The house was cool and deserted1, and almost immediately Anderton began making preparations for his journey. While he packed, frantic2 thoughts passed through his mind.
Possibly he was wrong about Witwer—but how could he be sure? In any event, the conspiracy3 against him was far more complex than he had realized. Witwer, in the over-all picture, might be merely an insignificant4 puppet animated5 by someone else—by some distant, indistinct figure only vaguely6 visible in the background.
It had been a mistake to show the card to Lisa. Undoubtedly7, she would describe it in detail to Witwer. He'd never get off Earth, never have an opportunity to find out what life on a frontier planet might be like.
While he was thus preoccupied8, a board creaked behind him. He turned from the bed, clutching a weather-stained winter sports jacket, to face the muzzle9 of a gray-blue A-pistol.
"It didn't take you long," he said, staring with bitterness at the tight-lipped, heavyset man in a brown overcoat who stood holding the gun in his gloved hand. "Didn't she even hesitate?"
The intruder's face registered no response. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. "Come along with me."
Startled, Anderton laid down the sports jacket. "You're not from my agency? You're not a police officer?"
Protesting and astonished, he was hustled10 outside the house to a waiting limousine11. Instantly three heavily armed men closed in behind him. The door slammed and the car shot off down the highway, away from the city. Impassive and remote, the faces around him jogged with the motion of the speeding vehicle as open fields, dark and somber12, swept past.
Anderton was till trying futilely13 to grasp the implications of what had happened, when the car came to a rutted side road, turned off, and descended14 into a gloomy sub-surface garage. Someone shouted an order. The heavy metal lock grated shut and overhead lights blinked on. The driver turned off the car motor.
"You'll have reason to regret this," Anderton warned hoarsely15, as they dragged him from the car. "Do you realize who I am?"
"We realize," the man in the brown overcoat said.
At gun-point, Anderton was marched upstairs, from the clammy silence of the garage into a deep-carpeted hallway. He was, apparently16, in a luxurious17 private residence, set out in the war-devoured rural area. At the far end of the hallway he could make out a room—a book-lined study simply but tastefully furnished. In a circle of lamplight, his face partly in shadows, a man he had never met sat waiting for him.
As Anderton approached, the man nervously19 slipped a pair of rimless20 glasses in place, snapped the case shut, and moistened his dry lips. He was elderly, perhaps seventy or older, and under his arm was a slim silver cane21. His body was thin, wiry, his attitude curiously22 rigid23. What little hair he had was dusty brown—a carefully-smoothed sheen of neutral color above his pale, bony skull24. Only his eyes seemed really alert.
"Is this Anderton?" he inquired querulously, turning to the man in the brown overcoat. "Where did you pick him up?"
"At his home," the other replied. "He was packing—as we expected."
The man at the desk shivered visibly. "Packing." He took off his glasses and jerkily returned them to their case. "Look here," he said bluntly to Anderton, "what's the matter with you? Are you hopelessly insane? How could you kill a man you've never met?"
The old man, Anderton suddenly realized, was Leopold Kaplan.
"First, I'll ask you a question," Anderton countered rapidly. "Do you realize what you've done? I'm Commissioner25 of Police. I can have you sent up for twenty years."
He was going to say more, but a sudden wonder cut him short.
"How did you find out?" he demanded. Involuntarily, his hand went to his pocket, where the folded card was hidden. "It won't be for another—"
"I wasn't notified through your agency," Kaplan broke in, with angry impatience26. "The fact that you've never heard of me doesn't surprise me too much. Leopold Kaplan, General of the Army of the Federated Westbloc Alliance." Begrudgingly27, he added. "Retired28, since the end of the Anglo-Chinese War, and the abolishment of AFWA."
It made sense. Anderton had suspected that the Army processed its duplicate cards immediately, for its own protection. Relaxing somewhat, he demanded: "Well? You've got me here. What next?"
"Evidently," Kaplan said, "I'm not going to have you destroyed, or it would have shown up on one of those miserable29 little cards. I'm curious about you. It seemed incredible to me that a man of your stature30 could contemplate31 the cold-blooded murder of a total stranger. There must be something more here. Frankly32, I'm puzzled. If it represented some kind of Police strategy-" He shrugged33 his thin shoulders. "Surely you wouldn't have permitted the duplicate card to reach us."
