"Harry Harrison - SSR 08 - The Stainless Steel Rat Sings the " - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

your tomb stone. But only if you wish."

"What do you mean tombstone? And what do you mean death sentence? That's illegal by galactic law!"

"There is no galactic law down here," he intoned with a voice like a funeral march. "There is only the law
of the Mint. Judgment is final."

"The trial . . ." I said feebly, visions of lawyers, appeals, torts and documents dancing in my head.

There was no mercy in his voice now, no touch of the tiniest of iceberg smiles on his lips.

"The penalty for theft in the Mint is death. The trial takes place after the execution."

CHAPTER 2

I am still young-and it did not look like I was going to get any older. My dedication to a life of crime had
led to a far shorter lifespan than could normally be expected. Here I was, not yet twenty years old. A
veteran who had fought in two wars, had been imprisoned and drafted, who had been depressed by the
death of my good friend The Bishop, been impressed by Mark Forer the great Artificial Intelligence. Was


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that it? Had I had it? No more to life than that? All over.

"Never!" I shouted aloud, but the two guards merely gripped my arms the harder and pushed me along the
corridor. A third armed guard went ahead and unlocked the cell door, while the one behind me prodded
my kidneys with the barrel of his gun.

They were good and they took no chances. They were big and mean and I was small and lean. Shivering
with fear, I was crouching even lower. Once the cell door was open the guard with the keys turned
towards me and unlocked my handcuffs.

Then gasped as my knee caught him in the stomach and knocked him back into the cell. At the same time
I grabbed the two guards beside me by the wrists, crossed my arms with a single spasmodic burst of effort
that pulled the two of them crashing together; their skulls bonked nicely. At the same instant I lashed
backward-catching the fourth guard on the bridge of his nose with the back of my head. Everything
happening at approximately the same time.

Two seconds ago I had been bound and captive.

Now one guard was out of sight, groaning in the cell. Two more holding their heads and howling, the
fourth one clutching a bloody nose. They hadn't been expecting this: I had.

I ran. Back the way we had come and through the still open door. Hoarse, angry cries were cut off as I
slammed it shut, locked it. The thick panel shook as heavy bodies thudded against the other side.

"Got you!" a victorious voice shouted and rough hands grabbed me. He could not know by touch that I
was a Black Belt? He found out the hard way.