lrh.fortuneoffear-第60章

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　　　Before　I　could　finish　reading；　Madison　slapped　it　on　the　desk。　His　eyes　glowed。　〃The　next　day　after　that　story；　the　Whiz　Kid　is　going　to　order　the　original　settlers　out。　After　that　we　can　get　the　Indian　Bureau；　Department　of　the　Interior；　on　it　and　we　can　have　another　Battle　of　Wounded　Knee　and　get　a　headline　for　every　Federal　marshal　killed。　And　next　week　the　Whiz　Kid　will　escape　by　robbing　a　train。。。。〃
　　　That　startled　me。　I　said；　〃Where　does　this　train　e　from？　What's　it　doing　here？〃
　　　Madison　sat　back　with　a　superior　smile。　Rather　pitying。　〃Please　see　somebody　about　your　memory；　Smith。　I　distinctly　told　you　a　long　time　ago　that　I　am　trying　to　create　the　Jesse　James　image。　Don't　you　recall？　It's　the　best　immortal　one　handy。　You　just　don't　understand　public　relations　work；　Smith。〃
　　　He　had　needled　me　too　much。　I　said；　〃Listen；　Madison。　I　came　down　to　tell　you　that　the　Whiz　Kid　is　behind　this　women's…right…to…not…be…thermonuclear…bombed　bill。　It's　ing　right　up　before　the　UN　Security　Council。　He　got　it　through　the　General　Assembly　using　whores　to　lobby　for　it。〃
　　　〃Is　that　a　fact？〃　said　Madison；　idly。　I　put　a　bite　in　my　voice。　〃Yes；　it　is！　And　you　better　get　to　work　on　it！〃
　　　〃Nope；〃　said　Madison。　〃It　doesn't　fit　the　image。〃　〃But　my　Gods！〃　I　said。　〃It's　the　TRUTH！〃　Madison　gave　an　amused　laugh。　〃Truth？　What　does　PR　have　to　do　with　truth；　Smith？　News　today　is　entertainment。　Ask　NBC；　CBS；　ABC；　ask　all　the　major　papers。　They'll　tell　you。　News　is　the　biggest　entertainment　draw　in　the　world。　Now　let　me　ask　you；　how　can　you　entertain　anybody　by　telling　the　truth？　Preposterous！　No；　Smith；　you　just　don't　understand　the　modern　media　at　all。　Let's　leave　this　sort　of　thing　up　to　me；　shall　we？　And　then　we'll　have　18…point　MADISON　SCORES　AGAIN　exclamation　point　unquote。〃
　　　Acidly；　I　said；　〃You　forgot　the　front　quote。〃　He　said；　〃So　I　did。　Rewrite：　18…point　quote　get　the　hell　out　of　here；　Smith；　and　let　me　do　my　job！〃
　　　It　was　no　wonder　they　called　him　J。　Warbler　Madman。　I　left　before　he　started　frothing　at　the　mouth。　Even　rabies　was　tame　pared　to　the　bite　of　PR　men　and　the　media。
　　　But　I　was　worried。　None　of　them　really　seemed　to　get　the　danger　in　that　UN　bill。　If　the　Security　Council　passed　it；　Rockecenter　would　lose　all　his　thermonuclear　profit。　The　Octopus　Oil　monopoly　on　uranium　claims　would　be　worthless。　Lombar　would　be　raving。　And　even　worse；　that　Miss　Simmons　would　be　slobbering　all　over　Heller　as　a　prize　hero。
　　　I　was　worried！
　　　I　paced。
　　　Then　INSPIRATION！
　　　I　would　go　and　see　Miss　Simmons！

