按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
alian。 If you pass on this case as to workability and arrive knowing these languages； and if you have not violated secrecy…and believe me； I am having you watched every minute by unseen eyes…I will then consider handing over your contract。 Do you understand this？〃
〃T 。 。 。 Turkish？ It 。 。 。 it 。 。 。 whatever。 Are these civilized languages？ I have never heard of them！〃
〃Primitive tongues。 Another galaxy。 Do you understand？〃
〃Y 。 。 。 y 。 。 。 yes。〃
〃Ten days from today； at ten o'clock in the morning； Zanco will send a lorry for all this equipment。 They know exactly where to deliver it。 They have a pass for that place。〃 I had verified with the captain of the Blixo his exact blastoff time。 I had spoken to him about all arrangements。
〃Zanco；〃 I continued； 〃will bring an empty case for the operating table and put that one in it。〃
〃B 。 。 。 b 。 。 。 but it has a case！ A long box。〃
〃Exactly。〃 I was taking no chances of the Widow Tayl detaining him。 〃You are going to bore holes in the ends and fix it to lock from within。 When Zanco es； you pretend to be showing them what to take。 And you do show them and you do get that operating table packed in the case they will bring。 And then you will jump into that empty case and lock it from the inside and they will deliver you to the ship。〃 He gaped。 But it was a master stroke。 He'd get loose from Tayl。 Nobody would see him go aboard。 I like things neat。
〃C 。 。 。 can I pad the box inside？ S 。 。 。 so I don't h 。 。 。 h 。 。 。 hit my h 。 。 。 h 。 。 。 head？〃 I was feeling indulgent。 〃Of course；〃 I said。 I pulled out a note to Captain Bolz。 It just said； 〃This is him。 Gris。〃 I gave it to him。
〃I guess 。 。 。 I guess there's a lot I don't know about secret operations；〃 he confessed。
There's a lot you don't know about beautiful widows； I muttered to myself。 〃Now； two more things。〃
〃M 。 。 。 more？〃
〃On that ship there will be a young homosexual。 You are not to associate with or speak to him。 You must remain unknown to him。 He is an enemy spy。〃
〃A 。 。 。 and？〃
〃And if you are not delivered to that ship； if you do not arrive as I have said； its captain will bring a ferocious； blastgun…packing crew right here； seize you and 。 。 。〃I was about to say 〃rape the Widow Tayl〃 but she'd be overjoyed by that。 〃。。。 burn down this whole estate and maim and shoot your dear Pratia on suspicion of being an enemy agent。 Understood？〃 He was paralyzed。 Well； he'd have to get used to the operating climate。 Might as well start now。 I had worked out how he could make me a personal fortune。 Except for that； I didn't need him and could have shot him right where he shivered。 But； as Lombar says； money talks。
I sat there smiling in a Lordly way。 Let him see I could also be his friend。 Police psychology is the applicable branch。 Crush them and then pretend friendship。 But he didn't seem to be responding。 However； if I sat there long enough with lifted lips； gazing down my nose at him in a superior way； it would eventually work。
But the psychotherapy was ruined。 A voice came from the house； over a loud speaker。 〃Yoo…hoo； you boys；〃 the musical lilt of the Widow Tayl。 〃Don't keep sitting out there like the dear little angels you are。 e into the house and get some lunch。〃 So we went in。 It was a gorgeous dining room。 All done in blue and gold with little gold nymphs having a rare time of it all over the ceiling。 There were soft couches at various levels。 The center of the room was utterly sagging under the weight of canisters； platters of cakes and dried rare meats and fruits。
She was dressed in the filmiest of films and she had her hair piled up and held with diamonds。 She looked at the two of us。 〃Where's the other one？〃
〃He won't e to for another three or four hours；〃 I said brutally。
She looked at the spread。 She glanced at herself in a wall mirror。 And she got a very； very sad look on her face。 〃Well； go ahead and eat；〃 she said dispiritedly。
I ate。 Prahd was just sitting there。
Finally he said； 〃Not burn down the whole estate！〃 What a fool。 To talk like that in front of the Widow Tayl。 It was my lot to deal with fools and amateurs。
But the Widow Tayl had not heard him。 She was sitting on the sofa behind him。 Her eyes were dreamy。 With one of her hands she was curling the hair on the back of Prahd's neck。 In the other she idly grasped a large； soft fruit。
Prahd suddenly looked at me and said； 〃Oh； you mustn't doubt me。 I'll e。 I'll e！〃 The Widow Tayl's eyes went glassy。 Her breathing quickened。 She yelled suddenly； 〃And he put his red cap in 。 。 。 in 。 。 。 in 。。。〃 The fruit in her hand was clenched into an explosion of soft white meat。 〃OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…HHHHH！〃 I was glaring。 （Bleep） her。 She was thinking of Heller。 She had dressed and primped and laid out this huge lunch THINKING ABOUT HELLER！
I attacked a sweetbun like it had bit me！
I'd show HIM！
Chapter 4
Late in the afternoon。 Heller came out of the gas。 Prahd gave me the signal and I made Ske shift the airbus to the confined space just outside the hospital door…a thing he cursed over； as landing on some shrubs scratched his paint。 But I was taking no chances on the Widow Tayl seeing Heller again。 She might remember what he looked like： it would be out security。
I whisked Heller through the hospital door and into the airbus and we took off at once。
The recorder was still locked to his wrist。 It was running and with ten hours of strip capacity； would keep right on running and recording for some time。 So I was saying nothing。 Just before he had e out of the hospital door； I had thrown a towel over his arm； so it was not getting any pictures： there would be no views of where he had been。
He was still groggy。 He had a cup…like dressing over his right temple and several more at different places on his body。 Prahd had told him they contained 〃heal…fast〃 fluid； that they wouldn't e loose if he showered。 Prahd had given him a small vial of solvent and in twenty…four hours； Heller could apply it and the cups would e off： the spots would be a light pink for another day； but Prahd had given him another vial of false…skin coating which would eradicate even that。 Heller had received the data and vials with a minimum of attention。 He seemed to want to go back to sleep。
I was very anxious to see how this equipment worked。 The whole success of the Earth operation depended upon it。 I had the rest of the items of one whole set with me。 My hopes were high but there was a bit of anxiety； too。
At the hangar； fortunately； most of the contractor crews had gone for the day and nobody wanted to see him。 I passed him into the airlock of the tug： he seemed to be heading for the rooms in back。
With speed…which Ske objected to…I rushed through the evening sky and soon arrived at my rooming house。 I grabbed the box containing the rest of the set and went zooming up the stairs。 Meeley was on her hands and knees on a landing trying to scrub the floor and I almost knocked her flat。 She swore at me with surprising violence but I ignored her。
Locking my door； I swept some empty canisters off a table and hastily began to set up the equipment。 With hands quivering with eagerness； I got the activator…receiver