The shadowed bulk of a box car loomed1 up, its open door a blacker square. I leaned against the sill, breathing hard, then reached inside for a grip with my good hand.
Gravel2 scrunched3 nearby. The beam of a flashlight lanced out, slipped along the weathered car, caught me. There was a startled exclamation4. I ducked back, closed my eyes, felt out for his mind. There was a confused murmur5 of thought, a random6 intrusion of impressions from the city all around. It was hard, too hard. I had to sleep—
I heard the snick of a revolver being cocked, and dropped flat as a gout of flame stabbed toward me, the imperative7 Bam! echoing between the cars. I caught the clear thought:
"God-awful looking, shaved head, arm stuck out; him all right—"
I reached out to his mind and struck at random. The light fell, went out, and I heard the unconscious body slam to the ground like a poled steer8.
It was easy—if I could only stay awake.
I gritted9 my teeth, pulled myself into the car, crawled to a dark corner behind a crate10 and slumped11 down. I tried to evoke12 a personality fraction to set as a guard, a part of my mind to stay awake and warn me of danger. It was too much trouble. I relaxed and let it all slide down into darkness.
The car swayed, click-clack, click-clack. I opened my eyes, saw yellow sunlight in a bar across the litter on the floor. The power truss creaked, pulling at my arm. My broken leg was throbbing13 its indignation at the treatment it had received—walking brace14 and all—and the burned arm was yelling aloud for more of that nice dope that had been keeping it from realizing how bad it was. All things considered, I felt like a badly embalmed15 mummy—except that I was hungry. I had been a fool not to fill my pockets when I left the escape capsule in the shallows off Key Largo16, but things had been happening too fast.
I had barely made it to the fishing boat, whose owner I had coerced17 into rendezvousing18 with me before shells started dropping around us. If the gunners on the cruiser ten miles away had had any luck, they would have finished me—and the hapless fisherman—right then. We rode out a couple of near misses, before I put the cruiser's gunnery crew off the air.
At a fishing camp on the beach, I found a car—with driver. He dropped me at the railyard, and drove off under the impression he was in town for groceries. He'd never believe he'd seen me.
Now I'd had my sleep. I had to start getting ready for the next act of the farce19.
I pressed the release on the power truss, gingerly unclamped it, then rigged a sling20 from a strip of shirt tail. I tied the arm to my side as inconspicuously as possible. I didn't disturb the bandages.
I needed new clothes—or at least different ones—and something to cover my shaved skull21. I couldn't stay hidden forever. The yard cop had recognized me at a glance.
I lay back, waiting for the train to slow for a town. I wasn't unduly22 worried—at the moment. The watchman probably hadn't convinced anyone he'd actually seen me. Maybe he hadn't been too sure himself.
The click-clack slowed and the train shuddered23 to a stop. I crept to the door, peered through the crack. There were sunny fields, a few low buildings in the distance, the corner of a platform. I closed my eyes and let my awareness24 stretch out.
"—lousy job. What's the use? Little witch in the lunch room ... up in the hills, squirrel hunting, bottle of whiskey...."
I settled into control gently, trying not to alarm the man. I saw through his eyes the dusty box car, the rust25 on the tracks, the listless weeds growing among cinders26, and the weathered boards of the platform. I turned him, and saw the dingy27 glass of the telegraph window, a sagging28 screen door with a chipped enameled30 cola sign.
I walked the man to the door, and through it. Behind a linoleum-topped counter, a coarse-skinned teen-age girl with heavy breasts and wet patches under her arms looked up without interest as the door banged.
My host went on to the counter, gestured toward the waxed-paper-wrapped sandwiches under a glass cover. "I'll take 'em all. And candy bars, and cigarettes. And give me a big glass of water."
"Better git out there and look after yer train," the girl said carelessly. "When'd you git so all-fired hungry all of a sudden?"
"Put it in a bag. Quick."
"Look who's getting bossy—"
My host rounded the counter, picked up a used paper bag, began stuffing food in it. The girl stared at him, then pushed him back. "You git back around that counter!"
She filled the bag, took a pencil from behind her ear.
"That'll be one eighty-five. Cash."
My host took two dog-eared bills from his shirt pocket, dropped them on the counter and waited while the girl filled a glass. He picked it up and started out.
"Hey! Where you goin' with my glass?"
The trainman crossed the platform, headed for the boxcar. He slid the loose door back a few inches against the slack latch31, pushed the bag inside, placed the glass of water beside it, then pulled off his grimy railroader's cap and pushed it through the opening. He turned. The girl watched from the platform. A rattle32 passed down the line and the train started up with a lurch33. The man walked back toward the girl. I heard him say: "Friend o' mine in there—just passin' through."
I was discovering that it wasn't necessary to hold tight control over every move of a subject. Once given the impulse to act, he would rationalize his behavior, fill in the details—and never know that the original idea hadn't been his own.
