"Harrison, Harry- The Stainless Steel Rat for President" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

He nodded, still shocked by the rapidity of events, then finally got the words out. "If we can. See if they're carrying heat, anything. Renata does it after the game starts, then signals us what's in the bag."
"A good code. I never noticed it. Listen, if I bring your friends around do you promise no more strongarm stuff? And

you can keep the money you won as a sign of good faith. " "You mean that? Who are you? Police . . . ?" I decided to take a chance on a measure of frankness.
"You have it the wrong way around. The main reason I jumped at a chance of a game tonight was because every policeman in town is looking for me. I didn't think they would look here."
He whinnied and shied away. "You're the guy on the radio! The mass murderer who killed forty-two people . . ." "No. I'm the guy on the radio all right, but the mass murderer is their cover story. I'm the guy who is working for the opposition to trv and eet Zanilote kicked out of office."

90 The Stainless Steel Rat for President

"You mean that?" He was excited now, his fear gone. "If

you are going to take The Buzzard out, why I'm on your side. They got the rackets so sewn up that it's hard for a grifter to make an honest living."
"One of the best reasons I have ever heard for clean government!" I extended my hand. "Put it there, Adolfo. You have just joined the political party. I can guarantee that when

our man is elected that the dumbest cop on the planet will be put in charge of the bunco squad. "
We shook enthusiastically on that. Then I dug out the pressure spray hypo of antidote and gave his snoring associates a shot each, but only after I had taken the precaution of locking their guns safely away in my case.
"They'll come around in about five minutes," I said, as we propped them comfortably on the couch.
"I have a question," he said. "I admit you got me. I know I shuffled that deck right. So how did you deal yourself that hand?"
"I did what you weren't expecting," I told him, not able to keep all the pride from my voice. What joy to beat a pro at his own game! "Look at the deck."
He did, fanning the cards in a swift arc across the table. One glimpse did it. "The aces are still hereЧand the joker

. . ." He gaped up at me and burst out laughing. "Palmed from the old deck."
"Exactly, I slipped them out when we discarded it. You

were so busy stacking this deck that you never noticed." "You're really good, Jaime." Ahh, what wonderful words! "Your hands were empty when you sat down at the table. Of courseЧyou reached down to pull your chair close. Palmed the extra cards then. Slipped them on the bottom of the deck. Dealt your own hand from the bottom and that was that."
We kept the conversation at this professional level for quite awhile. I showed him a holdout and a pass that had never reached this planet, in exchange for a very nifty substitution. By the time Santos stirred and groaned to life we were thick as thieves. The big man muttered, licked his lips, opened his eyesЧand roared with anger as he hurled himself at me. Adolfo put out his foot and tripped him so he sprawled out at

our feet.
"He's a friend," Adolfo said. "Let me explain." Since the little man was the brains of the outfit they

The Stainless Steel Rat for President 91

accepted me at once. To seal the bond of friendship I opened

my bag and gave each of them a crisp packet of money.
"To close the contract," I said. "You're on the party payroll

now. With my personal guarantee that you will be in on the payoff at the end. The new president will do exactly what I tell him to." Which was the absolute truth considering the fact that I was going to be that president. "The first thing you

can do is help me get back in contact with my people. Do you ever work the tourists in Puerto Azul?"
"That's like suicide!" Adolfo gasped, while the others nodded horrified agreement. "The only off-planet currency we

ever get on this planet comes from them. The Ultimados would butcher us in a second if we went near the tourists. We keep our heads down, work a few country marks that come to the big city, give a cut to the police for protection. They make sure that the Ultimados don't know we exist." "Could you go to Puerto Azul?" "No reason why not. Our travel papers are in order." "That's good enough. I have a contact there who can get a message through to the MarquCz de la Rosa, who will see to it that I get help."
"Do you know him?" Renata asked in a hushed voice. Even crooks are impressed by the aristocracy.
"Know him? We had breakfast together this morning. The only question now isЧwhat will the message be?" And even

more importantЧand depressing thoughtЧwhat if the marquez were no longer alive? Had they made it back to the castle all rightЧor had they been intercepted on the way? Were Boli-

var and James all right? Or had they been . . . ?
I paced the floor, unthinking, obsessed with worry now that I was out of trouble myself. I could plan nothing until I found out what the situation was. But how could I contact the castle?