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Chapter 79
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Raych had not entirely1 left the neighborhood after he had walked them back to their apartment house.
He had eaten well while waiting for the interview with Davan to be done and later had slept a bit after finding a bathroom that more or less worked. He really had no place to go now that all that was done. He had a home of sorts and a mother who was not likely to be perturbed2 if he stayed away for a while. She never was.
He did not know who his father was and wondered sometimes if he really had one. He had been told he had to have one and the reasons for that had been explained to him crudely enough. Sometimes he wondered if he ought to believe so peculiar3 a story, but he did find the details titillating4. He thought of that in connection with the lady. She was an old lady, of course, but she was pretty and she could fight like a man--better than a man. It filled him with vague notions.
And she had offered to let him take a bath. He could swim in the Billibotton pool sometimes when he had some credits he didnt need for anything else or when he could sneak5 in. Those were the only times he got wet all over, but it was chilly6 and he had to wait to get dry.
Taking a bath was different. There would be hot water, soap, towels, and warm air. He wasnt sure what it would feel like, except that it would be nice if she was there.
He was walkway-wise enough to know of places where he could park himself in an alley7 off a walkway that would be near a bathroom and still be near enough to where she was, yet where he probably wouldnt be found and made to run away. He spent the night thinking strange thoughts. What if he did learn to read and write? Could he do something with that? He wasnt sure what, but maybe they could tell him. He had vague ideas of being paid money to do things he didnt know how to do now, but he didnt know what those things might be. He would have to be told, but how do you get told?
If he stayed with the man and the lady, they might help. But why should they want him to stay with them?
He drowsed off, coming to later, not because the light was brightening, but because his sharp ears caught the heightening and deepening of sounds from the walkway as the activities of the day began.
He had learned to identify almost every variety of sound, because in the underground maze8 of Billibotton, if you wanted to survive with even a minimum of comfort, you had to be aware of things before you saw them. And there was something about the sound of a ground-car motor that he now heard that signaled danger to him. It had an official sound, a hostile sound. He shook himself awake and stole quietly toward the walkway. He scarcely needed to see the Spaceship-and-Sun on the ground-car. Its lines were enough. He knew they had to be coming for the man and the lady because they had seen Davan.
He did not pause to question his thoughts or to analyze9 them. He was off on a run, beating his way through the gathering10 life of the day. He was back in less than fifteen minutes. The ground-car was still there and there were curious and cautious onlookers11 gazing at it from all sides and from a respectful distance. There would soon be more. He pounded his way up the stairs, trying to remember which door he should bang on. No time for the elevator. He found the door--at least he thought he did--and he banged, shouting in a squeak12, "Lady! Lady!"
He was too excited to remember her name, but he remembered part of the mans.
"Hari!" he shouted. "Let me in."
The door opened and he rushed in--tried to rush in. The rough hand of an officer seized his arm. "Hold it, kid. Where do you think youre going?"
"Leggo! I aint done nothin." He looked about. "Hey, lady, whatre they doin?"
"Arresting us," said Dors grimly.
"What for?" said Raych, panting and struggling. "Hey, leggo, you Sunbadger. Dont go with him, lady. You dont have to go with him."
"You get out," said Russ, shaking the boy vehemently13.
"No, I aint, You aint either, Sunbadger. My whole gang is coming. You aint gettin out, lessn you let these guys go."
"What whole gang?" said Russ, frowning.
"Theyre right outside now. Probly takin your ground-car apart. And theyll take yore apart."
Russ turned toward his partner, "Call headquarters. Have them send out a couple of trucks with Macros."
"No!" shrieked14 Raych, breaking loose and rushing at Astinwald. "Dont call!"
Russ leveled his neuronic whip and fired.
Raych shrieked, grasped at his right shoulder, and fell down, wriggling15 madly. Russ had not yet turned back to Seldon, when the latter, seizing him by the wrist, pushed the neuronic whip up in the air and then around and behind, while stamping on his foot to keep him relatively16 motionless. Hari could feel the shoulder dislocate, even while Russ emitted a hoarse17, agonized18 yell. Astinwald raised his blaster quickly, but Dorss left arm was around his shoulder and the knife in her right hand was at his throat.
"Dont move!" she said. "Move a millimeter, any part of you, and I cut you through your neck to the spine19.--drop the blaster. drop it! And the neuronic whip."
Seldon picked up Raych, still moaning, and held him tightly. He turned to Tisalver and said, "There are people out there. Angry people. Ill have them in here and theyll break up everything youve got. Theyll smash the walls. If you dont want that to happen, pick up those weapons and throw them into the next room. Take the weapons from the security officer on the door and do the same. Quickly! Get your wife to help. Shell think twice next time before sending in complaints against innocent people.--Dors, this one on the floor wont20 do anything for a while. Put the other one out of action, but dont kill him."
"Right," said Dors. Reversing her knife, she struck him hard on the skull21 with the haft. He went to his knees.
She made a face. "I hate doing that."
"They fired at Raych," said Seldon, trying to mask his own sick feeling at what had happened.
They left the apartment hurriedly and, once out on the walkway, found it choked with people, almost all men, who raised a shout when they saw them emerge. They pushed in close and the smell of poorly washed humanity was overpowering. Someone shouted, "Where are the Sunbadgers?"
