lrh.villainyvictorious-第54部分

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〃You　leave　that　to　me；〃　said　Madison。
Lombar　nodded　and　forgot　about　it。

PART　EIGHTY
Chapter　1

Madison　was　handling　the　〃psychotherapy。〃
He　was　in　the　observation　slot　back　of　the　wall　behind　the　eightieth…floor　townhouse　auditorium。　He　was　grinning。　This　had　to　work；　and　when　it　did　he　would　have　his　trial。　And　with　the　Gris　trial；　he　would　have　Heller。
The　editorials　in　the　papers　had　been　a　very　mixed　lot　on　the　subject　of　Lombar's　speech；　none　of　them　less　stunned　than　Madison's　own　staff。　On　his　return　his　reporters　and　crew　had　said；　〃We　made　a　dictator；　bango；　just　like　that！　But　what's　a　'dictator；'　Chief？〃　Some　of　the　papers　were　of　the　opinion　that　a　〃dictator〃　was　one　who　spoke　into　a　dictating　machine。　Others；　since　the　word　had　been　translated　directly　over　into　literal　Voltarian；　said　that　it　was　a　more　forceful　kind　of　spokesman　and　was　a　natural　outgrowth　from　that　earlier　title。　But　the　majority　seemed　to　gather　that　Lombar　had　assumed　much　more　embracive　powers　and；　if　the　Grand　Council　order　had　not　been　showing　up　on　their　consoles；　they　would　have　had　to　assume　that　Lombar　had　authored　some　kind　of　a　coup；　they　were　not　at　all　sure　what。　But　none　of　the　papers　missed　the　point　that　the　Apparatus　was　suddenly　the　senior　force　of　the　state。
The　Apparatus　didn't　miss　it。　Their　officers；　with　few　exceptions　jailbirds；　joked　to　one　another　about　their　〃unimpeachable　reputations〃　and　their　〃honor。〃　They　began　to　put　on　airs。　Apparatus　officers　had　never　dared　go　into　the　better　hotels　and　restaurants　and　clubs；　and　suddenly　it　pleased　their　fancy　to　show　up　and　bully　waiters　and　managers　around。　Apparatus　troops　began　at　once　a　game　of　holding　arms　and　walking　up　streets　shoving　everyone　else　off　the　walks。　Underpaid　and　unpaid；　they　began　to　find　ways　of　being　paid。
But　Madison　ignored　all　that。　He　was　on　to　bigger　game：　Heller。　His　ways　of　arriving　there　were　entirely　PR。　Deadly！
This　〃psychotherapy〃　action　had　begun　with　his　discovery　of　a　postcard　in　the　Gris　dossier。　It　said：

SOLTAN　GRIS！

YOO…HOO；　WHEREVER　YOU　ARE。
The　baby　came　on　schedule　and　he's　beautiful。It's　a　he。
Now；　I　don't　want　to　have　to　go　to　your　superior　officer　and　make　a　fuss。　It　would　be　much　nicer　just　to　climb　in　bed　with　you。　So　when　are　you　going　to　turn　up　and　do　the　right　thing　and　marry　me？

Pratia

PS：　Any　manding　officer：　You　can　e　out　and　see　me　about　this　any　time　you　like。　I　hope　you're　handsome。　I　am　very　pretty　again　now　that　my　belly　is　flat　and　we　can　talk　it　all　over。　What　do　you　like　for
breakfast？　I　can　be　found　at　Minx　Estates；　Pausch　Hills。

PPS：　It　has　the　softest　beds　and　the　loveliest　swimming　pool　and　a　summerhouse　with　a　bed　in　it。　Smack。　Smack。

