bill_the_galactic_hero_v1.1-第15章

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　　〃You're　right；〃　Bill　said　humbly。　〃I　never　thought　of　that。　I'm　really　very　lucky。〃　He　tried　a　salute　with　his　left…right　arm；　and　the　elbow　whipped　up　nicely　and　the　fingertips　quivered　at　his　eyebrow。　All　the　troopers　snapped　to　attention　and　returned　the　salute。　The　door　crashed　open；　and　an　officer　poked　his　head　in。
　　〃Stand　easy；　men…this　is　just　an　informal　visit　by　the　Old　Man。〃
　　〃Captain　Zekial　ing　herel〃
　　〃I've　never　seen　the　Old　Man　。　。　。〃　The　troopers　chippered　like　birds　and　were　as　nervous　as　virgins　at　a　defloration　ceremony。　Three　more　officers　came　through　the　door　and　finally　a　male　nurse　leading　a　ten…year…old　moron　wearing
a　bib　and　a　captain's　uniform。
　　〃Uhh　。　。　。　hi　ya　fellows　。　。　。　〃　the　captain　said。
　　〃The　captain　wishes　to　pay　his　respects　to　you　all；〃　the　first　lieutenant　said　crisply。
　　〃Is　dat　da　guy　in　da　bed　。　。　。　？〃
　　〃And　particularly　wishes　to　pay　his　personal　respects　to　the　hero　of　the　hour。〃
　　〃。　。　。　Dere　was　sometin'　else　but　I　forgot　。　。　。〃
　　〃And　he　furthermore　wishes　to　inform　the　valiant　fighter　who　saved　our　ship　that　he　is　being　raised　in　grade　to　Fuse　Tender　First　Class；　which　increase　in　rank　includes　an　automatic　re…enlistment　for　seven　years　to　be　added　to　his　original　enlistment；　and　that　upon　dismissal　from　the　hospital　he　is　to　go　by　first　available　transportation　to　the　Imperial　Planet　of　Helior；　there　to　receive　the　hero's　award　of　the　Purple　Dart　with　Coalsack　Nebula　Cluster　from　the　Emperor's　own　hand。〃
　　〃。　。　。　I　think　I　gotta　go　to　da　bathroom　。　。　。〃
　　〃But　now　the　exigencies　of　mand　recall　him　to　the　bridge；　and　he　wishes　you　all　an　affectionate　farewell。〃
　　Bill　saluted　with　both　arms；　and　the　troopers　stood　at　attention　until　the　captain　and　his　officers　had　gone；　then　the　doctor　dismissed　the　troopers　as　well。
　　〃Isn't　the　Old　Man　a　little　young　for　his　post？〃　Bill　asked。　〃Not　as　young　as　some；〃　the　doctor　scratched　through　his　hypodermic　needles　looking　for　a　particularly　dull　one　for　an　injection。　〃You　have　to　remember　that　all　captains　have　to　be　of　the　nobility　and　even　a　large　nobility　gets　stretched　damn　thin　over　a　galactic　empire。　We　take　what　we　can　get。〃　He　found　a　crooked　needle　and　clipped　it　to　the　cylinder。
　　〃Affirm；　so　he's　young；　but　isn't　he　also　a　little　stupid　for　the　job？〃
　　〃Watch　that　lese…majesty　stuff；　bowb！　You　get　an　empire　that's　a　couple　of　thousand　years　old；　and　you　get　a：　nobility　that　keeps　inbreeding；　and　you　get　some　of　the　crunched　genes　and　defective　recessives　ing　out　and　you　got　a　group　of　people　that…are　a　little　more　exotic　than　most　nut　houses。　There's　nothing　wrong　with　the　Old　Man　that　a　new　I。Q。　wouldn't　curel　You　should　have　seen　the　captain　of　the　last　ship　I　was　on　。　。　。〃　he　shuddered　and　jabbed　the　needle　viciously　into　Bill's　flesh。　Bill　screamed；　then　gloomily　watched　the　blood　drip　from　the　hole　after　the　hypodermic　had　been　withdrawn。　
　　The　door　closed；　and　Bill　was　alone；　looking　at　the　blank　wall　and　his　future。　He　was　a　Fuse　Tender　First　Class；　and　that　was　nice。　But　the　pulsory　re…enlistment　for　seven　years　was　not　so　nice。　His　spirits　dropped。　He　wished　he　could　talk　to　some　of　his　old　buddies；　then　remembered　that　they　were　all　dead；　and　his　spirits　dropped　even　further。　He　tried　to　cheer　himself　up　but　could　think　of　nothing　to　be　cheery　about　until　he　discovered　that　he　could　shake　hands　with　himself。　This　made　him　feel　a　little　bit　better。
　　He　lay　back　on　the　pillows　and　shook　hands　with　himself　until　he　fell　asleep。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Book　Two
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　DIP　IN　THE
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SWIMMING…POOL　REACTOR

