lrh.villainyvictorious-第34部分
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〃Your new musical！〃 said Madison。 〃I've brought it！〃
〃That's unusual；〃 said Hightee。 〃Normally I originate them and my own staff develops them。〃
Madison hadn't known that： on Earth artists didn't write them； they just sang and acted in them。 But he plunged ahead。 〃Well； the order to do it es from Lord Snor himself。 He's a great admirer of yours； as they all are。 When he heard one of the songs from it； he said； 'THAT'S HIGHTEE！'〃
〃He did？ That's funny。 He's as deaf as a rock。〃
〃To everything but a bone…phone；〃 said Madison hastily。 〃They put bones into the probe； I mean prones into the bobe。。。。〃
Hightee laughed。 Then she said； 〃I'm sorry I got you all flustered。 Maybe Lord Snor did wake up and listen to what goes on on Homeview。 Stranger things have happened。〃
Madison was floundering in his briefcase。 The impact of Hightee Heller was a bit much for him。 But he was a veteran and he got himself under control。 〃Look； I better play you one of the songs from it。 Where can I find a piano？〃
〃A what？〃
〃A keyboard。 I'm not any pro but I tinkle away。〃
Hightee was walking away from him。 He quickly followed。 Then he noticed that some of the vine…covered walls they had been passing were actually the sides of structures。 She opened something that looked like a garden gate and Madison； ing up behind her； found himself looking into what must be a musical…equipment repair shop。
A middle…aged man was standing over a bench which was littered with electronic ponents and shells of what might be instruments。 He looked up； saw Hightee； smiled and laid down a tool。
〃Jarp；〃 said Hightee； 〃have you ever heard of an instrument called a piano？〃
〃No；〃 said Jarp。 〃What's it look like？〃
〃Teeth；〃 said Madison。 〃It has lots of keys like ivory teeth。〃
Jarp turned to Hightee。 〃He's talking about some primitive mouth instrument。〃
〃No； no；〃 said Madison。 〃It's quite sophisticated。
You play it by hitting the keys with both hands in chords。 You mean you don't have a keyboard？ Oh； dear！〃
〃What scale is it？〃 said Jarp。
〃Eight…note major； thirteen…note chromatic。〃
〃Do you know the notes？〃
When Madison nodded； Jarp dug around and found the remains of a chorder…beat that operated on finger proximity。 Madison； after a couple of sour tries； managed to get it to hum the right numbers of vibrations。 Jarp turned on a recorder and Madison； moving his finger closer and closer and holding it each time he had the right note； ran the chromatic scale。
〃All those notes on one instrument？〃 said Hightee。
〃Yes；〃 said Madison。 〃Eighty…eight total。〃
〃I know；〃 said Jarp。 〃He's talking about a chorder…bar。〃 He turned to Madison。 〃When you put a finger down on a long bar； it sounds a note。 When you put it down softly you get low volume； when you put it down hard you get high volume。 But you were saying something about a keyboard or keys。 What's it look like？〃
Madison found some paper； but he was making such a bad job of it； Jarp took it away from him and with a long sheet of paper； using Madison's hand span for an octave； shortly had a piano keyboard drawn。 Jarp looked at it and scratched his head。 〃Never saw anything like it。 It must work mechanically： you strike a key； you say； and it takes a hammer and hits a string。 How clumsy！ I guess it must be a blood brother to one of those stick harps they once had in the back country of Mistin。 Used to jump around naked beating them before they did their spring mating。〃
〃Well； see what you can do；〃 said Hightee； 〃and bring it to the practice room when you finish。〃 Madison followed her out。 They were shortly on a path that wound round a waterfall； the birds flying escort。 〃Now what's the story of this musical？〃 said Hightee。 〃The book。 I hope it isn't about spring mating。〃
Madison laughed easily and donned his most engaging smile。 〃No； hardly。 It's really a great vehicle that will show your lovely voice off as never before。 You see； there's this mythical planet named Terra。 The whole story is a fantasy； you see。〃
〃Oh； I like fantasy。 Prince Caucalsia made a great hit。 But go on。〃
Madison wished he could just give her the treatment。 But it was in his briefcase and she was using the time to get some exercise in。 He and the horror…writer had sweat their brains out on it but he hadn't thought he would have to give it verbally。 He hoped he had it straight。
〃Well；〃 said Madison； 〃this fantasy planet Terra is ruled by a huge monster in a red suit with horns and a tail。〃
〃You're describing a Manco Devil。〃
〃Good；〃 said Madison； who had never heard of one。 〃I'm glad you've got that straight。 So this Manco Devil rules all the people。 And they haven't got any money and they are starving。 Now； in the opening scene we show the people all huddled and starving and praying and the Devil es in and kicks them around。〃
〃How awful！〃
〃But wait；〃 said Madison。 〃The Devil has a huge court of Devils and one of these has lost his Devil child and an old nurse has put a HUMAN child in its place to fool the Devil and the Devil raises this human child； thinking it is his own。
