"Harry Harrison - SSR 06 - A Stainless Steel Rat is Born" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

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It worked like a charm. I take some pride in this since it was the first criminal scenario that
I prepared for others to take part in. All unsuspecting of course. At the appointed

A STAINLESS STEEL RAT IS BORN 7

time I drifted up to the candy counter at Ming's, working very hard to ignore the rentaflics, who
were working equally hard pretending they weren't watching me. With relaxed motions I placed the
book atop the candies and bent to fix my boot fastener.
"Nicked!" the burlier of them shouted, seizing me by the coat collar. "Gotchal" the other
crowed, grabbing up the book.
"What are you doing," I croakedтАФ1 had to croak be-

cause my coat was now pulled tight about my throat as I hung suspended from it. "ThiefтАФgive me
back my sevenbuck history book that my Morn bought with money earned weaving matts from porcuswine
quills!"
"Book?" the great bully sneered. "We know all about this book." He seized the ends and pulled.
It opened and the look on his face as the pages flipped over was something sweet to behold. "
"I have been framed," I squeaked, opening my coat and dropping free, rubbing at my sore throat.
"Framed by the criminal who bragged about using that same technique for his own nefarious ends. He
stands there, one Smelly by name. Grab him, guys, before he runs away!" Smelly could only stand
and gape while the ready hands of his peers clutched tight. His schoolbooks fell to the floor and
the imitation book burst open and disgorged its contents of Get-Stuffeds upon the floor.
It was beautiful. Tears and recriminations and shouting. A perfect distraction as well. Because
this was the day that I field-tested my Mark II Get-Stuffed stuffer. I had worked hard on this
device which was built around a silent vacuum pumpтАФwith a tube down my sleeve. I brought the tube
end close to the candy bars andтАФzip!тАФthe first of them vanished from sight. It ended up in my
trousers, or rather inside the hideous plus-fours we were forced to wear as a school uniform.
These bagged out and were secured above the ankle by a sturdy elastic band. The candy bar dropped
safely into it, to be followed by another and yet another.
Except I couldn't turn the damn thing off. Thank goodness for Smelly's screaming and struggling.
All eyes were

8 A STAINLESS STEEL RAT IS BORN

on him and not me as I struggled with the switch. Meanwhile the pump still pumped and theGet-
Stuffeds shot up my sleeve and into my trousers. I turned it off eventually but if anyone had
bothered to look my way, why the empty counter and my bulging-legged form would have been a might
suspicious. But thankfully no one did. I exited with a rolling gait, as quickly as I could. As I
said, a memory 1. will always cherish.
Which, of course, does not explain why I have now, on my birthday, made the major decision to
hold up a bank. And get caught.
The police had finally broken down the door and were swarming in. I raised my hands over my head
and prepared to welcome them with warm smiles.
The birthday, 'that is the final reason. My seventeenth birthday. Becoming seventeen here on Bit
0' Heaven is a very important time in a young man's life.