"Inside," called out Dors piercingly. "Leave them alone. Theyll be helpless for a while, but theyll get reinforcements, so get out of here fast."
"What about you?" came from a dozen throats.
"Were getting out too. We wont be back."
"Ill take care of them," shrilled22 Raych, struggling out of Seldons arms and standing23 on his feet. He was rubbing his right shoulder madly. "I can walk. Lemme past."
The crowd opened for him and he said, "Mister, lady, come with me. Fast!" They were accompanied down the walkway by several dozen men and then Raych suddenly gestured at an opening and muttered, "In here, folks. Ill rake ya to a place no one will ever find ya. Even Davan probly dont know it. Only thing is, we got to go through the sewer24 levels. No one will see us there, but its sort of stinky ... know what I mean?"
"I imagine well survive," muttered Seldon.
And down they went along a narrow spiraling ramp25 and up rose the mephitic odors to greet them.

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1 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
2 perturbed 7lnzsL     
adj.烦燥不安的v.使(某人)烦恼,不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • I am deeply perturbed by the alarming way the situation developing. 我对形势令人忧虑的发展深感不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Mother was much perturbed by my illness. 母亲为我的病甚感烦恼不安。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
3 peculiar cinyo     
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
参考例句:
  • He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
  • He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。
4 titillating b4534d73036cd409f67a86cbf5c613ff     
adj.使人痒痒的; 使人激动的,令人兴奋的v.使觉得痒( titillate的现在分词 );逗引;激发;使高兴
参考例句:
  • Titillating the public now could help sales of Peptide 7 latet on. 现在刺激一下公众,对将来缩氨酸7号的销售可能还会有好处呢。 来自辞典例句
5 sneak vr2yk     
vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝);偷偷摸摸做;n.潜行;adj.暗中进行
参考例句:
  • He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
  • I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。
6 chilly pOfzl     
adj.凉快的,寒冷的
参考例句:
  • I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
  • I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后,寒气逼人。
7 alley Cx2zK     
n.小巷,胡同;小径,小路
参考例句:
  • We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
  • The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。
8 maze F76ze     
n.迷宫,八阵图,混乱,迷惑
参考例句:
  • He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
  • She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时,她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。
9 analyze RwUzm     
vt.分析,解析 (=analyse)
参考例句:
  • We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
  • The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。
10 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会,聚会,聚集
参考例句:
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
11 onlookers 9475a32ff7f3c5da0694cff2738f9381     
n.旁观者,观看者( onlooker的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene of the crash. 在撞车地点聚集了一大群围观者。
  • The onlookers stood at a respectful distance. 旁观者站在一定的距离之外,以示尊敬。
12 squeak 4Gtzo     
n.吱吱声,逃脱;v.(发出)吱吱叫,侥幸通过;(俚)告密
参考例句:
  • I don't want to hear another squeak out of you!我不想再听到你出声!
  • We won the game,but it was a narrow squeak.我们打赢了这场球赛,不过是侥幸取胜。
13 vehemently vehemently     
adv. 热烈地
参考例句:
  • He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈,以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
  • Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。
14 shrieked dc12d0d25b0f5d980f524cd70c1de8fe     
v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。
  • Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫,陆子潇尖声叫:“告诉什么? 来自汉英文学 - 围城
15 wriggling d9a36b6d679a4708e0599fd231eb9e20     
v.扭动,蠕动,蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 );(使身体某一部位)扭动;耍滑不做,逃避(应做的事等);蠕蠕
参考例句:
  • The baby was wriggling around on my lap. 婴儿在我大腿上扭来扭去。
  • Something that looks like a gray snake is wriggling out. 有一种看来象是灰蛇的东西蠕动着出来了。 来自辞典例句
16 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地,相对地
参考例句:
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
17 hoarse 5dqzA     
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的
参考例句:
  • He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
  • He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动,嗓子都喊哑了。
18 agonized Oz5zc6     
v.使(极度)痛苦,折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 );苦斗;苦苦思索;感到极度痛苦
参考例句:
  • All the time they agonized and prayed. 他们一直在忍受痛苦并且祈祷。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • She agonized herself with the thought of her loss. 她念念不忘自己的损失,深深陷入痛苦之中。 来自辞典例句
19 spine lFQzT     
n.脊柱,脊椎;(动植物的)刺;书脊
参考例句:
  • He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
  • His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。
20 wont peXzFP     
adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯
参考例句:
  • He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
  • It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。
21 skull CETyO     
n.头骨;颅骨
参考例句:
  • The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
  • He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去,跌裂了颅骨。
22 shrilled 279faa2c22e7fe755d14e94e19d7bb10     
(声音)尖锐的,刺耳的,高频率的( shrill的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Behind him, the telephone shrilled. 在他身后,电话铃刺耳地响了起来。
  • The phone shrilled, making her jump. 电话铃声刺耳地响起,惊得她跳了起来。
23 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
24 sewer 2Ehzu     
n.排水沟,下水道
参考例句:
  • They are tearing up the street to repair a sewer. 他们正挖开马路修下水道。
  • The boy kicked a stone into the sewer. 那个男孩把一石子踢进了下水道。
25 ramp QTgxf     
n.暴怒,斜坡,坡道;vi.作恐吓姿势,暴怒,加速;vt.加速
参考例句:
  • That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
  • The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。


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