A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born

Chapter 17

With savage glee I cut one of the blankets into strips and bound those delicate wrists and trim ankles. I was just putting sticking tape over her mouth when she came to and tried to scream. It came out as a muffled mewl. "Can she breathe all right like that?" The Bishop asked.

"Perfectly. See the glare in her eye and the angry heaving of that magnificent chest? She is breathing through her nostrils just fine. Now - will you tell me what this is all about?" "On deck, if you please." He waited until the door was closed behind us before he spoke, rubbing his hands together with joy.

"Our troubles are over, my boy. I knew that as soon as I looked at the map. There are two things about this fine city that assure me of that. One was the bank, a branch of Galactic Trust with which I have an account - sizeable as you have seen. The second fact of interest is that there is a spaceport here." I puzzled over this for a few seconds as my sluggish brain slowly added two and two. Then my jaw gaped so hard I could barely speak.

"You mean that, us, we... we are going offplanet?" He nodded and grinned. "Precisely. This little world has become, shall we say, a little too warm for us. It will be even warmer when our female friend is freed. By that time we shall have shaken the dust of Bit O'Heaven from our boots and we will be lightyears away. You did tell me that you wanted to travel?" "I did, of course, but aren't there controls, inspections, police, things like that?" "There are. But customs and immigration can be circumvented if you know how. I know how. And I did check on which ships were here before taking this drastic step. I am sorry that I had no opportunity to warn you, but I was certain that your magnificent reflexes would resolve the matter with ease. When I left here I did not know that this would be the day to put the plan into operation. I intended just to get the money to string the girl along. While keeping track of spacer operations. But the fates are on our side. There is a freighter here from Venia taking on cargo - and leaving in the early hours of the morning. Isn't that wonderful!" "I'm sure that it is. But I would be a lot surer if I knew why." "Jim, your education has been sorely neglected. I thought every schoolboy knew how venal the Venians were. They are the despair of the League polimetricians. Incorrigible. The motto on Venia is La regloj ciam sansiligas. Which may be freely translated as There are no Fixed Rules. That is to say, there are laws about everything, but bribery can change anything. It is not so much that they are a world of criminals, but rather a planet of twisters." "Sounds nice," I agreed. "Then what have you arranged?" "Nothing yet. But I am positive that opportunity will arrive at the spaceport. " "Yes, sure." I was far from enthusiastic. The plan had all the earmarks of improvisation and crossed fingers. But I had little choice. "What about the girl?" "Well leave a message for the police with the electronic post, to be delivered after we are gone. Telling them the place where she can be found," "That place can't be here - too public. There is an automated marina farther downstream. I could tie up there, one of the outer berths." "The perfect solution. If you will give me instructions how to find it I will hie myself to the spaceport to make the arrangements. Shall we meet there at 2300 hours?" "Fine by me." I watched his impressive form move off in the growing darkness, then started the engine and made a slow turn in the canal. It was dark by the time I reached the marina. But it was brightly lit and the channel was well marked. Most of the boats had tied up close to shore, which was fine by me. I took the outermost berth, well away from the others. Then went below, turned on the lights, and faced the poisonous glare from those lovely eyes. I locked the cabin door behind me, then sat down on the bunk across from Beth.

"I want to talk to you. If I take off the tape do you promise not to scream? We are well away from the city and there is no one here to hear you in any case. Deal?" The hatred was still there as she nodded reluctantly. I peeled off the tape - then jerked my fingers away just in time as those perfect teeth snapped at my hand.

"I could kill you, murder you, butcher you, slaughter you..." "Enough," I said. "I'm the one who could do all those things, not you. So shut up." She shut. Perhaps realizing what her position really was; there was more fear than anger in her eyes now. I didn't want to terrorize a helpless girl - but the murder talk had been her idea. She was ready to listen.

"You can't be comfortable. So lie still while I untie you." She waited until her wrists were free, then raked her nails towards my face while I was untying her ankles. I had expected this, so she ended up back on the bunk with the breath knocked out of her.

"Act reasonable," I told her. "You can be tied ahd gagged again just as easily. And please don't forget that you brought this on yourself." "You are a criminal, a thief. Wait until the police get their hands on you..." "And vou are a blackmailer. Can we stop the names and games now? Here is what is going to happen. We are going to leave you on this boat and when we are well away the police will be told where to find you. I'm sure that you will tell them a good story. There are express linears from here, as well as the highways. You'll never see us again, nor will they." A little misdirection never hurt. "I'm thirsty." "I'll get you something. " Of course she made a break for the door when I had my back turned, then tried for my eyes again when I pulled her away. I could understand her feelings - I just wished that she wouldn't." Time dragged very slowly after that. She had nothing to say that I wanted to hear - and the reverse was obviously true as well. Hours passed in this way before the boat rocked as someone stepped aboard. I dived towards the bunk but she got out one good scream before I could silence her. The door handle rattled and turned. "Who is it?" I called out, crouched and ready for battle.

"Not a stranger, I assure you," the familiar voice said. I unlocked and opened the door with a feeling of great relief.