Now；　Madison　had　known　better　than　to　put　his　handsome　face　in　that　trap。　So　he　had　sent　the　director　and　one　of　the　circus　girls　dressed　as　people　of　fashion　and　an　actor　as　Gris's　〃manding　officer。〃
Now；　here　in　the　auditorium；　a　hundred　ladies　of　the　〃club〃　were　gathered　in　breathtaking　suspense；　and　Madison's　grin　widened　as　he　peered　through　the　slot　from　which　he　could　view　them。　Although　many　were　middle…aged；　they　looked　in　full　bloom。　They　had　recaptured　some　of　their　lost　youth　and　life；　viewed　through　a　marijuana　haze　and　sex；　and　seemed　remarkably　attractive。
Crobe　took　the　stand。　This　time　they'd　kept　the　LSD　away　from　him；　and　expecting　more　if　he　delivered；　he　was　on　his　good　behavior。　The　little　speaker　was　in　his　ear　and　all　he　had　to　do　was　repeat　the　script　being　read　over　it。
〃Ladies　of　quality；　ladies　of　fashion；　ladies　of　sparkling　eyes　and　resurged　youth；〃　Crobe　began…and　it　was　pretty　good　even　though　he　was　saying　it　in　a　very　flat　voice　…　〃I　know　how　concerned　you　have　been　about　the　state's　reluctance　to　try　the　insane　lunatic　Gris。　As　you　doubtless　read　or　saw　on　Homeview；　Lombar　Hisst；　Dictator　of　Voltar；　promised　that　psychotherapy　would　be　attempted　in　the　Gris　case。
〃Now　the　grave　danger；　ladies；　is　that　Gris　will　be　released　upon　the　public　totally　insane；　that　he　will　continue　to　slaughter　and　burn　and　rampage　throughout　a　helpless　population。
〃Hisst；　poorly　advised；　directly　ordered　me　to　attempt　a　solution　through　psychotherapy。　It　was　reasoned　that　if　the　foul　fiend　could　be　made　sane；　it　would　then　be　safe　to　turn　him　loose。
〃I　demurred。　I　tried　to　point　out　that　this　criminal　lunatic　Gris　was　entirely　off　the　Freudian　scale。　Most　of　you　heard　the　lecture　where　I　took　that　up　took　that　up　took　go　on　go　on。
〃I　said　to　Hisst；　'The　chances　of　success　are　so　remote　they　are　not　worth。。。　calculating。'　He　ordered　me　to　do　it　anyway。　Then　I　told　him　that　anyone　chosen　to　do　this　thing　might　very　well　be　facing　certain　death。　But　he　said；　'What　is　one　woman　more　or　less？　Find　a　volunteer　and　make　her　do　it！〃'
〃The　brute！〃　ran　the　whisper　around　the　room。
〃Now；　as　you　know　you　know　you　know　quit　repeating；　according　to　Freud；　sex　is　the　basis　of　everything。　If　the　true　sexual　basis　of　a　criminal　could　be　awakened；　he　would　reform　and　bee　sane。　That　is　proven　scientific　fact　like　all　psychiatry。
〃So　what　will　be　attempted　is　to　bring　light　into　the　life　of　Gris　in　the　hope　that　it　will　reform　him；　bring　him　back　to　sanity　and　remove　him　as　a　threat　from　our　society。〃
The　women　nodded。
〃But；〃　cried　Crobe；　〃as　I　told　Hisst；　the　experiment；　while　noble；　has　two　drawbacks：　one；　the　chances　of　this　working　on　somebody　totally　off　the　classification　scale　are　almost　nonexistent；　and　two；　it　is　almost　certain　death　for　the　volunteer。　Shout　yet　we　have　actually　found　a　volunteer。〃
Crobe　stood　there；　since　no　words　were　ing　into　his　earphone　now。　An　usher　led　forward　the　volunteer。
It　was　the　Widow　Tayl！
She　was　dressed　in　purest　white。　She　looked　virginal。　Her　head　was　bent　forward；　her　smoothly　straight　hair　fell　across　her　face。　She　clasped　her　hands　in　front　of　her。　She　had　been　directed　to　perfection；　to　look　like　a　maiden　being　brought　before　the　altar　in　a　primitive　sacrifice。　She　stood　before　them；　eyes　cast　down。
〃This　woman；〃　said　Crobe；　〃in　a　spirit　of　purest　patriotism；　is　willing　to　risk　her　life　in　this　undertaking。　I　regard　with　awe　her　devotion　and　fearlessness　in　servicing。。。　serving　the　state　and　people。　I　give　you　Pratia　Tayl　wait　for　applause。〃
The　assembled　women　stared。　They　felt　a　surge　of　awe。　Then　some　began　to　cry。
〃I　am　therefore；〃　said　Crobe；　〃appointing　a　mittee　under　the　chairwomanship　of　Lady　Arthrite　Stuffy　to　call　upon　Lord　Turn　and　insist　that　he　permit　the　marriage　and　nuptial　night　of　Gris　and　this　woman　in　the　Royal　prison。〃
The　audience　gasped。
Madison　grinned。

