lrh.fortuneoffear-第64章

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Manco　Devil　in　the　very　act　of　mangling。
　　　The　brass　grate　spoke　up。　〃Yes？〃
　　　The　Countess　Krak　said；　〃I　am　a　fellow　teacher；　from　Atalanta　University；　Manco；　and　I　want　to　talk　to　you　about　a　student　of　yours。〃
　　　The　voice　came　back；　〃It's　about　time　somebody　listened　to　me！　e　right　up！〃
　　　Oh；　blind；　blind　Simmons！　You　just　invited　yourself　to　murder！
　　　I　punched　the　radio　button。
　　　〃Go　ahead；〃　said　Raht。
　　　〃Have　you　done　your　duty？〃　I　said。
　　　〃Police　Inspector　Grafferty　was　quivering　like　a　bloodhound。　I　talked　it　up　as　a　private　inside　tip。　He　said　he　could　smell　the　headlines　already。　Eager。　I　caught　him　at　the　Civic　Center　and　he's　just　now　locating　squad　cars。　He　won't　fail　you。〃
　　　〃Good；〃　I　said　and　clicked　off。　Oh；　Countess　Krak；　you've　been　outsmarted　for　once　and　you　won't　even　be　able　to　trace　it　to　me！　Grafferty　the　glory　hound　was　going　to　do　this　one　himself！　It's　a　long　ways　from　the　Civic　Center　to　Morningside　Heights；　but　the　police　drive　over　everybody。
　　　The　Countess　Krak　regarded　the　foyer　door。　It　kept　clicking　and　she　didn't　know　you　were　supposed　to　push　it　when　it　clicked。　It　stopped　clicking。　She　gave　it　a　shove；　a　very　impatient　gesture。　The　lock　was　faulty。　It　swung　right　open。
　　　She　strode　past　a　fountain　and　between　two　statues。　She　saw　the　elevator　was　in　use　and　went　up　the　stairs。
　　　She　turned　down　a　carpeted　hall　and　stopped　before　Apartment　21。
　　　The　door　opened　without　her　even　knocking。　Never　was　a　woman　so　anxious　to　be　done　in。　Simmons　was　already　talking。　No　hello　or　who　are　you。　She　looked　dishevelled　and　very　wild　of　eye。　She　said；　〃You　know　what　he　did　today？　He　sabotaged　the　UN　bill！　He's　got　to　blow　everything　up；　even　women's　rights！　He's　a　frothing　fiend！　We　teachers　must　gang　together　in　a　solid　phalanx　of　fury　and　stop　him；　even　before　we　blow　up　the　UN！　Nobody　is　safe　with　him　on　the　loose。　And　the　college　thinks　that　just　because　I　was　in　a　psychiatric　ward；　they　don't　have　to　listen　to　me。　They　think　I'm　paranoid　about　him。　And　just　to　make　matters　worse；　the　New　York　Tactical　Police　Force　is　after　me　again。〃
　　　Miss　Simmons　was　having　trouble　locating　the　Countess　to　talk　to　her。　The　Countess　must　have　seen　that　she　was　speaking　to　someone　who　was　as　blind　as　a　bat。
　　　〃The　police！〃　said　the　Countess。　〃Then　you　need　head　protection。〃　She　kicked　the　door　shut　behind　her　and　right　in　front　of　Simmons　took　the　hypnohelmet　out　of　the　square　shopping　bag。
　　　I　suddenly　realized　that　I　still　had　Simmons'　glasses　in　my　pocket。　Unwittingly；　I　had　made　it　very　easy　for　Krak。
　　　The　Countess　simply　turned　the　helmet　on　and　dropped　it　over　Simmons'　head！　Just　like　that！
　　　Krak　looked　around　the　rather　large　and　well…furnished　living　room。　Looking　for　a　place　to　stamp；　I　thought。　A　radio　seemed　to　be　playing　in　the　next　apartment。　The　Countess　Krak　saw　that　a　corridor　led　to　a　bedroom。　She　pushed　Simmons　toward　it。
　　　Like　a　sleepwalker；　my　favorite　ally　went　down　the　hall　toward　her　doom。
　　　There　was　a　wide　bed；　a　boudoir　table　and　an　easy　chair；　all　decorated　in　frilly　white　organdy。　The　Countess　Krak　closed　the　bedroom　door。　She　lowered　Simmons　onto　the　bed。　She　arranged　the　pillow　so　it　would　support　the　helmet　properly。　She　plugged　in　her　microphone　and　then　sat　down　in　the　easy　chair。
　　　Simmons　had　evidently　been　changing　out　of　her　street　clothes　when　the　door　buzzer　went；　for　they　were　lying　on　the　floor。　She　had　tossed　on　a　dressing　gown。　It　had　opened　now　as　she　sprawled　there。　Not　a　bad…looking　body。
　　　Krak　apparently　didn't　care　for　that。　She　moved　out　of　the　chair　again　and　pulled　the　dressing　gown　together　to　make　Simmons　decent。　Then　she　laid　her　sable　cape　aside　and　took　off　her　own　jacket；　the　equivalent　of　rolling　up　her　sleeves　to　get　to　work。
　　　The　Countess　spoke　into　her　microphone。　〃Be　calm；　relax。　You　are　quite　safe。〃　Oh；　what　a　liar；　I　thought。　〃Sleep；　sleep；　pretty　sleep。　Can　you　hear　me？〃
　　　Muffled；　〃Yes。〃
