bill_the_galactic_hero_v1.1-第9章

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！〃　Bill　sat　back；　breathing　deeply　and　sweating。　The　fatal　words　had　been　spoken。
　　The　chaplain　continued　to　nod；　smiling；　half…unconscious　from　the　Haoma　fumes。　Finally　he　snapped　out　of　it；　blew　his　nose；　and　opened　the　thick　copy　of　the　Avesta。　He　mumbled　aloud　in　Old　Persian　a　bit；　which　seemed　to　brace　him；　then　slammed　it　shut。
　　〃You　must　not　bear　false　witness！〃　he　boomed；　fixing　Bill　with　piercing　gaze　and　accusing　finger。
　　〃You　got　me　wrong；〃　Bill　moaned；　writhing　in　the　chair。　〃He's　done　these　things；　I　saw　him　use　the　watch。　What　kind　of　spiritual　aid　do　you　call　this？〃
　　〃Just　a　bracer；　my　boy；　a　touch　of　the　old…time　religion　to　renew　your　sense　of　guilt　and　start　you　thinking　about　going　to　church　regular　again。　You　have　been　backsliding！〃
　　〃What　else　could　I　do…chapel　is　forbidden　during　recruit　training？〃
　　〃Circumstances　are　no　excuse；　but　you　will　be　forgiven　this　time　because　Ahura　Mazdah　is　all…merciful。〃
　　〃But　what　about　my　buddy…the　spy？〃
　　〃You　must　forget　your　suspicions；　for　they　are　not　worthy　of　a　follower　of　Zoroaster。　This　poor　lad　must　not　suffer　because　of　his　natural　inclinations　to　be　friendly；　to　aid　his　rades；　to　keep　himself　pure；　to　own　a　crummy　watch　that　goes　click。　And　besides；　if　you　do　not　mind　my　introducing　a　spot　of　logic…how　could　he　be　a　spy？　To　be　a　spy　he　would　have　to　be　a　Chinger；　and　Chingers　are　seven　feet　tall　with　tails。　Catch？〃
　　〃Yeah；　yeah；〃　Bill　mumbled　unhappily。　〃I　could　figure　that　one　out　for　myself…but　it　still　doesn't　explain　everything　。。〃
　　〃It　satisfies　me；　and　it　must　satisfy　you。　I　feel　that　Ahriman　has　possessed　you　to　make　you　think　evil　of　your　rade；　and　you　had　better　do　some　penance　and　join　me　in　a　quick　prayer　before　the　laundry　officer　es　back　on　duty。〃
　　This　ritual　was　quickly　finished；　and　Bill　helped　stow　the　things　back　in　the　box　and　watched　it　vanish　back　into　the　desk。　He　said　good…by　and　turned　to　leave。
　　〃Just　one　moment；　my　son；〃　the　chaplain　said　with　his　warmest　smile；　reaching　back　over　his　shoulder　at　the　same　time　to　grab　the　end　of　his　necktie。　He　pulled；　and　his　collar　whirred　about；　and　as　it　did　the　blissful　expression　was　wiped　from　his　face　to　be　replaced　by　a　surly　snarl。　〃Just　where　do　you　think　you're　going；　bowb！　Put　your　ass　back　in　that　chair。〃
　　〃B…but；〃　Bill　stammered；　〃you　said　I　was　dismissed。〃
　　〃That's　what　the　chaplain　said；　and　as　laundry　officer　I　have　no　truck　with　him。　Now…fast…what's　the　name　of　this　Chinger　spy　you　are　hiding？〃
　　〃I　told　you　about　that　under　oath…〃
　　〃You　told　the　chaplain　about　it；　and　he　keeps　his　word　and　he　didn't　tell　me；　but　I　just　happened　to　hear。〃　He　pressed　a　red　button　on　the　control　panel。　〃The　MPs　are　on　the　way。　You　talk　before　they　get　here；　bowb；　or　I'll　have　you　keelhauled　without　a　space　suit　and　deprived　of　canteen　privileges　for　a　year。　The　name？〃
　　〃Eager　Beager；〃　Bill　sobbed；　as　heavy　feet　trampled　outside　and　two　redhats　forced　their　way　into　the　tiny　room。
　　〃I　have　a　spy　for　you　boys；〃　the　laundry　officer　announced　triumphantly；　and　the　MPs　grated　their　teeth；　howled　deep　in　their　throats；　and　launched　themselves　through　the　air　at　Bill。　He　dropped　under　the　assault　of　fists　and　clubs　and　was　running　with　blood　before　the　laundry　officer　could　pull　the　overmuscled　morons　with　their　eyes　not　an　inch　apart　off　him。　
　　〃Not　him　。　。　：'　the　officer　gasped；　and　threw　Bill　a　towel　to　wipe　off　some　of　the　blood。　〃This　is　our　informant；　the　loyal；　patriotic　hero　who　ratted　on　his　buddy　by　the　name　of　Eager　Beager；　who　we　will　now　grab　and　chain　so　he　car。　be　questioned。　Let's　go。〃
　　The　MPs　held　Bill　up　between　them；　and　by　the　time　they　had　e　to　the　fuse　tenders'　quarters　the　breeze　from　their　swift　passage　had　restored　him　a　bit。　The　laundry　officer　opened　the　door　just　enough　to　poke　in　his　head。　〃Hi；　gang！〃　he　called　cheerily。　〃Is　Eager　Beager　here？〃
　　Eager　looked　up　from　the　boot　he　was　polishing；　waving　and　grinning。　〃That's　me…gee。〃
