He had never killed a man. He had never even seen a man killed. And he had been Police Commissioner1 for thirty years. For this generation, deliberate murder had died out. It simply didn't happen.
A police car carried him to within a block of the Army rally. There, in the shadows of the back seat, he painstakingly2 examined the pistol Fleming had provided him. It seemed to be intact. Actually, there was no doubt of the outcome. He was absolutely certain of what would happen within the next half hour. Putting the pistol back together, he opened the door of the parked car and stepped warily3 out.
Nobody paid the slightest attention to him. Surging masses of people pushed eagerly forward, trying to get within hearing distance of the rally. Army uniforms predominated and at the perimeter4 of the cleared area, a line of tanks and major weapons was displayed—formidable armament still in production.
Army had erected5 a metal speaker's stand and ascending6 steps. Behind the stand hung the vast AFWA banner, emblem7 of the combined powers that had fought in the war. By a curious corrosion8 of time, the AFWA Veterans' League included officers from the wartime enemy. But a general was a general and fine distinctions had faded over the years.
Occupying the first rows of seats sat the high brass9 of the AFWA command. Behind them came junior commissioned officers. Regimental banners swirled10 in a variety of colors and symbols. In fact, the occasion had taken on the aspect of a festive11 pageant12. On the raised stand itself sat stern-faced dignitaries of the Veterans' League, all of them tense with expectancy13. At the extreme edges, almost unnoticed, waited a few police units, ostensibly to keep order. Actually, they were informants making observations. If order were kept, the Army would maintain it.
The late-afternoon wind carried the muffled14 booming of many people packed tightly together. As Anderton made his way through the dense15 mob he was engulfed16 by the solid presence of humanity. An eager sense of anticipation17 held everybody rigid18. The crowd seemed to sense that something spectacular was on the way. With difficulty, Anderton forced his way past the rows of seats and over to the tight knot of Army officials at the edge of the platform. Kaplan was among them. But he was now General Kaplan. The vest, the gold pocket watch, the cane19, the conservative business suit—all were gone. For this event, Kaplan had got his old uniform from its mothballs. Straight and impressive, he stood surrounded by what had been his general staff. He wore his service bars, his medals, his boots, his decorative20 short-sword, and his visored cap. It was amazing how transformed a bald man became under the stark21 potency22 of an officer's peaked and visored cap.
Noticing Anderton, General Kaplan broke away from the group and strode to where the younger man was standing23. The expression on his thin, mobile countenance24 showed how incredulously glad he was to see the Commissioner of Police.
"This is a surprise," he informed Anderton, holding out his small gray-gloved hand. "It was my impression you had been taken in by the acting25 Commissioner."
"I'm still out," Anderton answered shortly, shaking hands. "After all, Witwer has that same reel of tape." He indicated the package Kaplan clutched in his steely fingers and met the man's gaze confidently.
In spite of his nervousness, General Kaplan was in good humor. "This is a great occasion for the Army," he revealed. "You'll be glad to hear I'm going to give the public a full account of the spurious charge brought against you."
"Fine," Anderton answered noncommittally.
"It will be made clear that you were unjustly accused." General Kaplan was trying to discover what Anderton knew. "Did Fleming have an opportunity to acquaint you with the situation?"
"To some degree," Anderton replied. "You're going to read only the minority report? That's all you've got there?"
"I'm going to compare it to the majority report." General Kaplan signalled an aide and a leather briefcase26 was produced. "Everything is here—all the evidence we need," he said. "You don't mind being an example, do you? Your case symbolizes27 the unjust arrests of countless28 individuals." Stiffly, General Kaplan examined his wristwatch. "I must begin. Will you join me on the platform?"
"Why?"
Coldly, but with a kind of repressed vehemence29, General Kaplan said: "So they can see the living proof. You and I together—the killer30 and his victim. Standing side by side, exposing the whole sinister31 fraud which the police have been operating."
"Gladly," Anderton agreed. "What are we waiting for?"
Disconcerted, General Kaplan moved toward the platform. Again, he glanced uneasily at Anderton, as if visibly wondering why he had appeared and what he really knew. His uncertainty32 grew as Anderton willingly mounted the steps of the platform and found himself a seat directly beside the speaker's podium.
"You fully33 comprehend what I'm going to be saying?" General Kaplan demanded. "The exposure will have considerable repercussions34. It may cause the Senate to reconsider the basic validity of the Precrime system."
"I understand," Anderton answered, arms folded. "Let's go."
A hush36 had descended37 on the crowd. But there was a restless, eager stirring when General Kaplan obtained the briefcase and began arranging his material in front of him.
"The man sitting at my side," he began, in a clean, clipped voice, "is familiar to you all. You may be surprised to see him, for until recently he was described by the police as a dangerous killer."