PART　FORTY…TWO
Chapter　1

　　　I　leaped　aboard　an　AA　train　and　soon　was　speeding　north。　My　rendezvous　with　destiny　would　set　off　a　chain　reaction　even　Heller　would　be　powerless　to　stop。
　　　The　roar；　roar；　roar　of　the　pounding　wheels　carried　me　relentlessly　forward；　oblivious　of　the　churning　crowd。　At　last　I　was　in　action。　My　mission　of　vengeance　would　be　fulfilled。　Blood；　red　blood；　would　pay　the　awful　price　of　putting　me　through　the　agonies　which　had　spent　my　energies　and　lacerated　my　soul。
　　　At　116th　Street　I　sprang　off。　With　stern　and　unrelenting　face　I　made　my　way　to　Empire　University。
　　　I　found　Miss　Simmons　in　the　Puppet　Building　of　the　Teachers　College。　She　was　sitting　at　a　classroom　desk。　She　had　a　wild　look　in　her　eyes…as　well　she　might；　haunted　and　destroyed　by　that　villain　Heller。
　　　She　didn't　have　her　glasses　on　and　I　knew　very　well　she　couldn't　see　without　them。　They　lay　upon　her　desk　and　I　covertly　laid　a　book　upon　them　as　I　sat　down。
　　　〃I'm　from　the　Morning　Press；〃　I　said。　〃I've　e　to　interview　you　about　the　Antinuclear　Protest　Marchers'　reaction　to　the　UN　bill　on　women's　thermonuclear　rights。〃
　　　She　peered　at　me。　She　said；　〃If　they　don't　pass　it；　we're　going　to　blow　the　UN　up；　New　York　Police　Tactical　Police　Force　or　no　New　York　Police　Tactical　Police
　　　Force。　I　am　president　of　the　marchers　now　and　what　I　say　GOES！〃　She　looked　for　her　glasses；　couldn't　find　them。　Then　she　added；　〃And　you　can　quote　me。〃
　　　〃There　are　black　forces　at　work　behind　that　bill；〃　I　said。
　　　〃I'll　hear　no　talk　against　minority　groups；〃　she　said。　〃The　Harlem　'I…Will…Arise'　Burial　Society　is　right　behind　us　to　the　grave。〃　She　patted　around；　still　looking　for　her　glasses。　〃Haven't　I　seen　you　someplace　before？　In　the　psychiatric　ward；　maybe？〃
　　　〃You　have　indeed；〃　I　said。　〃We're　fellow　revolutionaries。　I　am　from　the　PLO；　actually。　The　Morning　Press　is　just　my　agent　cover。〃
　　　〃Then　we　can　talk　freely；〃　said　Miss　Simmons。　〃Thermonuclear　bombing　has　got　to　stop　even　if　we　destroy　the　whole　world　to　do　it。　Didn't　I　meet　you　in　Psychology　13？〃
　　　〃You　did　indeed；〃　I　said。　〃I　sat　right　behind　you　and　cheered　you　on　all　the　way。〃
　　　〃Then　your　name　is　Throgapple；〃　she　said。　〃I　always　remember　my　classmates。〃
　　　〃Correct；〃　I　said。
　　　She　was　patting　around　trying　to　find　her　glasses　again　so　I　thought　I　had　better　distract　her。　〃What　are　you　teaching　here？〃　I　said；　pretending　to　indicate　the　book；　but　actually　moving　it　so　her　glasses　dropped　off　the　desk　into　my　hand。
　　　〃Postgraduate　deportment；〃　she　said。　〃These　young　teachers　go　out　into　secondary　schools　and　foul　up。　So　we　preindoctrinate　them　to　be　calm　and　controlled；　even　cold；　at　all　times。　Spare　the　child　and　spoil　the　rod　is　never　used　today。　Hysterical　conduct　by　the　teacher　is　frowned　upon；　even　when　she　finds　a　can　of　worms　in　her　purse。　Where　the　hell　did　I　put　my　glasses？　Do　you　see　my　glasses　around　anywhere；　Throgapple？〃
　　　〃No；〃　I　said；　which　was　true；　as　they　were　now　in　my　pocket。　〃But　to　get　back　to　the　Antinuclear　Protest　Marchers；　what　will　be　your　statement　if　that　UN　bill　does　not　pass　the　Security　Council？〃
　　　I　recoiled。　She　had　leaped　up　and　began　to　pound　on　her　desk　and　rave　and　rant　in　four…letter　words　that　even　I　had　never　heard。　〃And　you　can　quote　me！〃　she　screamed。　She　sat　back　down　pretty　spent。　〃But　of　course　their　failure　to　pass　it　is　unthinkable。　All　the　women　of　the　world　would　tear　them　into　little　bits　with　their　fingernails；　laughing　all　the　while！〃
　　　I　don't　like　to　see　women　get　upset。　It　recoils　on　one。　I　decided　I　had　better　calm　her　down；　put　her　mind　on　gentle　hills　and　chuckling　brooks。　I　had　to　dim　down　that　insane　glare　which　still　made　caldrons　of　her　eyes。　I　said；　〃I　understand　you　also　teach　Nature　Appreciation。〃
　　　The　glare　got　worse！〃Throgapple；　there　was　once　a　time　when　I　enjoyed　those　little　Sunday　rambles　in　the　woods。　I　could　cheerily　chatter　to　the　rabbits　and　smile　upon　the　daffodils。　But　last　year；　Throgapple；　an　awful　thing　happened。　It　changed　my　life！〃
　　　〃Tell；〃　I　said。
　　　〃Throgapple；　in　a　moment　when　my　poor　motherly　heart　swelled　chokingly　up　in　my　breast　with　pity；　I　took　into　my　class　that　vilest；　that　most　awful；　that　most　vicious　species　of　malignant　fauna　ever　devised　by　the　devil。。。。〃　She　was　breaking　down。　Her　lips　were　twitching　to　disclose　clenched　teeth。　Her　breath　was　ing　faster。
　　　〃I　understand；〃　I　said　gently。　〃A　nuclear　physicist　named　Wister。〃
　　　She　leaped　out　of　her　seat。　She　grabbed　student　chair　after　student　chair；　stacked　them　in　a　high　tower　and　agilely　scrambled　to　the　top　and　sat　there　teetering。　She　was　glaring　blindly　all　about。
　　　〃He　isn't　here；〃　I　said　reassuringly。
　　　〃Thank　God　for　that！〃　she　cried。
　　　Two　students；　probably　for　her　next　class；　were　standing　in　the　door　with　their　mouths　open。
　　　〃I　take　it；〃　I　said；　〃that　you　do　not　like　him。〃
　　　She　began　to　scream。　It　hurt　my　ears。
　　　The　two　students　thought　I　must　be　baiting　her。　One　of　them　ran　off。　The　other；　a　brawny　youth；　stood　there　glaring　at　me。
　　　Miss　Simmons；　apparently　having　run　out　of　breath；　stopped　screaming。
　　　More　students　were　gathering　at　the　door。　The　original　one　was　whispering　to　the　others　and　pointing　first　at　me　and　then　at　Miss　Simmons；　sitting　clear　up　to　the　ceiling　on　the　rickety　tower　of　chairs。
　　　〃Miss　Simmons；〃　I　said；　speaking　upward；　〃please　let's　get　on　with　the　interview。　Incontrovertible　evidence　has　e　into　our　office　that　there　is　a　mammoth；　elephantine　cabal　on　the　prowl　to　defeat　that　UN　bill；　and　the　editor　ordered