〃So the sight we saw in the first scene…the main Devil kicking the people around…is witnessed by this human child； who is now a young man； and he decides it's bad。〃
〃Good for him；〃 said Hightee。
〃But the Devils in the court all think this son is one of them。 They think he's a reliable officer of good repute。 But really； he's planning to help the people。 So； whenever he can get away； he puts on a mask and starts robbing trains。〃
〃Trains？〃 said Hightee。 〃What's a train？〃
Madison said； 〃This is a fantasy。〃
〃Oh。〃
〃Now； the Devils all ship their valuables and money on these trains。〃
〃Ah； a train is a space…liner between planets；〃 said Hightee。
〃Well； kind of；〃 said Madison。 〃And the hero robs them。〃
〃You mean the fellow goes CRIMINAL？〃
〃Well； he HAS to；〃 said Madison。
〃Oh； I don't think that would go down well。 People despise criminals。〃
Madison said； 〃Well； this isn't really criminal。 It's in a good cause。 He robs the trains and he gives the money away to the poor and they DON'T STARVE！〃
〃Listen；〃 said Hightee。 〃It's the people who raise the food。 If they didn't raise the food； they couldn't buy anything with the money the hero gives them。〃
〃Oh； the Devils grab the food and the people have to bribe them to get it back。 So suddenly the Devils find out WHO the bandit is。 A Devil's own son！ So they declare him an OUTLAW！ And there's a lot of fighting and the Outlaw escapes。〃
〃Hurray！〃 said Hightee。
〃But the Devils finally catch him；〃 said Madison； 〃and hang him。 Hang him up high and very dead。 The people all cry… … 〃
〃Wait a minute；〃 said Hightee。 〃I don't see any part in this for me。 There's no girl。〃
〃Well； I was ing to that。 You're the hero's sister。〃
〃Then I must be a Devil； as he was a stolen child。〃
〃No； no。 The Devil stole a brother and SISTER！ I forgot to mention it。 And in the musical； the sister warns and saves the hero time and again。 And SHE'S the one who sings all the songs。 The Outlaw just runs around shooting people； and the sister； in the songs； describes what he is doing。 And all the people begin singing her songs。〃
〃So there're a lot of choruses。〃
〃Exactly！〃 said Madison。 〃Now the last scene when they hang him is the great one。 All the people are there watching him choke out his life on the scaffold… … 〃
〃How grisly！〃
〃And the sister es in and sings a great song； a kind of a dirge。 And then the Devils realize that she was the one who tipped him off all the time and they hang her on the spot！〃
〃No！〃
〃Yes。 Right alongside her brother on a second scaffold。 And then two graves open up and huge skeletal hands e out of them and grab the bodies off the scaffolds。 And then the people all rise up and sing the song she had been singing and remember the Outlaw forever！〃
Hightee Heller was staring at him； wide…eyed。
Madison held his breath。 Would she fall for it？
A speaker underneath a flowering tree opened up and interrupted them。 〃Hightee； the instrument is ready。〃
Chapter 2
Madison； as he followed her into the music practice room； knew he had better be awfully lucky or awfully good or both。
The place was a domed room with no flat surfaces to reflect sound。 It was decorated with huge enlargements of Voltarian single notes in pastel blue that hung in various places as baffles to farther break up the sound。 The interior of the dome was a pastel yellow。 Jarp was hanging something from wires in the middle of the room。 It was the drawn piano keyboard but the keys were vertical and it was raised five feet above the floor。
〃No；〃 said Madison。 〃You sit down to it。〃
〃No musician ever sits down；〃 said Jarp。 〃It must be awfully lazy music。〃
〃Give him what he wants；〃 said Hightee。 〃I can't see for the life of me how you play such a thing。 Keys？〃
At Madison's direction； Jarp had a band helper get a stool and then they supported the keyboard horizontal and firmed it in place。
Madison； on his part； couldn't possibly see how it would work。 The keys； white and black； were simply drawn on paper。 They had no action up or down at all。
He summoned up his nerve。 It was all or nothing。 He struck one of the painted； motionless keys with one finger and he got a sort of a howl。
〃Oh； no；〃 he said。 〃A piano doesn't sound like that。 It vibrates more like a harp〃
〃Let's see if we've got the notes right； first；〃 said Jarp。
Madison limbered up his fingers； wishing he had at least tried to entertain people since he was twelve。 He ran the whole scale from bottom to the top。 Yes； the notes were all on pitch。 But no piano ever HOWLED！
〃The tones are wrong；〃 said Madison。 〃A piano note is bright and bubbling。〃
〃My word；〃 said Jarp。 〃Well； here's the adjustment tool and that's the panel over on the right end。 The first slot is 'attack；' the second is 'decay。' The next one is 'overtones' and the bottom one is 'percussion。' See what you can do。〃
Striking one picture of a key with one finger； Madison fiddled with the controls。 He began to perspire。 He got rid of the howls and got some sharp striking notes but it still didn't sound like a piano。 Far too dead now。
〃What's this second box under the top one？〃 said Madison。
〃Well； that thing I pasted the picture on is a chorder…bar。 I moved the contact points under it so they match the pictures that you drew； only I can't figure why