The eyes of the crowd focused on Anderton. Avidly38, they peered at the only potential killer they had ever been privileged to see at close range.
"Within the last few hours, however," General Kaplan continued, "the police order for his arrest has been cancelled; because former Commissioner Anderton voluntarily gave himself up? No, that is not strictly39 accurate. He is sitting here. He has not given himself up, but the police are no longer interested in him. John Allison Anderton is innocent of any crime in the past, present, and future. The allegations against him were patent frauds, diabolical40 distortions of a contaminated penal41 system based on a false premise—a vast, impersonal42 engine of destruction grinding men and women to their doom43."
Fascinated, the crowd glanced from Kaplan to Anderton. Everyone was familiar with the basic situation.
"Many men have been seized and imprisoned44 under the so-called prophylactic45 Precrime structure," General Kaplan continued, his voice gaining feeling and strength. "Accused not of crimes they have committed, but of crimes they will commit. It is asserted that these men, if allowed to remain free, will at some future time commit felonies."
"But there can be no valid35 knowledge about the future. As soon as precog-nitive information is obtained, it cancels itself out. The assertion that this man will commit a future crime is paradoxical. The very act of possessing this data renders it spurious. In every case, without exception, the report of the three police precogs has invalidated their own data. If no arrests had been made, there would still have been no crimes committed."
Anderton listened idly, only half-hearing the words. The crowd, however, listened with great interest. General Kaplan was now gathering46 up a summary made from the minority report. He explained what it was and how it had come into existence.
From his coat pocket, Anderton slipped out his gun and held it in his lap. Already, Kaplan was laying aside the minority report, the precognitive material obtained from "Jerry." His lean, bony fingers groped for the summary of first, "Donna," and after that, "Mike."
"This was the original majority report," he explained. "The assertion, made by the first two precogs, that Anderton would commit a murder. Now here is the automatically invalidated material. I shall read it to you." He whipped out his rimless47 glasses, fitted them to his nose, and started slowly to read.
A queer expression appeared on his face. He halted, stammered48, and abruptly49 broke off. The papers fluttered from his hands. Like a cornered animal, he spun50, crouched51, and dashed from the speaker's stand.
For an instant his distorted face flashed past Anderton. On his feet now, Anderton raised the gun, stepped quickly forward, and fired. Tangled52 up in the rows of feet projecting from the chairs that filled the platform, Kaplan gave a single shrill53 shriek54 of agony and fright. Like a ruined bird, he tumbled, fluttering and flailing55, from the platform to the ground below. Anderton stepped to the railing, but it was already over.
Kaplan, as the majority report had asserted, was dead. His thin chest was a smoking cavity of darkness, crumbling56 ash that broke loose as the body lay twitching57. Sickened, Anderton turned away, and moved quickly between the rising figures of stunned58 Army officers. The gun, which he still held, guaranteed that he would not be interfered59 with. He leaped from the platform and edged into the chaotic60 mass of people at its base. Stricken, horrified61, they struggled to see what had happened. The incident, occurring before their very eyes, was incomprehensible. It would take time for acceptance to replace blind terror.
At the periphery62 of the crowd, Anderton was seized by the waiting police. "You're lucky to get out," one of them whispered to him as the car crept cautiously ahead.
"I guess I am," Anderton replied remotely. He settled back and tried to compose himself. He was trembling and dizzy. Abruptly, he leaned forward and was violently sick.
"The poor devil," one the cops murmured sympathetically.
Through the swirls63 of misery64 and nausea65, Anderton was unable to tell whether the cop was referring to Kaplan or to himself.
Four burly policemen assisted Lisa and John Anderton in the packing and loading of their possessions. In fifty years, the ex-Commissioner of Police had accumulated a vast collection of material goods. Somber66 and pensive67, he stood watching the procession of crates69 on their way to the waiting trucks.
By truck they would go directly to the field—and from there to Centaurus X by inter-system transport. A long trip for an old man. But he wouldn't have to make it back.
"There goes the second from the last crate68," Lisa declared, absorbed and preoccupied70 by the task. In sweater and slacks, she roamed through the barren rooms, checking on last-minute details. "I suppose we won't be able to use these new atronic appliances. They're still using electricity on Centten."
"I hope you don't care too much," Anderton said.
"We'll get used to it," Lisa replied, and gave him a fleeting71 smile. "Won't we?"
"I hope so. You're positive you'll have no regrets. If I thought- "
"No regrets," Lisa assured him. "Now suppose you help me with this crate."
As they boarded the lead truck, Witwer drove up in a patrol car. He leaped out and hurried up to them, his face looking strangely haggard. "Before you take off," he said to Anderton, "you'll have to give me a break-down on the situation with the precogs. I'm getting inquiries72 from the Senate. They want to find out if the middle report, the retraction73, was an error—or what." Confusedly, he finished: "I still can't explain it. The minority report was wrong, wasn't it?"