　　　〃What　were　those　eight　men　going　to　do　to　you　in　Van　Cortlandt　Park？〃　said　the　Countess；　leaning　back　in　her　chair。
　　　Muffled；　〃Rape　me。　All　eight　of　them。　They　were　going　to　rape　me　hour　after　hour。〃
　　　The　Countess　lowered　her　mike　and　pushed　it　into　her　shoulder。　〃I　thought　so；〃　she　muttered　in　Voltarian。　〃A　real　rape…crazy　slut。　The　whole　thing　has　been　just　a　pose　to　steal　Jettero！〃　She　raised　the　mike　and　reverted　to　English。　〃When　was　the　first　time　you　saw　Wister？〃
　　　Miss　Simmons　flung　out　her　arms；　throwing　the　robe　wide　open。　Her　hands　extended　down；　straight　out；　so　rigid　they　were　quivering。　Her　feet　jerked　down。　She　looked　like　she'd　been　put　on　an　electric　rack。　A　faint　scream　came；　muffled；　from　under　the　helmet。
　　　〃Answer　me！〃　snapped　the　Countess　Krak。
　　　Simmons　said；　〃Registration　Hall　last　September。〃　The　quivers　increased。
　　　Krak　said；　〃You　are　there　at　that　moment。　You　see　Wister。　What　do　you　really　think？〃
　　　Simmons　let　out　a　faint　scream。　The　vibrations　of　her　body　increased　as　the　rigidity　grew。
　　　〃Answer　me！〃
　　　Simmons　said；　〃He　is　too　good…looking。〃
　　　The　Countess　lowered　the　mike　into　her　shoulder　and　muttered　in　Voltarian；　〃Just　as　I　thought。　Love　at　first　sight。〃　In　English　she　said　into　the　mike；　〃Anything　else？〃
　　　The　answer　was　a　muffled　scream；　〃That　it　was　awful　that　he　was　a　nuclear　physicist　major　and　had　to　be　stopped。〃
　　　〃Why？〃　said　the　Countess。
　　　Miss　Simmons　looked　to　be　in　torment。　She　shouted；　〃THERE　MUST　BE　NO　EXPLOSIONS！〃　Then　in　lower　volume；　muffled　by　the　helmet；　〃My　father　held　the　chair　of　psychology　at　Brooklyn　University。　He　said　explosions　were　substitutions　for　sexual　（bleepulations）　and　a　girl　must　be　frigid；　frigid；　frigid　to　protect　herself。〃　She　was　stiff；　stretched　out　now　like　hard　marble；　totally　rigid。
　　　Krak　spoke　into　the　mike；　〃When　did　he　say　that？〃
　　　〃When　he　caught　me　putting　firecrackers　in　the　dog's　（bleep）。〃
　　　The　Countess　dropped　the　mike。　In　Voltarian　she　muttered；　〃What　a　weird　planet！〃　She　sat　there　a　bit　and　then　picked　it　up　and　said　in　English；　〃The　real　incident　was　different。　Your　father　made　a　mistake。　You　get　NO　pleasure　out　of　hurting　animals。　You　were　feeding　the　dog　milk　and　petting　it。　That　is　really　what　you　were　doing　and　what　really　happened。　Your　father　was　totally　wrong。　Accept　it。〃
　　　Simmons　suddenly　relaxed。　She　whispered；　〃I　accept　it。　Oh；　I　am　SO　glad　that　was　really　what　happened。　Then　my　father　must　have　been　wrong　about　everything。〃
　　　〃Right；〃　said　the　Countess　Krak；　villainously　undoing　in　a　breath　what　that　poor；　laboring　psychologist…father　had　devoted　his　whole　life　to　build　up。　What　a　destructive　Manco　Devil　that　Krak　was！
　　　The　Countess　took　a　firmer　grip　on　the　microphone。　She　was　obviously　through　playing　around。　Now　she　was　going　to　get　down　to　business。　She　said；　〃Now　we're　back　to　the　first　time　you　saw　Wister。　What　you　really　thought　was　that　you　were　not　good　enough　for　him。　Correct？〃
　　　Simmons　said；　under　the　helmet；　〃Correct。〃
　　　Krak　said；　〃Now　it　is　the　time　of　the　first　Nature　Appreciation　class　last　fall。　You　are　alone；　you　are　leaving　the　UN。　You　do　not　want　Wister　to　follow　you　because　you　know　you　are　not　good　enough　for　him。　You　feel　very　sad　about　it；　right？〃
　　　Simmons　said；　〃Right。〃
　　　Aha；　here　it　came。　I　knew　that　Krak　was　going　to　order　her；　now；　to　write　a　suicide　note。　For　that　is　exactly　what　I　would　have　done。　Simmons　was　finished！
　　　The　doorbell　rang。
　　　I　let　out　a　wheeze　of　relief　for　Simmons。　She　had　been　saved　by　the　bell。　Grafferty！　All　was　not　lost。　He　was　just　a　little　early；　for　there　was　no　corpse　there　yet。　But　he　would　see　at　once　what　this　was　all　about：　he　would　find　Simmons　in　a　hypnotic　trance　and　know　that　murder　was　in　the　air。
　　　Krak　said　into　the　mike；　〃You　will　lie　there　quietly　for　the　moment　and　ignore　anything　you　hear　until　I　get　back。〃
　　　She　put　down　the　mike。　She　went　out　of　the　bedroom　and　closed　its　door　behind　her。　She　went　into　the　living　room。　She　peeled　off　her　gloves；　threw　them　aside　and　fluffed　her　hair。　She　opened　the　door。
　　　DOCTOR　KUTZBRAIN！