other. There

were shouted curses and loud neighing as the horses reared up. This was

文档加载中……请稍候！
如果长时间未打开，您也可以点击刷新试试。

下载文档到电脑，查找使用更方便

5.9 玖币 0人已下载

立即下载 VIP免费下载

摘要：

TheStainlessSteelRatGetsDraftedStainlessSteelRatBook7byHarryHarrisonCHAPTER1Iamtooyoungtodie.Justeighteenyearsold—andnowI'masgoodasdead.Mygripisweakening,myfingersslipping,andtheelevatorshaftbelowmeisakilometerdeep.Ican'tholdonanylonger.I'mgoingtofall...NormallyIamnotpronetopanic—butIwaspanickingnow...

展开>> 收起<<

Harry Harrison - SSR 07 - The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Draft.pdf

共155页,预览31页

还剩页未读，继续阅读

声明：本站为文档C2C交易模式，即用户上传的文档直接被用户下载，本站只是中间服务平台，本站所有文档下载所得的收益归上传人(含作者)所有。玖贝云文库仅提供信息存储空间，仅对用户上传内容的表现方式做保护处理，对上载内容本身不做任何修改或编辑。若文档所含内容侵犯了您的版权或隐私，请立即通知玖贝云文库，我们立即给予删除！

Harry Harrison - SSR 07 - The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Draft

相关推荐

开通VIP享超值会员特权

作者详情

相关内容

热门标签

举报选择: