hh.thessrat.sings.the.blues-第43章

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　〃What　must　we　do？〃　Vesta　asked。　Palm　of　my　hand。
　〃First　you　will　help　me　by　permitting　myself　and　my　associates　to　escape　before　the　time　stasis　has　been　turned　off。〃
　〃That　should　be　possible；〃　Othred　said。
　〃Then　that's　agreed。　Secondly　I　will　need　another　temporooter　to　take　back　with　me　。　。　。〃
　〃Forbidden！　Impossible！〃
　〃Hear　me　out；　will　you　please。　Another　temporooter　to　take　back　that　does　not　function。　A　realistic　fake　that　will　disguise　the　fact　that　you　and　your　machine　have　been　here。　Catch　on？〃
　〃No。〃
　They　sure　bred　them　dumb　in　the　future。　Or　without　imagination　or　whatever。　I　took　a　deep　breath。
　〃Look。　I　want　you　to　remember　that　all　the　scientists　here；　in　this　time；　know　that　there　is　a　device　of　some　kind　that　looks　like　your　temporooter。　Only　they　think　that　it　is　an　alien　artifact　from　the　far　past。　Let　us　convince　them　that　their　assumption　is　true。　If　we　do　that；　why　no　one　will　ever　know　about　you　and　your　lost　equipment。　Just　have　your　technicians　get　some　million…year…old　rock　and　carve　out　something　that　looks　like　this。　We'll　pass　it　off　as　the　original；　the　secret　will　be　kept；　honor　satisfied；　all's　well　that　ends　well。〃
　〃Excellent　idea；〃　Vesta　said；　and　pulled　a　microphone　from　her　armored　suit。　〃I'll　have　one　constructed　now。　It　will　be　here　in　a　second　or　two…〃
　〃Wait。　I　have　another　small　favor　to　ask。　I　will　need　certain　functions　built　into　the　duplicate　to　convince　our　scientists　that　it　is　not　a　dummy。　Just　a　simple　device　that　will　destruct　after　a　single　operation。　This　will　pose　absolutely　no　difficulties　for　your　techs；　I　am　sure。〃
　It　took　me　a　bit　longer　to　convince　them　of　this　necessity；　but　in　the　end　they　reluctantly　agreed。　The　duplicate　was　an　exact　physical　duplicate　of　the　original。　It　blinked　into　existence　floating　in　the　air　before　us。　Othred　reached　up　and　tugged；　there　was　a　popping　sound　as　he　pulled　it　down　and　handed　it　to　me。
　〃Wonderful；〃　I　said；　tucking　it　under　my　arm。　〃Shall　we　go？〃　They　nodded　agreement　and　put　their　helmets　back　on。
　I　had　my　temporal　panions　first　release　the　stasis　field　on　Floyd's　hand　so　I　could　disarm　him。　Like　our　mutual　enemy　his　finger　was　also　tightening　on　the　trigger。　What　a　world　of　nascent　danger　〃=e　do　live　in！　I　tucked　the　gun　into　my　belt　and　nodded　to　the　tempotechs。
　Give　Floyd　that…his　reflexes　were　great。　He　was　twisting　and　chopping　towards　Othred's　neck　the　second　he　moved　…　stopped　when　I　called　a　halt。
　〃Friends；　Floyd；　Down　boy！　Ugly…looking　monster　friends　who　are　getting　us　out　of　here。　If　you　look　around　you；　you　will　see　that　all　our　enemies　are　paralyzed　with　indecision…and　will　stay　that　way　until　we　are　gone。　Don't　trip　over　the　pieces　of　the　Killerbot　on　the　way　out。　And；　Vesta；　if　you　please。　Tap　that　fake　ball　of　fur　with　your　magic　wand　so　it　can　join　us。〃
　〃What　the　hell　is　going　on？〃　Floyd　said；　blinking　in　confusion　as　he　tried　to　understand　what　was　happening。
　〃I　feel　that　some　explanation　is　in　order；〃　Aida　said；　and　Fido　barked　with　exasperation。
　〃Second　the　motion；〃　Floyd　said。
　〃Forthing。　As　soon　as　we　are　out　of　here。　Will　you　be　so　kind　as　to　lead　the　way　back　to　the　surface。〃
　I　turned　to　thank　my　temporal　saviors；　but　they　were　already　gone。　Not　only　short　on　imagination　but　bereft　of　manners　as　well。　And　when　they　had　vanished　they　had　taken　the　time　stasis　with　them；　I　could　hear　our　footsteps　for　the　first　time。　I　looked　back　with　a　sudden　feeling　of　horror　but；　right；　the　stasis　was　still　working　for　the　enemy　as　the　silent　form　of　the　gun…toting　snarling　mander　indicated。
　〃Time　to　leave；〃　I　said。　〃Since　I　have　no　idea　how　long　the　nasties　are　going　to　stand　around　that　way。　Go？〃
　〃Explain！〃　Floyd　shouted。　Not　in　the　best　of　moods。
　〃In　a　moment；〃　I　equivocated…and　stopped　dead。　For　I　had　suddenly　been　possessed　of　an　even　more　horrifying　idea。　All　this　playing　with　time…what　had　it　done　for　my　personal　poisonous　deadline！　I　groped　for　my　pendant　skull…puter　but　of　course　it　was　gone　with　the　rest　of　my　equipment。　How　much　time　had　passed？　Was　the　poison　now　taking　effect？　Was　I　about　to　die　。　。　。　？
　Sweating　and　trembling　I　dropped　the　replacement　artifact　temporooter　and　grabbed　up　the　plastic　poodle。
　〃Aida…is　Fido　transmitting？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃What　time　is　it…I　mean　what　day？　No　cancel　that　mand。　Get　on　to　the　Admiral　now。　Ask　him　how　much　time　I　have　left。　When　is　the　deadline？　Now…please。　Don't　ask　me　any　questions。　He'll　know　what　you　are　talking　about。　Do　it！　And　fast！〃
　Time　dragged　by　on　very　sluggish　feet　I　will　tell　you。　Floyd　must　have　heard　the　desperation　in　my　voice　for　he　stayed　silent。　A　second；　a　minute…a　subjective　century　crawled　by　before　I　had　my　answer。　Aida　must　have　done　it…and　made　a　good　connection。　Because　the　next　voice　Fido　spoke　with　was　that　of　Admiral　Steengo。
　〃Good　to　hear　from　you；　Jim　。　。　。〃
　〃Don't　talk。　Listen。　I　don't　know　what　day　it　is。　How　much　time　is　there　to　the　deadline？〃
　〃Well；　Jim；　I　wouldn't　worry　about　that　if　I　were　you…〃
　〃You　are　not　me　and　I　am　worried　and　answer　the　question　or　I　will　kill　you　slowly　first　chance　I　have。　Speaking　of　killing　。　。　。〃　I　found　that　I　couldn't　go　on。
　〃I　meant　it　when　I　said　don't　worry。　The　threat　of　the　thirty…day　poison　is　over。〃
　〃You　have　the　antidote？〃
　〃No。　But　the　thirty　days　are　past。　Two　days　ago！〃
　〃Past！！　Then　I'm　dead！〃
　But　I　wasn't　dead。　My　brain　spluttered　and　clanked　and　slipped　back　into　gear。　Thirty　days　past。　No　antidote。　I　was　alive。　I　could　hear　my　teeth　grating　as　I　spoke。
　〃Then　the　thirty…day　poison…the　whole　thing　was　a　fake　from　the　start；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃I　am　afraid　that　it　was；　and　I　do　apologize。　But　you　must　realize　that　I　did　not　know　about　it　until　now。　Only　one　person　had　that　information；　the　instigator　of　the　operation。〃
　〃Admiral　Benbow！〃
　〃I'm　afraid　that　information　is　not　mine　to　reveal。〃
　〃You　don't　have　to…it　reveals　itself。　That　lawyer　who　gave　me　the　drink　was　just　doing　as　directed。　Lawyers　will　do　anything　if　you　pay　them　enough。　Benbow　was　in　charge　and　Benbow　invented　the　poison　plot　to　keep　me　in　line。〃
　〃Perhaps；　Jim；　perhaps。〃　His　voice；　even　when　transmitted　through　the　agency　of　a　plastic　dog；　reeked　of　insincerity　and　equivocation。　〃But　there　is　nothing　we　can　do　about　it　now。　A　thing　of　the　past。　Best　forgotten。　Correct？〃
　I　nodded　and　thought…then　smiled。　〃Correct；　Admiral。　Why　don't　we　just　forget　about　the　whole　thing。　All's　well　that　ends　well　and　tomorrow　is　another　day。　Forget　it。〃
　For　now；　I　thought　to　myself；　but　did　not　speak　that　important　little　codicil　aloud。
　〃I'm　glad　you　understand；　Jim。　No　hard　feelings　then。〃
　I　dropped　the　dog；　turned　and　clapped　Floyd　happily　on　the　shoulder；　bent　and　picked　up　the　replacement　artifact。
　〃We　did　it；　Floyd；　we　did　it。　I　will　explain　everything　as　we　walk。　In　great　detail。　But　as　you　can　see　we　are　free；　in　possession　of　this　artifact。　Mission　acplished。　Now…lead　on；　faithful　Fido；　since　you　have　memorized　the　entrance…and…exit　path。　But　go　slowly；　for　it　really　has　been　one　of　those　days。〃
　I　was　hungry　and　thirsty。　But　even　more　thirsty　for…what？　Revenge？　No；　revenge　was　a　dead　end。　If　not　vengeance…what　then？
　The　time　had　e　for　a　little　evening　up；　a　little　sorting　out　of　the　record。　I　had　been　taken　in　pletely　by　the　poisonous　con　job。　So　before　the　last　i　was　dotted；　before　the　last　alien　artifact　laid　to　rest；　I　was　going　to　see　that　a　little　justice　got　done。
　On　my　terms。
　
　CHAPTER　27
　〃Carry　this　for　a　bit；　will　you　Floyd；〃　I　said；　passing　over　the　replacement　temporooter。　We　were　leaving　the　last　lit　tunnel　behind　and　would　depend　now　on　Aida　to　remember　the　way。　〃I'm　a　little　on　the　tired　side。〃
　〃I　don't　wonder。　But　you　have　to　understand…my　patience　has　just　run　out。　So　work　hard　and　see　if　you　can　dig　up　enough　energy　to　tell　me　just　what　happened。　I　am　now　pletely　confused。　I　remember　that　I　wasted　the　Killerbot　with　that　gun　you　now　have　tucked　into　your　belt；　the　one　Fido　brought　to　me。　Then　I　jumped　through　the　door　and　told　you　to　get　down　so　I　could　blast　the　mander　as　well　as　anyone　else　who　was　looking　for　trouble。〃
　〃That's　just　the　way　I　remember　it。〃
　Fido　barked　and