"Can she hear me?" he asked, looking at the silent figure on the bunk.

"Possibly. Let me secure her again and we'll go on deck." He went ahead of me and as I closed the door a sudden flare of light lit up the night sky, then climbed in a burning arc up to the zenith, "A good omen," The Bishop said. "A deep spacer. All is arranged. And time is of the essence, so I suggest that we grab up our things and leave at once." "Transportation?" "A rented groundcar." "Can it be traced?" "I hope so. The rental return is located at the linear station. I've purchased tickets, for both of us you will be happy to hear." "I mentioned linears to our friend inside." "Two great minds that work as one. I think I shall manage to drop the tickets where she can see them while we are packing." We were in and out quite quickly - and I did enjoy the way the unmistakable blue linear tickets dropped on the blankets for an instant. Fell from his pocket while both his hands were engaged elsewhere. Masterful! As I closed the door I could not resist the temptation to blow a kiss towards Beth. I received a glower and a muffled snarl in return, which I surely deserved. She still had a few thousand of our money so she should not complain.

After turning in the groundcar we took the levitrain to the linear station. Where we waited until we were alone and unobserved before continuing on to the spaceport. Up until this moment it had been all rush and plan and the reality of what I was doing struck home only when I saw the floodlit flank of a deep spacer looming up ahead.

I was going offplanet! It is one thing to watch the spaceoperas - but another thing completely to venture into space. I felt the goosebumps swell on my arm, the hair stir on my neck. This new life was going to be a good one!

"Into the bar," The Bishop ordered. "Our man is already here!" A thin man in grease-stained spacer gear was just leaving, but dropped back into the booth when he saw The Bishop.

"Vi estas malfrua!" he said angrily.

"Vere - sed me havas la monon," The Bishop answered, flashing a large wad of bills which soothed the other immeasurably. The money changed hands, and after some more conversation another bundle of bills went the way of the first. Greed satisfied, the spaceman led the way to a service van and we climbed into the back. The door was slammed and in the darkness we sped off.

What an adventure! Unseen vehicles passed us, then there were strange hammering sounds that came and went, followed by a loud hissing like a giant serpent. We stopped soon after this and our guide came around and opened the rear door. I stepped out first and found myself at the foot of a ramp leading up into what could only be the battered hull of a deep spacer.

Next to the ramp stood an armed guard, staring at me.

It was all over, the adventure ended before it even began. What could I do? Run, no I couldn't leave The Bishop. He pushed past me while I was still rushing about in circles inside my head, strolled casually over to the guard.

And passed him a wad of bills.

The guard was still counting them when we hurried up the ramp behind our bribed spaceman, struggling to stay close with all the baggage we carried.

"Eniru, rapide!" the spaceman ordered, opening the door of a compartment. We pushed through into the darkness as the door closed and locked behind us.

"Safe harbor!" The Bishop sighed with relief as he fumbled at the wall until he found the switch, and the lights came on. We were in a small, cramped cabin. There were two narrow bunks and an even smaller bathroom beyond. Pretty grim.

"Home sweet home," The Bishop said, smiling benevolently as he looked around. "We'll have to stay in here at least two days. So let us stow our gear well out of sight. Otherwise the captain will threaten to return and the bribe will be higher. I'm sure we can last it out." "I'm not sure I understand all of that. Haven't you paid the bribe already?" "Only the first installments. Bribes are never shared, that is your first lesson in the gentle art. The spaceman got paid to sneak us aboard, and arranged that a friendly guard would be there to take his cut. Those arrangements are in the past. Our presence aboard this ship is unknown to the officers - and particularly the captain who will need a very large payment indeed. You will see." "I certainly intend to. Bribery is indeed an exacting science." "It is." "It's a good thing you speak their language so you can do a deal." His eyebrows shot up at this and he leaned close. "You did not understand us?" he asked.

"I didn't take foreign languages in school." "Foreign!" He looked shocked. "What a backward part of that porcuswine-rearing planet you must have come from. That was not a foreign language, dear boy. That was Esperanto, the galactic language, the simple, second language that everyone learns early and speaks like a native. Your education has been neglected, but that is easily repaired. Before our next planetfall you shall be speaking it as well. To begin with, all present tense verbs in all persons end in as. Simplicity itself..." He stopped as someone tried the handle on the cabin door. His finger touched his lips as he pointed to the adjoining bath. I dived that way and turned on the light there just as he turned off the one in the cabin. He joined me in a rush and jammed in beside me as I flicked off the light. He eased the door shut just as the corridor door opened.

Footsteps thudded across the cabin and there was the sound of thin whistling. A routine inspection, nothing to be seen, he would go away in an instant...

Then the bathroom door opened and the light came on. The gold-braided officer looked at The Bishop cramped into the tiny shower, at me crouching on the commode, as he smiled a singularly dirty smile.

"I thought there was too much activity belowdecks. Stowaways." A small gun appeared in his hand. "Out. You two are going ashore and I am calling the local police."