Harry Harrison To The Stars

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Page 143
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
knew that his accent was English, and decidedly public school English at that.
So when he read the menu that word had leaped out at him. Hamburger. An old
joke when he was a boy, with his mates, a line from a long-lost
American film. "Gimme a hamboygah." They said it a lot. Apparently this bit of
regional accent still made sense.
One of the men at the counter put some coins down on it, their clinking
drawing Jan's attention. He stood and started for the door, glancing at Jan as
he went by. Had his eyes widened slightly at the same time? There was no way
of telling because he pushed on out into the night. Could he have recognized
Jan? How? Or was Jan just being paranoid? He moved the sack closer to him on
the seat and shook the mouth open so he could reach his gun easily.
Instead of worrying about every stranger he knew that he should be thinking
about ways of escape.
When the food arrived some minutes later he had not even the glimmer of a
plan. After the waitress had served him she looked pointedly at his clothes.
"That'll be six bucks even."
Cash on the line, dressed as he was. Jan didn't blame her. He dug out the
handful of green notes and put them on the table, extracting a five and a one
and passing them Over to her. She shoved them into the pocket of her apron and
left.
Without looking around and without hesitation they slid into the booth across
the table from him. Jan put the coffee cup slowly down and seized the butt of
the pistol with his other hand.
They weren't looking at him; appeared not to notice him. One of them took a
coin from his pocket and reached over to put it into a slot under the table TV
screen. The machine came to life with a blare of music. Jan did not look at
it; he drew the gun from the bag under the shelter of the table. The thin man
who had inserted the coin touched the controls, changing channels until he was
satisfied, then sat back. It was a sports broadcast, about a racing match of
some kind.
What did it mean? Jan thought. Both men were middle-aged, dressed very much
the way he was. They appeared to be examining the menu, but did not press the
service button. As yet neither of them had caught his eye. The words of the
television announcer cut suddenly through his concentration.
"... further news of the criminal rebels who attempted to seize the Alpharon.
The fighting has ended and the murderers have met the fate they wished for
others. Quick justice at the hands of the comrades of those brave men who gave
their lives for their home world..."
One glimpse of the torn, twisted and blood-drenched bodies of his friends was
enough.
Jan looked back at the two men. The announcer's next words froze him
motionless.
"One criminal escaped. His name is Jan Kulozik and the public is warned that
he is dangerous. He is wanted alive for questioning concerning details of this
mutinous plot. There is
so after awhile he added, "Why do they want you, Kulozik?"
Jan's answer was to bring the barrel of the gun up over the edge of the table.
"This is a standard issue .65 calibre, rifleless pistol. It fires rocket slugs
that can blow a hole through a cow. I want you to stand up and walk out of
here ahead of me. Now."
They obeyed instantly, sliding out of the booth and waiting for him, their
backs turned.
Then they went out the door with Jan following them. As he walked through
after them Jan was barely aware of the figure in the darkness to one side,
swinging something. He half turned and was just bringing up the gun when he
was struck.
Page 144
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Seven
"I can only repeat what I've told you before," Jan said.
"Then do it."
It was a different voice -- but the questions were the same. Jan was bound so
tightly to the hard chair that his arms and legs were numb; his eyes were
bandaged. It seemed that he had been tied there for eternity.
"My name is Jan Kulozik. I arrived on the Alpharon. I didn't know the ship's
name until I
heard the broadcast. I was with a group of prisoners who escaped. I was the
only one that got away. I killed an officer..."
"His name?"
"Lauca, Sub-Lieutenant Lauca. And it was not murder but self-defense. I've
told you all this already. I took his uniform and gun, commandeered a truck
driven by a man named Eddie
"How the hell do I know? That was a long time ago. He blinked at the three men
standing before him. Two of them were the ones from the restaurant. "If you're
Security then you know all about me. So why these games?"
The newcomer, a scrawny man with a head as naturally bald as Jan's shaved one,
answered him. "We're not Security. But maybe you are. A plant. To find our
people. So you should answer our questions. We can help you -- if you are what
you say you are. If not, we'll kill you."
Jan looked at their faces, then nodded slowly.
"I feel the same hesitancy on my own part. You could be Security no matter
what you say. So I will tell you only what is in my record. I'll not
compromise others."
"Agreed." The bald man looked at a sheaf of printout. "What was your phone
number in
London?"
Jan closed his eyes, tried to think. It was another age, really another life.
He visualized his apartment, the doorman, the lift. Going into his flat,
picking up the phone...
"Oh one... two three six... treble one two. That's it."
There were more questions like this. He answered them more quickly as memory
flooded back That must be his security file they held -- but how had they
obtained it?
Only Security would have that. Were they just playing with him?
"That's enough," the bald man said, throwing aside the accordion-folded paper.
"Cut him loose. We'll just have to take a chance that he's telling the truth."
"I hope that you're telling the truth, Shiny. If you are Security you can find
out everything that I know without all this rigmarole. I know. I've been
through it."
"And you've been to the other worlds?" one of the men blurted out, unable to
contain himself further. "The rebellion. Tell us about it. All we know is the
official propaganda."
"What do they say?"
"Nothing. Hogwash. Misled few... rebellion put down. Saboteurs have
destroyed food crops, so there will be rationing. All of the rebels captured
or destroyed.."
"Hogwash -- just like you said. They wouldn't dare tell you that we've won!
They have been kicked off every world and have fled back here to Earth."
Their stern faces changed while he talked, relaxing, smiling -- then shouting
with glee.
"You mean it -- you actually mean it?"
"I've no cause to lie. They rule here in the solar system -- but nowhere
else."
It was Christmas, holiday time, all of the pleasures of the world rolled into
Page 145
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
one. If they are faking this, Jan thought, they are the best actors in the
world. He was sure now that he had fallen into the hands of the resistance
instead of the police. He told them all that he knew, then finally interrupted
the flow of questions.
"It's my turn," he said. "How was it that you got to me ahead of Security?"
"Just luck," Shiny told him. "Or maybe there are more of us. As soon as they
began broadcasting that flash about you the word came down to try and find
you. We have more sympathizers than members. One of them saw you here and got
through to us. The rest you know."
Jan pulled on the sleazy cotton slacks and shirt. He was glad to be rid of the
military boots which were hurting even more now. The open sandals were a
relief. One of the men went out and brought back a peaked cap that had Dodgers [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Archiwum