"08 - The SSR Sings the Blues" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

"What are you playing at bastardacoj?" I shouted; "Humane torture to go
with your humane murder?"

A moment later I got my answer. The level began to drop.

"I was right-torturers!" I bellowed. "Torture first-then murder. And you
call yourself civilized. Why are you doing this?"

The last of the water gurgled down the drain and the door slowly opened. I
aimed the pistol at it. I wouldn't mind drowning if I could take the
cretinous colonel or the sadistic sergeant with me.

Something dark appeared through the partly open door. The gun banged and
the bullet thudded into it. A briefcase.

"Cease fire!" a male voice called out. "I am your lawyer."

"He only has one bullet, you're safe," I heard the Colonel gay.

The briefcase came hesitantly into the room, carried by a grayhaired man
who was wearing the traditional gold-flecked and diamond decorated black
suit that adorned lawyers throughout the galaxy.

"I am your court-appointed lawyer, Pederasis Narcoses."

"What good will you do me-if the trial will be after my execution?"

"None. But that is the law. I will have to interview you now to enable me
to conduct your defense at the trial."

"This is madness-I'll be dead?"

"That is correct. But it is the law." He turned to the Colonel. "I must be
alone with my client. That is also the law."

"You have ten minutes, no longer."

"That will suffice. Admit my assistant in five minutes. He has the court
papers and the will."

The door thunked shut and Narcoses opened his briefcase and took out a
plastic bottle filled with a greenish liquid. He removed the top and handed
it to me.

"Drink this, all of it. I'll hold the gun."

I handed him the weapon, took the bottle, smelled it and coughed.
"Horrible. Why should I drink it?"

"Because I told you to. It is of vital importance and you have no choice."