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s%20Steel%20Rat%20wants%20you.txt defense, I am not really very good at
throttling old grandfathers to death while they are quietly watching me. My
fingers loosened of their own accord. I matched the man stare for stare and
snarled in my most nasty manner.
"Shout for help and you are dead in an instant."
"That is the last thing I wish to do. My name is Hanasu and I have been
looking forward to meeting you ever since you escaped. I have done my best to
lead you here."
"Would you mind explaining that?" I let my hands fall, though I was still
alert for trouble.
"Of course. As soon as I heard the radio report I tried to put myself in your
place. If you went south or east you would end up among the buildings of the
city where you would be quickly found. If you did not do this your course
would take you west in the direction of this school. Of course if you headed
north you would come to the sea very quickly and would then still have to go
west. Operating on this theory I changed today's schedules and decided that
all of the boys needed more exercise. They are all hating me now because they
missed hours of classroom study that will have to be made up tonight. But they
all did a number of kilometers on skis. Their course, not by chance, took them
first south then west, to return here in a large loop along the shore. This
was designed so that if you did see any of them you would follow them here. Is
that what you did?"
There was no point in lying. "Yes. Now what do you plan to do?"
"Do? Why, talk to you of course. You were not seen entering the building?"
"No. Is
"Better than I expected. I was sure I would have to axionfeed some people. You
are very ingenious, I should have remembered that. Now, the other end of this
observation gallery leads to my office. Shall we go there?"
"Why? You're going to turn me in?"
"No. I want to talk to you."
"I don't believe you."
"Naturally, you have no reason to. But you have little choice. Since you did
not kill me at once I doubt if you will do it now. Follow me."
At that Hanasu turned and walked away. There was little else I could do except
trot after him.
And stay close. Maybe I couldn't chop him down in the prime of his senile
life, but I could certainly grab him and wrap him like a package if he tried
to call in any alarms.
The gallery wound up and down by many other classes, and I had tantalizing
glimpses of what they were doing. But no chance to stop. I was right behind
him when he climbed a short flight of steps and reached for the door handle. I
put my hand out and stopped him.
"What's in here?" I asked.
"My office, as I said."
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"Is anyone in there?"
"I doubt it. They have no permission to enter when I am not there. But I can
look--"
"I think I would prefer to do that myself."
Which I did, and he was right. I felt very much like a lizard as I searched
the room trying to keep one eye on him and the other on the fixtures, both at
the same time. A narrow window opening out onto blackness, shelves of books, a
large desk, files, a few chairs. I waved him to the one furthest from the
desk--where any buttons or alarms would not be located. He went quietly,
sitting and folding his hands while I prowled a bit more. There was a jug of
water and a glass on the sideboard and I suddenly realized how thirsty I was.
I poured and glugged and managed to finish
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s%20Steel%20Rat%20wants%20you.txt all of it. Then I dropped into the chair
behind his desk, put my feet up on it.
"And you really want to help me?" I asked, in my most sceptical tone of voice.
"Yes, I do."
"For openers you might show me how to take this collar off my neck."
"Of course. You'll find a key in the right hand drawer of the desk. The
keyhole is just below the cable connection on the collar."
It took a bit of fumbling, but the collar finally snapped open and I threw it
into the corner.
"Great. A wonderful feeling." I looked around. "A nice office. Do you run this
place?"
"I am the headmaster, yes. I was exiled here as punishment. They would have
killed me, but they did not dare."
"I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about. Would you care to
explain?"
"Of course. The Committee of Ten rule this planet. I was on this committee for
many years. I
am an extremely good organizer. I originated and planned the entire Cliaand
operation. When it was terminated, thanks to your efforts, I returned and
became First of the Committee. That was when I
attempted to alter our programs and they punished me for it. I have been at
this school ever since. I cannot leave here nor can I change one word of the
program which is fixed and immutable.
It is a very safe prison."
This was getting more and more interesting. "What changes did you try to
make?"
"Radical ones. I began to doubt all of our aims. I bad been exposed to other
cultures, corrupted they said, as I began to question ours more and more. But
as soon as I tried to put my new ideas into force I was apprehended, removed, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]