I drank the water first, ate a sandwich, then lit a cigarette and lay back. So far so good. The crates34 in the car were marked "U. S. Naval35 Aerospace36 Station, Bayou Le Cochon". With any luck I'd reach New Orleans in another twelve hours. The first step of my plan included a raid on the Delta37 National Labs; but that was tomorrow. That could wait.
It was a little before dawn when I crawled out of the car at a siding in the swampy38 country a few miles out of New Orleans. I wasn't feeling good, but I had a stake in staying on my feet. I still had a few miles in me. I had my supplies—a few candy bars and some cigarettes—stuffed in the pockets of the tattered39 issue coverall. Otherwise, I was unencumbered. Unless you wanted to count the walking brace on my right leg and the sling binding40 my arm.
I picked my way across mushy ground to a pot-holed black-top road, started limping toward a few car lights visible half a mile away. It was already hot. The swamp air was like warmed-over subway fumes41. Through the drugs, I could feel my pulse throbbing in my various wounds. I reached out and touched the driver's mind; he was thinking about shrimps42, a fish-hook wound on his left thumb and a girl with black hair. "Want a lift?" he called.
I thanked him and got in. He gave me a glance and I pinched off his budding twinge of curiosity. It was almost an effort now not to follow his thoughts. It was as though my mind, having learned the trick of communications with others, instinctively43 reached out toward them.
An hour later he dropped me on a street corner in a shabby marketing44 district of the city and drove off. I hoped he made out all right with the dark-haired girl. I spotted45 a used-clothing store and headed for it.
Twenty minutes later I was back on the sidewalk, dressed in a pinkish-gray suit that had been cut a long time ago by a Latin tailor—maybe to settle a grudge46. The shirt that went with it was an unsuccessful violet. The black string tie lent a dubious47 air of distinction. I'd swapped48 the railroader's cap for a tarnished49 beret. The man who had supplied the outfit50 was still asleep. I figured I'd done him a favor by taking it. I couldn't hope to pass for a fisherman—I wasn't the type. Maybe I'd get by as a coffee-house derelict.
I walked past fly-covered fish stalls, racks of faded garments, grimy vegetables in bins51, enough paint-flaked wrought52 iron to cage a herd53 of brontosauri, and fetched up at a cab stand. I picked a fat driver with a wart54.
"How much to the Delta National Laboratories?"
He rolled an eye toward me, shifted his toothpick.
"What ya wanna go out there for? Nothing out there."
"I'm a tourist," I said. "They told me before I left home not to miss it."
He grunted55, reached back and opened the door. I got in. He flipped56 his flag down, started up with a clash of gears and pulled out without looking.
"How far is it?" I asked him.
"It ain't far. Mile, mile and a quarter."
"Pretty big place, I guess."
He didn't answer.
We went through a warehousing district, swung left along the waterfront, bumped over railroad tracks, and pulled up at a nine-foot cyclone57 fence with a locked gate.
"A buck58 ten," my driver said.
I looked out at the fence, a barren field, a distant group of low buildings. "What's this?"
"This is the place you ast for. That'll be a buck ten, mister."
I touched his mind, planted a couple of false impressions and withdrew. He blinked, then started up, drove around the field, pulled up at an open gate with a blue-uniformed guard. He looked back at me.
"You want I should drive in, sir?"
"I'll get out here."
He jumped out, opened my door, helped me out with a hand under my good elbow. "I'll get your change, sir," he said, reaching for his hip29.
"Keep it."
"Thank YOU." He hesitated. "Maybe I oughta stick around. You know."
"I'll be all right."
"I hope so," he said. "A man like you—you and me—" he winked59. "After all, we ain't both wearing berets fer nothing."
"True," I said. "Consider your tip doubled. Now drive away into the sunrise and forget you ever saw me."
He got into the car, beaming, and left. I turned and sized up the Delta Labs.
There was nothing fancy about the place; it consisted of low brick and steel buildings, mud, a fence and a guard who was looking at me.
I sauntered over. "I'm from Iowa City," I said. "Now, the rest of the group didn't come—said they'd rather rest one day. But I like to see it all. After all, I paid—"
"Just a minute," the guard said, holding up a palm. "You must be lost, fella. This here ain't no tourist attraction. You can't come in here."
"This is the cameo works?" I said anxiously.
He shook his head. "Too bad you let your cab go. It's an hour yet till the bus comes."
A dun-painted staff car came into view, slowed and swung wide to turn in. I fingered the driver's mind. The car swerved60, braked to a halt. A portly man in the back seat leaned forward, frowning. I touched him. He relaxed. The driver leaned across and opened the door. I went around and got in. The guard was watching, open-mouthed.
I gave him a two-finger salute61, and the car pulled through the gate.
"Stop in front of the electronics section," I said. The car pulled up. I got out, went up the steps and pushed through the double glass doors. The car sat for a moment, then moved slowly off. The passenger would be wondering why the driver had stopped—but the driver wouldn't remember.