I

Ahead　of　them　the　front　end　of　the　cylindrical　shuttleship　was　a　single；　gigantic　viewport；　a　thick　shield　of　armored　glass　now　filled　by　the　rushing　coils　of　cloud　that　they　were　dropping　down　through。　Bill　leaned　back　fortably　in　the　deceleration　chair；　watching　the　scene　with　keen　anticipation。　There　were　seats　for　twenty　in　the　stubby　shuttleship；　but　only　three　of　them；　including　Bill's；　were　now　occupied。　Sitting　next　to　him；　and　he　tried　hard　not　to　look　too　often；　was　a　gunner　first　class　who　looked　as　though　he　had　been　blown　out　of　one　of　his　own　guns。　His　face　was　mostly　plastic　and　contained　just　a　single；　bloodshot　eye。　He　was　a　mobile　basket　case；　since　his　four　missing　limbs　had　been　replaced　by　glistening　gadgetry；　all　shining　pistons；　electronic　controls；　and　coiling　wires。　His　gunner's　insignia　was
welded　to　the　steel　frame　that　took　the　place　of　his　upper　arm。　The　third　man；　a　thickset　brute　of　an　infantry　sergeant；　had　fallen　asleep　as　soon　as　they　boarded　after　transshipping　from　the　stellar　transport。
　　〃Bowbidy…bowb！　Look　at　that！〃　Bill　felt　elated　as　their　ship　broke　through　the　clouds　and　there；　spread　before　them；　was　the　gleaming　golden　sphere　of　Helior；　the　Imperial　Planet；　the　ruling　world　of　10；000　suns。
　　〃What　an　albedo；〃　the　gunner　grunted　from　somewhere　inside　his　plastic　face。　〃Hurts　the　eye。〃
　　〃I　should　hope　so！　Solid　goldcan　you　imagine…a　planet　plated　with　solid　gold？！〃
　　〃No；　I　can't　imagine。　And　I　don't　believe　it　either。　It　would　cost　too　much。　But　I　can　imagine　one　covered　with　anodized　aluminum。　Like。　that　one。〃
　　Now　that　Bill　looked　closer　he　could　see　that　it　didn't　really　shine　like　gold；　and　he　started　to　feel　depressed　again。　No！　He　forced　himself　to　perk　up。　You　could　take　away　the　gold　but　you　couldn't　take　away　the　gloryl　Helior　was　still　the　imperial　world；　the　never　sleeping；　all…seeing　eye　in　the　heart　of　the　galaxy。　Everything　that　happened　on　every　planet　or　on　every　ship　in　space　was　reported　here；　sorted；　coded；　filed；　annotated；　judged；　lost；　found；　acted　on。　From　Helior　came　the　orders　that　ruled　the　worlds　of　man；　that　held　back　the　night　of　alien　domination。　Helior；　a　man…changed　world　with　its　seas；　mountains；　and　continents　covered　by　a　shielding　of　metal；　miles　thick；　layer　upon　layer　of　levels　with　a　global　population　dedicated　to　but　one　ideal。　Rule。　The　gleaming　upper　level　was　dotted　with　space　ships　of　all　sizes；　while　the　dark　sky　twinkled　with　others　arriving　and　departing。　Closer　and　closer　swam　the　scene；　then　there　was　a　sudden　burst　of　light　and　the　window　went　dark。
　　〃We　crashed！〃　Bill　gasped。　〃Good　as　dead　。　。　。'
　　〃Shut　your　wug。　That　was　just　the　film　what　broke；　Since　there's　no　brass　on　this　run　they　won't　bother　fixing　it。〃
　　〃Film？〃
　　〃What　else？　Are　you　so　ratty　in　the　head　you　think　they're　going　to　build　shuttleships　with　great　big　windows　in　the　nose　just　where　the　maximum　friction　on　re…entry　will　burn　holes　in　them？　A　film。　Back　projection。　For　all　we　know
it's　nighttime　here。〃
　　The　pilot　mashed　them　with　15G　when　they　landed　（he　also　knew　he　had　no　brass　on　this　run）；　and　while　they　were　popping　their　dislocated　vertebrae　back　into　position　and　squeezing　their　eyeballs　back　into　shape　so　that　they　could　see；　the　hatch　swung　open。　Not　only　was　it　night；　but　it　was　raining　too。　A　Second…class　Passenger　Handler's　Mate　poked　his　head　in　and　swept　them　with　a　professionally　friendly　grin。
　　〃Wele　to　Helior；　Imperial　Planet　of　a　thousand　delights…〃　his　face　fell　into　a　habitual　snarl。　〃Ain't　there　no　officers　with　you　bowbs？　C'mon；　shag　outta　there；　get　the　uranium　out；　we　gotta　schedule　to　keep。〃
　　They　ignored　him　as　he　brushed　by　and　went　to　wake　the　infantry　sergeant；　still　snoring　like　a　broken　impeller；　untroubled　in　his　sleep　by　a　little　thing　like　15Gs。　The　snore　changed　to　a　throaty　grunt　that　was　cut　into　by　the　Passenger　Handler's　Mate's　shrill　scream　as　he　was　kneed　in　the　groin。　Still　muttering；　the　sergeant　joined　them　as　they　left　the　ship　and　he　helped　steady　the　gunner's　clattering　metal　legs　on　the　still　wet　surface　of　the　landing　ramp。　They　watched　with　stony　resignation　as　their　duffel　bags　were　ejected　from　the　luggage　partment　into　a　deep　pool　of　water。　As　a　last　feeble　flick　of　petty　revenge　the　Passenger　Handler's　Mate　turned　off　the　repeller　field　that　had　been　keeping　the　rain　off　them；　and　they　were　soaking　wet　in　an　instant　and　chilled　by　the　icy　wind。　They　shouldered　their　bags…except　for　the　gunner；　who　dragged　his　on　little　wheels…and　started　for　the　nearest　lights；　at　least　a　mile　away　and　barely　visibl