"HARRISON, Harry - 10 - The Stainless Steel Rat Joins the Circus (v1.0)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

"What do you have there?" she asked as I pulled a silver form out from behind a belt of ammunition.
"Jolly Barman Instant Cocktails. I bought a couple of these on sale." I pulled the tab and two plastic beakers dropped into my hand. There was a hissing sound and the can turned cold in my hand; moisture condensed on it. I handed Angelina a beaker, poured it full of sparkling liquid. The gray scraps in the bottoms of the mugs were instantly reconstituted by the liquid to pieces of fruit. I poured another drink for myself and we sipped appreciatively.
"Not too bad." I smacked my lips and cudgeled my brain. "Those police were out to blast us-not arrest us. Are we missing something?"
"Obviously. I think that we should get out of the forest now and see what we can find out about this mystery attack."
"We can't exactly call the police and ask them why they were gunning for us-can we?"
"We can't. Therefore I will think of something more subtle. Call our son James and have him do a computer search of our problem. After all-he is in the computer business here and should know how to get information."
"An excellent idea. We can also have him come pick us up since it is a long walk home."
We finished the drinks and I shouldered the survival kit. There was no sound of aircraft now, just some distant birdcalls and the hum of insects. We moved through the trees, staying undercover, distancing ourselves from the action with the police fleet. We listened closely but there was no sound of any engines behind or above us. I smiled. Then I frowned when I heard the grumble of a motor up ahead.
"Perhaps that is a sturdy forester, practicing his weald-wise trade," I said hopefully.
"Would that it were. Because whatever it is out there is coming closer. If they are looking for us, then I am forced to believe that all of this activity and attention is far too murderous for a simple traffic bust."
"Unhappily, I agree. They have made no attempt to communicate with us just came in blasting."
I looked on gloomily as she opened the survival kit and took out an immense handgun. "But let us not make it easy for them."
We didn't. The armored police cruiser had its tracks blow off as it appeared. It kept firing at us even though it couldn't move. We dived in close, so close it could not depress its guns to get at us. I jumped to the top of the tread, flipped open the top hatch and dropped a couple of sleep capsules. Then I looked carefully inside.
"Highly interesting." I rejoined Angelina on the ground. "Nobody home. Which means, like the cruisers that chased us, this thing is also robot operated and remotely controlled."
"By whom?"
"By our new enemies, whoever they are."
Distant engines sounded from behind the trees and we slipped away in the opposite direction, deeper into the forest. Which did not do much good in the end because there were. now sounds of machines from ahead.
"They have trackers on us-so there is no point in wearying ourselves by running about. We'll stay here and make a stand. Get as many of these robot machines as we can."
"I thought that there were laws of robotics-about not killing or injuring humans."
"It looks like those laws were repealed. Lock and load here they come again!"
I would have felt a certain compunction about killing a policeman, but I really did enjoy blasting police robots into tiny bits of junk. But it proved to be a no-win battle. Wherever we turned they were there ahead of us. Our ammunition dwindled as their numbers increased.
"My last grenade," Angelina said as she blasted a hovertank.
"My last shot," I said, taking out a robocycle. "It has been nice knowing you."
"Nonsense, Jim. You are not giving up, you never do, never will."
"You know that-but they don't." I stepped out into the clearing and waved my handkerchief, raised my palms in the air as I faced the circle of robot police. "Peace, pax, surrender. OK?"
"No OK," an armored robot said. It had sergeant's stripes welded to its arm, and a sneering tone to its metallic voice.
It raised a glowing muzzled flamethrower.
I blew it away with a shot from my crotch cannon.
Was this the end? Were we to be ground into the soil of this sordid planet at the galaxy's edge?
The tanks and robots and all the other military gear surrounded us, rumbled forward, weapons quivering with metallic malice. Angelina had her
hand in mine. I contemplated one last attack, throwing myself onto our attackers in the vain hope that she might escape. Then, even as I tensed my muscles for a suicidal attack, a voice sounded out from among the trees.
"You really are very good," the dapper man said condescendingly as he stepped into the glade. Full evening dress, black cloak held by a diamond brooch, diamondнcapped cane. This was too much. I heard a primitive, unsummoned growl grumble from the back of my throat as I fired what really was the very last shot from my crotch cannon.
It exploded with a glare of flame, a blast of noise.
Just in front of him. Spending all of its energy harmlessly against the force screen emanating from his walking stick.
"Temper, temper," he breathed, covering a yawn with the back of his hand. He waved the ebony cane in a slight arc and all of the weaponry grumbled back into the forest and vanished from sight.
"You are not the police," Angelina said.
"Anything but, Mrs. diGriz. Those were my minions who took you on. My employees, so to speak. Their ranks are now well decimated I must add."
"Tough," I said. "Call your insurance company. Remember-you started it."
"I did indeed, and am well satisfied by the outcome. I have heard from many sources that you were the best man-and best lady of course-in your chosen profession. I found that hard to believe. But now I do. Most impressive. So impressive that I am prepared to offer you a little assignment."
"I am not for hire. Who are you?"
"Oh, I think you are. Imperetrix Von Kaiser-Czarski. You may call me Chaise."
"Good-by, Chaise," I sneered, taking Angelina's hand and turning away.
"One million credits a day. Plus expenses."
"Two million," I said, turning back, all sneering spent.
"Done. We will both sign this." A gold-embellished contract on finest vellum unrolled from his walking stick and he passed it over to me. Angelina leaned over my shoulder and we read it together.
"Any problems?" Chaise asked.
"None," I answered. "We undertake to undertake an assignment at the agreed fee, payment to be deposited daily to my account. Fine. But what is it that you want us to do?"
Chaise sighed and touched his stick again. It opened up into a comfortable-looking folding seat and he settled into it.
"To begin with, you must realize my position, understand exactly who I am. You have never heard of me because I prefer it that way. If only to avoid the people with their hands out, eagerly seeking some of my money. I am, to put it simply, the richest man in the galaxy." He smiled slightly as he spoke. Undoubtedly thinking of all the money he had.
"I am probably the oldest man as well. The last time I worked out the figures, I think it was forty thousand years, give or take a millennium or two. As I am sure you realize, one's memory begins to glitch a bit as the centuries roll by. I was a scientist, rather I think that I was a scientist. Or perhaps I hired a scientist. In any case I developed the first longevity drug. That much I am sure of. Which I, of course, kept to myself. And have been improving it ever since. How old do you think I look?"