"Unless," one of his men suggested, "it's a deliberate plant."
Kaplan raised his bright, bird-like eyes and scrutinized34 Anderton. "What do you have to say?"
"That's exactly what it is," Anderton said, quick to see the advantage of stating frankly what he believed to be the simple truth. "The prediction on the card was deliberately35 fabricated by a clique36 inside the police agency. The card is prepared and I'm netted. I'm relieved of my authority automatically. My assistant steps in and claims he prevented the murder in the usual efficient Precrime manner. Needless to say, there is no murder or intent to murder."
"I agree with you that there will be no murder," Kaplan affirmed grimly. "You'll be in police custody37. I intend to make certain of that."
Horrified38, Anderton protested: "You're taking me back there? If I'm in custody I'll never be able to prove—"
"I don't care what you prove or don't prove," Kaplan interrupted. "All I'm interested in is having you out of the way." Frigidly39, he added: "For my own protection."
"He was getting ready to leave," one of the men asserted.
"That's right," Anderton said, sweating. "As soon as they get hold of me I'll be confined in the detention40 camp. Witwer will take over—lock, stock and barrel." His face darkened. "And my wife. They're acting41 in concert, apparently."
For a moment Kaplan seemed to waver. "It's possible," he conceded, regarding Anderton steadily42. Then he shook his head. "I can't take the chance. If this is a frame against you, I'm sorry. But it's simply not my affair." He smiled slightly. "However, I wish you luck." To the men he said: "Take him to the police building and turn him over to the highest authority." He mentioned the name of the acting commissioner, and waited for Anderton's reaction.
"Witwer!" Anderton echoed, incredulous.
Still smiling slightly, Kaplan turned and clicked on the console radio in the study. "Witwer has already assumed authority. Obviously, he's going to create quite an affair out of this."
There was a brief static hum, and then, abruptly43, the radio blared out into the room—a noisy professional voice, reading a prepared announcement.
"... all citizens are warned not to shelter or in any fashion aid or assist this dangerous marginal individual. The extraordinary circumstance of an escaped criminal at liberty and in a position to commit an act of violence is unique in modern times. All citizens are hereby notified that legal statutes44 still in force implicate45 any and all persons failing to cooperate fully18 with the police in their task of apprehending46 John Allison Anderton. To repeat: The Precrime Agency of the Federal Westbloc Government is in the process of locating and neutralizing47 its former Commissioner, John Allison Anderton, who, through the methodology of the precrime-system, is hereby declared a potential murderer and as such forfeits48 his rights to freedom and all its privileges."
"It didn't take him long," Anderton muttered, appalled49. Kaplan snapped off the radio and the voice vanished.
"Lisa must have gone directly to him," Anderton speculated bitterly.
"Why should he wait?" Kaplan asked. "You made your intentions clear."
He nodded to his men. "Take him back to town. I feel uneasy having him so close. In that respect I concur50 with Commissioner Witwer. I want him neutralized51 as soon as possible."
收听单词发音 |
1
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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limousine
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| n.豪华轿车 | |
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somber
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| adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的 | |
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futilely
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| futile（无用的）的变形； 干 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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rimless
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| adj.无边的 | |
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cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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begrudgingly
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| 小气地，吝啬地 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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clique
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| n.朋党派系，小集团 | |
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custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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frigidly
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| adv.寒冷地；冷漠地；冷淡地；呆板地 | |
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detention
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| n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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44
statutes
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| 成文法( statute的名词复数 )； 法令； 法规； 章程 | |
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implicate
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| vt.使牵连其中，涉嫌 | |
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apprehending
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| 逮捕，拘押( apprehend的现在分词 )； 理解 | |
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47
neutralizing
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| v.使失效( neutralize的现在分词 )；抵消；中和；使（一个国家）中立化 | |
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48
forfeits
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| 罚物游戏 | |
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49
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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50
concur
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| v.同意，意见一致，互助，同时发生 | |
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51
neutralized
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| v.使失效( neutralize的过去式和过去分词 )；抵消；中和；使（一个国家）中立化 | |
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