the.stainless.steel.rats.revenge-第21部分

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　easy　escape　from　their　problems。　You　have　no　such　escape。〃
　　　　I　was　being　less　and　less　intrigued　all　the　time　by　what　he　had　to　say。　I　had　expected　a　rough　questioning　session；　but　he　had　bigger　things　in　mind。　So　I　dropped　the　bantering　tone　and　gave　it　to　him　straight。
　　　　〃Forget　it。　Face　the　fact　that　I　do　not　like　you　or　your　organization　or　what　you　stand　for；　and　I　do　not　intend　to　change　my　mind。　Even　if　I　promise　to　aid　you　you　can　never　be　sure　that　I　mean　itso　let　us　not　get　involved　in　this　sort　of　farcical　position　to　begin　with。〃　
　　　　〃Quite　the　contrary；〃　he　said；　and　touched　a　button　on　his　desk。　The　box　above　hummed　and　reeled　in　the　thick　wire　pulling　me　upward　until　I　had　to　stand　on　tiptoe　in　order　to　breathe；　the　collar　biting　into　my　neck。　〃Before　I　am　through　with　you　you　will　be　begging　me　for　the　opportunity　to　cooperate　and　will　cry　when　I　do　not　permit　it；　until　you　reach　the　happiest　moment　in　your　life　when　you　are　at　last　granted　your　single　wish。　Let　me　demonstrate　one　of　our　simpler　but　most　convincing　techniques。〃
　　　　My　feet　vibrated　with　pain　but　I　had　to　stay　on　my　toes　or　I　would　have　been　strangled　by　the　collar。　Kraj　rose　and　walked　behind　me　where　I　could　not　see　himthen　seized　both　my　wrists　and　pushed　them　down　against　the　edge　of　the　metal　desk。　The　desk　obliged　him　by　snapping　two　cuffs　about　my　wrists；　clamping　them　there。　Not　about　my　wrists；　this　isn't　exactly　true；　but　about　my　lower　arm；　leaving　my　wrists　and　hands　free。　Not　that　I　could　do　anything　more　than　drum　my　fingertips　on　the　tabletop。　Kraj　reappeared　and　bent　to　take　something　from　a　drawer　in　the　desk。
　　　　It　was　an　ax。　A　long　handled；　steel　edged　ax　of　a　primitive　and　efficient　sort　that　could　be　used　to　chop　down　trees。　He　took　it　in　both　hands　and　raised　it　high　over　his　head。
　　　　〃What　are　you　doing？　Stop！〃　I　shouted　in　sudden　fear；　writhing　in　the　metal　embrace；　unable　to　do　anything　except　stare　while　he　held　the　ax　high　for　a　moment。　Then　brought　it　down　with　a　vicious；　forceful　chop。
　　　　I　suppose　I　screamed　when　it　hit；　I　must　have；　the　pain　was　large　and　consuming。
　　　　As　was　the　sight　of　my　right　hand　severed　from　the　wrist；　lying　unmoving　on　the　desk　top；　the　spout　of　blood　from　my　wrist　pumping　out　and　drenching　it。　The　ax　went　up　again　and　this　time　I　am　sure　I　shouted　aloud；　screamed；　all　the　time　it　went　up　and　flashed　down　and　my　left　hand　was　severed　like　the　right　and　my　life's　blood　spouted　out　all　over　the　desk　and　ran　down　to　the　floor。
　　　　And　through　the　pain　and　the　terror　that　possessed　me　I　was　aware　of　Kraj's　face。　Smiling。　Smiling　for　the　first　time。
　　　　Then　I　was　unconscious。　Blacking　out；　dying；　I　couldn't　tell。　The　world　rushed　away　from　me　down　a　dark　tunnel　and　I　was　left　with　the　sensation　of　pain　alone　and　then　even　that　was　gone。
　　　　When　I　opened　my　eyes　I　was　lying　on　the　floor　and　a　period　of　unmeasured　time　had　gone　by。　My　thoughts　were　thick　with　sleep　or　something　else　and　I　had　to　work　to　dredge　up　the　memory　of　what　had　happened。　Only　when　the　startling　vision　of　my　severed　hands　came　to　me　clearly　did　I　open　my　eyes　and　sit　up；　rubbing　one　hand　with　the　other。　They　felt　perfectly　normal。　What　had　happened？
