"Harry Harrison - SSR 09 - The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to He" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

have a strong suspicion that this suspect is ahead of us all of the way. Contacting the ship's
destination will probably do no good at all because the spacer will arrive instead at some
unscheduled chartpoint. If you ask me you've lost him, Captain. But you can at least tell me who-
or what-he is supposed to be."
"That is the worst part. He really is Professor Slakey. I started a search as soon as
his name appeared. I have just received a report directly from the medical authorities. He is a
physicist of interstellar repute who was requested to come here by the Medical Commission, no
expense was too great to acquire his services. Something to do with retarded entropy as applied to
our hospital work."
"Sounds reasonable. Slow down entropy and you slow down aging. Which is what this planet
is all about. Was he for real?"
"Undoubtedly. I had the privilege of meeting him at a function once. Everyone there, the
scientists, physicists for the main part, were greatly in awe of his talents and the work that he
did here. lam getting reports now," he touched his earphone, "that they all refuse to believe he
had anything to do with the Fanyimadu personality."
"Do you?"
Before he could answer there was a shouted exchange outside, then the door was- thrown
open and a policeman ran in. Holding an insulated container.
"The search team found this when they were going through all the debris in the Temple of
Eternal Truth, Captain-crushed under the machinery in the temple. We had no idea it was there
until the wreckage was lifted. It's a.. . human hand."
He put it on the table and, in silence, we looked through the transparent side at the
crushed and mangled hand inside. I had a long moment of panic before I could see by the size, the
shape, that it was certainly male.
"Did anyone think to take the fingerprints of this?" I said.
"Yes, sir. They were sent for comparison..
He was interrupted by the ring of the phone. Captain Collin put it to his ear, listened,
replaced it slowly.
"Positive identification. This is-Professor Slakey's hand."
I pointed. "If you need proof, there it is. They were one and the same person. The blood
tests, now this. Slakey was Fanyimadu. Keep me informed of everything. Understand?"
I did not wait around for an answer. Turned on my heel-and left. Called back over my
shoulder. "I assume that all details on Slakey will be in my commhopper when I get home."
So much for the police and the authorities. It was time to get to work. I radioed for a
cab, told the driver to have my own car returned from the Central Police Station--one of the perks
of the rich is letting the menials do as much as possible-and planned each step of the action that
must be taken.
"Let me off here," I ordered while we were still a kilometer from my house. I was too
jumpy to be driven around in luxury. I wanted to walk-and think. I had the strong feeling that the
police were not going to come up with any answers for this one. They had been out-thought right
down the line. But could I do any better?
The homes were luxurious, surrounded by brilliant gardens, the air rich with bird sound. I
heard little, saw nothing. Though I was aware when I walked up the path to my home that the front
door was slightly open. I had left it closed. Thieves? No way-at least they took care of the
ordinary kind of crime on lovely Lussuoso. I was smiling as I banged my way in. James jumped to
his feet and we embraced warmly. Or was it Bolivar?
"It's James, Dad," he said, knowing my weaknesses. "One day you better learn to tell us
apart."
"I do. You usually wear blue shirts."
"This one is green-you have to do better than that."