　　〃Get　him！〃　the　laundry　officer　expostulated；　jumping　aside　and　pointing　accusingly。　Bill　dropped　to　the　floor　as　the　MPs　let　go　of　him　and　thundered　into　the　partment。　By　the　time　he　had　staggered　back　to　his　feet　Eager　was　pinioned；　handcuffed　and　chained；　hand　and　foot；　but　still　grinning。
　　〃Gee…you　guys　want　some　boots　polished　too？〃
　　〃No　backtalk；　you　dirty　spy；〃　the　laundry　officer　grated；　and　slapped　him　hard　in　the　offensive　grin。　At　least　he　tried　to　slap　him　in　the　offensive　grin；　but　Beager　opened　his　mouth　and　bit　the　hand　that　hit　him；　clamping　down　hard　so　that　the　officer　could　not　get　away。　〃He　bit　me！〃　the　man　howled；　and　tried　desperately　to　pull　free。　Both　MPs；　each　handcuffed　to　an　arm　of　the　prisoner；　raised　their　clubs　to　give　him　a　sound　battering。
　　At　this　moment　the　top　of　Eager　Beager's　head　flew　open。
　　Happening　at　any　other　time；　this　would　have　been　considered　unusual；　but　happening　at　this　moment　it　was　spectacularly　unusual；　and　they　all；　including　Bill；　gaped；　as　a　seven…inch…high　lizard　climbed　out　of　the　open　skull　and
jumped　to　the　floor　in　which　it　made　a　sizable　dent　upon　landing。　It　had　four　tiny　arms；　along　tail；　a　head　like　a　baby　alligator；　and　was　bright　green。　It　looked　exactly　like　a　Chinger　except　that　it　was　seven　inches　tall　instead　of　seven　feet。
　　〃All　bowby　humans　have　B。O。；〃　it　said；　in　a　thin　imitation　of　Eager　Beager's　voice。　〃Chingers　can't　sweat。　Chingers　forever！〃　It　charged　across　the　partment　toward　Beager's　bunk。
　　Paralysis　prevailed。　All　of　the　fuse　tenders　who　had　witnessed　the　impossible　events　stood　or　sat　as　they　had　been；　frozen　with　shock；　eyes　bulging　like　hard…boiled　eggs。　The　laundry　officer　was　pinioned　by　the　teeth　locked　into　his　hand；　while　the　two　MPs　struggled　with　the　handcuffs　that　held　them　to　the　immobile　body。　Only　Bill　was　free　to　move　and；　still　dizzy　from　the　beating；　he　bent　over　to　grab　the　tiny　creature。　Small　and　powerful　talons　locked　into　his　flesh；　and　he　was　pulled　from　his　feet　and　went　sailing　through　the　air　to　crash　against　a　bulkhead。　〃Gee…that's　for　you；　you　stoolie！〃　the　minuscule　voice　squeaked。
　　Before　anyone　else　could　interfere；　the　lizardoid　ran　to　Beager's　pile　of　barracks　bags　and　tore　the　topmost　one　open　and　dived　inside。　A　high…pitched　humming　grew　in　volume　an　instant　later；　and　from　the　bag　emerged　the　bulletlike　nose　of　a　shining　projectile。　It　pushed　out　until　a　tiny　spaceship　not　two　feet　long　floated　in　the　partment。　Then　it　rotated　about　its　vertical　axis；　stopping　when　it　pointed　at　the　bulkhead。　The　humming　rose　in　pitch；　and　the　ship　suddenly　shot　forward　and　tore　through　the　metal　of　the　partition　as　if　it　had　been　no　stronger　than　wet　cardboard。　There　were　other　distant　tearing…　sounds　as　it　penetrated　bulkhead　after　bulkhead　until；　with　a　rending　clang；　it　crashed　through　the　outer　skin　of　the　ship　and　escaped　into　space。　There　was　the　roar　of　air　rushing　into　the　void　and　the　clamor　of　alarm　bells。
　　〃Well　I'll　be　damned　。　。　。　〃　the　laundry　officer　said；　then　snapped　his　gaping　mouth　closed　and　screamed；　〃Get　this　thing　offa　my　hand…it's　biting　me　to　death！〃
　　The　two　MPs　still　swayed　back　and　forth；　handcuffed　effectively　to　the　immobile　figure　of　the　former　Eager　Beager。　Beager　just　stared；　smiling　around　the　grip　he　had　on　the　officer's　hand；　and　it　wasn't　until　Bill　got　his　atomic　rifle　and　put　the　barrel　into　Eager's　mouth　and　levered　the　jaw　open　that　the　hand　could　be　withdrawn。　While　he　did　this　Bill　saw　that　the　top　of　Eager's　head　had　split　open　just　above　his　ears　and　was　held　at　the　back　by　a　shiny　brass　hinge。　Inside　the　gaping　skull；　instead　of　brains　and　bones　and　things；　was　a　model　control　room　with　a　tiny　chair；　minuscule　controls；
TV　screens；　and　a　water　cooler。　Eager　was　just　a　robot　worked　by　the　little　creature　that　had　escaped　in　the　spaceship。　It　looked　like　a　Chinger…but　it　was　only　seven　inches　tall。
　　〃Hey！〃　Bill　said；　〃Eager　is　just　a　robot　worked　by　the　little　creature　that　escaped　in　the　spaceship！　It　looked　like　a　Chinger…but　it　was　only　seven　inches　tall　。　。　。〃
　　〃Seven　inches；　seven　feet…what　difference　does　it　make！〃　the　laundry　officer　mumbled　petulantly　as　he　wrapped　a　handkerchief　around　his　wounded　hand。　〃You　don't　expect　us　to　tell　the　recruits