　　　　〃Stand　up；〃　Kraj　's　voice　said；　and　I　realized　that　I　was　sitting　on　the　floor　before　his　desk　and　that　the　collar　was　still　in　place　about　my　neck　with　its　wiring　running　up　to　the　device　on　the　ceiling。　I　stood；　slowly；　and　looked　at　his　clean　desk。　There　was　no　blood。
　　　　〃I　would　have　sworn　。　。　。〃　I　said　and　my　voice　died　away　as　I　saw　the　two　great　grooves　in　the　metal　top　of　the　desk　as　though　it　had　been　hit　twice　with　some　heavy　blade。　Then　I　lifted　my　hands　before　my　face　and　looked　at　my　wrists。
　　　　Each　wrist　was　circled　by　a　red　weal　of　healing　flesh　with　the　sharp　red　points　of　removed　stitches　along　the　edges。　Yet　my　hands　felt　as　they　always　did。　What　had　happened？
　　　　〃Are　you　beginning　to　understand　what　I　mean？〃　Kraj　asked；　once　more　seated　behind　the　desk；　his　voice　as　gray　as　his　clothing。
　　　　〃What　did　you　do？　You　couldn't　have　amputated　my　hands　and　sewed　them　back。　I　could　tell；　it　would　take　time；　you　couldn't　。　。　。〃　I　realized　that　I　was　starting　to　babble　and　I　shut　up。　
　　　　〃You　don't　believe　it　happened？　Should　I　do　it　again？〃　
　　　　〃No！〃　I　said；　almost　shouting　the　word；　drawing　back　from　him。　He　nodded　approvingly　at　this。
　　　　〃So　the　training　begins。　You　have　lost　a　little　bit　of　reality。　You　do　not　know　what　happenedbut　you　do　know　that　you　do　not　wish　it　to　happen　again。　This　is　the　way　it　will　go。　Eventually　you　will　lose　all　touch　with　the　reality　you　have　known　all　your　life；　and　then　will　lose　contact　with　the　person　you　have　been　all　your　life。　When　you　reach　that　state　we　will　accept　you　as　one　of　us。　Then　you　will　go　into　great　detail　about　your　Special　Corps；　not　only　racking　your　memory　for　crumbs　of　fact　you　may　have　missed；　but　in　actively　originating　plans　for　their　destruction。〃
　　　　〃It　won't　work；〃　I　said　with　a　great　deal　more　sincerity　than　I　really　felt。　〃I　am　not　alone。　The　Corps　is　on　to　you　now　and　actively　working　against　you；　so　that　it　is　now　just　a　matter　of　time　before　they　pull　the　plug　and　all　your　little　invasion　schemes　go　down　the　drain。〃
　　　　〃Quite　the　opposite；〃　Kraj　said　clasping　his　hands　together　on　the　desk　before　him　like　a　teacher　about　to　lecture　a　class。　〃We　have　been　aware　of　their　attention　for　a　long　time　and　have　forestalled　them　at　every　turn。　We　have　captured；　tortured　and　killed　a　number　of　the　Corps　people　to　get　information。　We　know　that　everything　is　geared　to　follow　the　lead　of　a　field　agent；　such　as　yourself；　and　we　have　been　waiting　for　one　to　e　along。　You　have　e；　and　we　have　you。　It　is　that　simple。　You　are　the　weapon　with　which　we　will　destroy　the　Special　Corps。〃
　　　　He　had　me　half　believing　him。　The　plan　he　proposed　sounded　like　a　reasonable　one　and　I　put　that　thought　away　as　fast　as　it　arrived。　I　was　going　to　have　to　stop　agreeing　with　him；　attack　rather　than　defend。