"Which minority report?" Anderton inquired, amused.
Witwer blinked. "Then that is it. I might have known." Seated in the cabin of the truck, Anderton got out his pipe and shook tobacco into it. With Lisa's lighter74 he ignited the tobacco and began operations. Lisa had gone back to the house, wanting to be sure nothing vital had been overlooked.
"There were three minority reports," he told Witwer, enjoying the young man's confusion. Someday, Witwer would learn not to wade75 into situations he didn't fully understand. Satisfaction was Anderton's final emotion. Old and worn-out as he was, he had been the only one to grasp the real nature of the problem.
"The three reports were consecutive," he explained. "The first was 'Donna.' In that time-path, Kaplan told me of the plot, and I promptly76 murdered him. 'Jerry,' phased slightly ahead of 'Donna,' used her report as data. He factored in my knowledge of the report. In that, the second time-path, all I wanted to do was to keep my job. It wasn't Kaplan I wanted to kill. It was my own position and life I was interested in."
"And 'Mike' was the third report? That came after the minority report?" Witwer corrected himself. "I mean, it came last?"
" 'Mike' was the last of the three, yes. Faced with the knowledge of the first report, I had decided77 not to kill Kaplan. That produced report two. But faced with that report, I changed my mind back. Report two, situation two, was the situation Kaplan wanted to create. It was to the advantage of the police to recreate position one. And by that time I was thinking of the police. I had figured out what Kaplan was doing. The third report invalidated the second one in the same way the second one invalidated the first. That brought us back where we started from."
Lisa came over, breathless and gasping78. "Let's go—we're all finished here." Lithe79 and agile80, she ascended81 the metal rungs of the truck and squeezed in beside her husband and the driver. The latter obediently started up his truck and the others followed.
"Each report was different," Anderton concluded. "Each was unique. But two of them agreed on one point. If left free, I mould kill Kaplan. That created the illusion of a majority report. Actually, that's all it was—an illusion. 'Donna' and 'Mike' previewed the same event—but in two totally different time-paths, occurring under totally different situations. 'Donna' and 'Jerry,' the so-called minority report and half of the majority report, were incorrect. Of the three, 'Mike' was correct—since no report came after his, to invalidate him. That sums it up."
Anxiously, Witwer trotted82 along beside the truck, his smooth, blond face creased83 with worry. "Will it happen again? Should we overhaul84 the set-up?"
"It can happen in only one circumstance," Anderton said. "My case was unique, since I had access to the data. It could happen again—but only to the next Police Commissioner. So watch your step." Briefly85, he grinned, deriving86 no inconsiderable comfort from Witwer's strained expression. Beside him, Lisa's red lips twitched87 and her hand reached out and closed over his. "Better keep your eyes open," he informed young Witwer. "It might happen to you at any time."
收听单词发音 |
1
commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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painstakingly
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| adv. 费力地 苦心地 | |
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warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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perimeter
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| n.周边，周长，周界 | |
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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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corrosion
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| n.腐蚀，侵蚀；渐渐毁坏，渐衰 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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swirled
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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festive
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| adj.欢宴的，节日的 | |
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pageant
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| n.壮观的游行；露天历史剧 | |
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expectancy
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| n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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engulfed
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| v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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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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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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decorative
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| adj.装饰的，可作装饰的 | |
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stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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potency
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| n. 效力，潜能 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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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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briefcase
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| n.手提箱，公事皮包 | |
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symbolizes
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| v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的第三人称单数 ) | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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vehemence
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| n.热切；激烈；愤怒 | |
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killer
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| n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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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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repercussions
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| n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波 | |
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valid
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| adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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avidly
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| adv.渴望地，热心地 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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penal
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| adj.刑罚的；刑法上的 | |
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impersonal
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| adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的 | |
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doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prophylactic
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| adj.预防疾病的；n.预防疾病 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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rimless
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| adj.无边的 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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55
flailing
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| v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克 | |
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56
crumbling
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| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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periphery
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| n.(圆体的)外面；周围 | |
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swirls
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| n.旋转( swirl的名词复数 )；卷状物；漩涡；尘旋v.旋转，打旋( swirl的第三人称单数 ) | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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nausea
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| n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶) | |
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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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pensive
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| a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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crates
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| n. 板条箱, 篓子, 旧汽车 vt. 装进纸条箱 | |
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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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fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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retraction
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| n.撤消；收回 | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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76
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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77
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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78
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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79
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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80
agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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81
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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82
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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83
creased
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| （使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的过去式和过去分词 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹； 皱皱巴巴 | |
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84
overhaul
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| v./n.大修，仔细检查 | |
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85
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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86
deriving
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| v.得到( derive的现在分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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87
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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