I was inside the building now; that was a start. I didn't like robbery in broad daylight, but it was a lot easier this way. I wasn't equal to climbing any walls or breaking down any locked doors—not until I'd had a transfusion62, a skin graft63 and about three months' vacation on a warm beach somewhere.
A man in a white smock emerged from a door. He started past me, spun—
"I'm here about the garbage," I said. "Damn fools will put the cans in with the edible64. Are you the one called?"
"How's that?"
"I ain't got all the morning!" I shrilled65. "You scientist fellers are all alike. Which way is the watchamacallit—equipment lab?"
"Right along there." He pointed66. I didn't bother to thank him. It wouldn't have been in character.
A thin man with a brush mustache eyed me sharply as I pushed through the door. I looked at him, nodding absently. "Carry on with your work," I said. "The audit67 will be carried out in such a way as to disturb you as little as possible. Just show me your voucher68 file, if you please."
He sighed and waved toward a filing cabinet. I went to it and pulled a drawer open, glancing about the room. Full shelves were visible through an inner door.
Twenty minutes later I left the building, carrying a sheet metal carton containing the electronic components69 I needed to build a matter transmitter—except for the parts I'd have to fabricate myself from raw materials. The load was heavy—too heavy for me to carry very far. I parked it at the door and waited until a pick-up truck came along.
It pulled over. The driver climbed out and came up the walk to me. "Are you—uh...?" He scratched his head.
"Right." I waved at my loot. "Put it in the back." He obliged. Together we rolled toward the gate. The guard held up his hand, came forward to check the truck. He looked surprised when he saw me.
"Just who are you, fella?" he said.
I didn't like tampering70 with people any more than I had to. It was a lot like stealing from a blind man: easy, but nothing to feel proud of. I gave him a light touch—just the suggestion that what I would say would be full of deep meaning.
"You know—the regular Wednesday shipment," I said darkly. "Keep it quiet. We're all relying on you."
"Sure thing," he said, stepping back. We gunned through the gate. I glanced back to see him looking after the truck, thinking about the Wednesday shipment on a Friday. He decided71 it was logical, nodded his head and forgot the whole thing.
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1
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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3
scrunched
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| v.发出喀嚓声( scrunch的过去式和过去分词 )；蜷缩；压；挤压 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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5
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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6
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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9
gritted
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| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
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10
crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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11
slumped
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| 大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下] | |
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12
evoke
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| vt.唤起，引起，使人想起 | |
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13
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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14
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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15
embalmed
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| adj.用防腐药物保存（尸体）的v.保存（尸体）不腐( embalm的过去式和过去分词 )；使不被遗忘；使充满香气 | |
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16
largo
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| n.广板乐章；adj.缓慢的，宽广的；adv.缓慢地，宽广地 | |
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17
coerced
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| v.迫使做( coerce的过去式和过去分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配 | |
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18
rendezvousing
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| v.约会，会合( rendezvous的现在分词 ) | |
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19
farce
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| n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹 | |
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20
sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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21
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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22
unduly
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| adv.过度地，不适当地 | |
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23
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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24
awareness
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| n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智 | |
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25
rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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26
cinders
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| n.煤渣( cinder的名词复数 )；炭渣；煤渣路；煤渣跑道 | |
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27
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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28
sagging
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| 下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度 | |
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29
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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30
enameled
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| 涂瓷釉于，给…上瓷漆，给…上彩饰( enamel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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32
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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33
lurch
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| n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行 | |
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34
crates
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| n. 板条箱, 篓子, 旧汽车 vt. 装进纸条箱 | |
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35
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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36
aerospace
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| adj.航空的，宇宙航行的 | |
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37
delta
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| n.（流的）角洲 | |
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38
swampy
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| adj.沼泽的，湿地的 | |
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39
tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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40
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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41
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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42
shrimps
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| n.虾，小虾( shrimp的名词复数 )；矮小的人 | |
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43
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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44
marketing
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| n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西 | |
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45
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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46
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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47
dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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48
swapped
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| 交换（工作）( swap的过去式和过去分词 )； 用…替换，把…换成，掉换（过来） | |
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49
tarnished
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| （通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏 | |
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50
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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51
bins
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| n.大储藏箱( bin的名词复数 )；宽口箱（如面包箱，垃圾箱等）v.扔掉，丢弃( bin的第三人称单数 ) | |
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52
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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53
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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54
wart
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| n.疣，肉赘；瑕疵 | |
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55
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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56
flipped
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| 轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥 | |
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57
cyclone
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| n.旋风，龙卷风 | |
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58
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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59
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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60
swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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62
transfusion
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| n.输血，输液 | |
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63
graft
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| n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接 | |
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64
edible
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| n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的 | |
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65
shrilled
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| （声音）尖锐的，刺耳的，高频率的( shrill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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67
audit
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| v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听 | |
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68
voucher
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| n.收据；传票；凭单，凭证 | |
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69
components
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| （机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分 | |
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70
tampering
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| v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
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71
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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