　　　　〃That　is　very　ambitious　of　you　and　I　hope　you　don't　bite　off　more　than　you　can　chew。　Aren't　you　forgetting　the　hundreds　of　planets　that　support　the　league　and　what　they　can　do　to　you　when　they　find　out　the　kind　of　trouble　you　are　causing？〃
　　　　〃There　are　hundreds　of　planets　only　in　theory；　in　reality　they　are　just　one　after　the　other。　We　pluck　them　in　that　manner；　they　fall　before　us；　we　cannot　be　stopped；　and　the　process　is　an　accelerating　one。　As　our　empire　expands　we　move　faster　and　faster。〃　
　　　　〃And　there　is　a　limit　to　that　speed；〃　I　broke　in；　trying　to　work　a　sneer　into　my　words。　〃I　know　how　your　invasion　technique　works　You　don't　invade　a　planet　until　they　have　already　lost。　Isn't　that　right？〃　
　　　　〃Perfectly　correct。〃　He　nodded　agreement　and　I　rushed　on。
　　　　〃You　find　a　planet　that　is　ripe　for　the　picking　with　some　dissident　element　in　the　population；　there　are　people　who　would　plain　about　paradise　so　you　have　no　problem　in　finding　a　group　on　any　world。　Here　on　Burada　it　was　the　men；　the　Konsolosluk　party。　They　were　hot　for　male　rule。　You　backed　them　with　whatever　they　needed。　Your　underground　operators　supplied　them　with　money；　weapons；　propaganda；　all　the　essentials　of　a　takeoverand　it　worked。　And　you　asked　nothing　in　return　for　all　this　aid；　other　than　only　a　token　resistance　when　the　invasion　began。　Your　agents　saw　to　it　that　the　armed　forces　surrendered　after　only　the　briefest　show　of　force。　This　invasion　was　won　before　it　began！　No　wonder　your　military　people　aren't　used　to　taking　losses。〃
　　　　〃Very　observant　of　you。　This　is　exactly　what　we　do；　your　analysis　is　a　masterly　description　of　the　way　in　which　we　operate。〃　
　　　　〃There；　I　have　you；〃　I　said　happily。
　　　　〃On　the　contrarywe　have　you。　You　are　the　only　one　who　knows　about　our　techniques　and　you　will　never　report　them　to　your　superiors。〃　
　　　　〃Oh；　I　don't　know；〃　I　said　with　a　bravado　I　did　not　feel。
　　　　〃Perhaps　you　do　not　know；　but　we　do。　We　have　intercepted　the　report　you　made　and　it　will　never　be　sent。　They　will　wait　in　vain　for　any　word　from　you　and　time　will　pass　and　soon　it　will　be　too　late　for　them　to　do　anything　because　we　will　move　into　phase　two　of　our　operation。　With　the　many　allies　we　have　gained　by　occupying　planets　with　governments　now　friendly　to　us；　we　will　have　a　considerable　number　of　troops　available　to　us。　Mercenaries　I　believe　they　are　called。　They　will　be　invasion　troops　and　great　numbers　of　them　will　be　killed；　but　we　will　always　win　because　our　supply　will　be　relatively　inexhaustible。　It　presents　an　interesting　picture；　does　it　not？〃
　　　　〃It　will　never　work；〃　I　shouted；　with　the　sinking　feeling　at　the　same　time　that　it　would。　〃The　Corps　will　stop　you。〃　How；　with　their　only　agent　run　to　earth　and　trapped？　I　was　having　a　hard　job　convincing　myself　and　getting　nowhere　at　all　in　convincing　him。　
　　　　Kraj　rose　and　started　around　the　desk。　
　　　　〃Now　it　is　time　for　your　indoctrination　to　begin。〃　
　　　　I　cannot　express　the　fear　that　overwhelmed　and　possessed　me　when　I　heard　those　words。

Chapter　14

　　　　I　was　taken　to　a　cell。　A　bare；　windowless　room　whose　only　furnishing　was　an　empty　bucket。　A　ceiling　hook　had　recently　been　installed　here　and　my　attendant　gray　man　obligingly　hooked　me　up　to　it。
　　　　〃