Chapter　2

A　very　disturbed　Lord　Turn　faced　the　mittee　of　ladies　in　his　chambers　the　next　morning。　Nothing　like　this　had　ever　happened　to　him　before。　But　he　had　never　been　pounded　by　press　in　all　his　life　and　he　was　getting　cowed。　Even　his　own　family　was　not　speaking　to　him　lately；　and　this　mass　of　determined　women　he　saw　before　him　were；　many　of　them；　on　remarkably　good　terms　with　his　family。
〃But　Lady　Arthrite；〃　he　sputtered；　〃nothing　like　this　has　ever　happened　before。　A　marriage　to　take　place　in　my　prison？　It's　unheard　of。〃
Lady　Arthrite　fixed　him　with　a　gimlet　eye。　〃Lord　Turn；　we　have　consulted　legal　experts。　Our　family　attorneys　tell　us　that　there　is　no　regulation　against　it！　You　are　NOT　covered　by　the　law　this　time。　Any　objection　by　you　would　be　purely　personal！〃
Lord　Turn　digested　that。　He　was　a　letter…of…the…law　man　and　he　knew　she　spoke　the　truth。　It　had　suddenly　bee　too　personal。　Then　he　grasped　at　an　out。　〃Marriage　is　a　thing　to　which　the　man　must　agree。　I　doubt　very　much　that　Soltan　Gris　would　want　to　get　married！〃
〃He　must　be　asked　and　we　must　hear　if　this　is　the　case。〃
Lord　Turn　raised　his　eyes　to　the　ceiling。　There　were　no　regulations　up　there　to　be　read。　He　looked　back　at　Lady　Arthrite。　〃Very　well。　We　will　go　ask　Gris。〃
Now；　the　Apparatus　is　an　intelligence　service　and　it　has　ways　and　means　of　getting　information。　And；　this　time　through　a　warder's　wife；　Madison　had　learned　that　Soltan　Gris　had　finished　writing　his　confession。
Actually；　Gris；　these　days；　had　put　on　some　weight　through　lack　of　exercise；　and　food　eaten　regularly。　Just　now　he　was　sitting　in　the　tower　cell　wondering　what　to　do　with　his　time。
He　had　delivered　the　massive　confession。　For　a　couple　of　days　thereafter　he　had　worried　a　bit；　thinking　he　would　now　be　executed。　Then　he　began　to　realize　that　judges　take　a　long　time　to　read　things　and　maybe　he　had　a　few　more　breaths　of　life　left　to　breathe。
The　orders　that　he　stay　away　from　the　window　did　not　have　to　be　repeated　to　him：　he　knew　in　his　bones　that　Lombar　Hisst　would　move　the　planet　to　get　at　him。　He　had　heard　some　crowd　shouting　something　or　other　outside　the　prison　on　some　occasions　but　he　had　not　dared　go　to　the　window　to　look　and　he　could　not　understand　what　they　were　saying：　they　were　too　distant。　No　information　had　e　to　him。　He　knew　nothing　whatever　about　the　press　campaign　against　him。
He　was　somewhat　puzzled　therefore　to　hear　many　footsteps　ing　up　the　tower　stairs　and　a　buzz　of　voices。　Female　voices？　How　strange！
There　was　a　jangle　of　opening　plates　and　then　the　groan　of　his　iron　door。
A　guard　came　in　and　pointed　a　weapon　at　him。
The　room　was　suddenly　full　of　women！
Gris's　wits　promptly　went　into　a　spin。
He　recognized　none　of　them。
Their　gaze　upon　him　was　hostile　in　the　extreme。
Panic　gripped　him　and　there　was　no　place　to　run。
A　hooded　figure；　very　slight　of　build；　advanced　toward　him。　It　came　very　close。
He　felt　a　note　being　pushed　into　his　hand。
Almost　hysterical；　he　glanced　down　at　the　note。　It　said：

If　you　don't　say　yes　I　will　tell　them　about　the　baby　and　they　will　tear　you　limb　from　limb。

The　figure　before　him　then　lifted　a　hand　and　took　hold　of　the　top　of　her　hood　and　pulled　it　off。
Gris　went　into　petrified　shock。
IT　WAS　PRATIA　TAYL！
〃For　the　good　of　the　state；〃　she　said；　carefully　coached；　〃I　have　volunteered　to　marry　you。〃　And；　out　of　sight　of　the　others　she　jabbed　a　finger　at　the　note。
Gris；　very　close　to　fainting；　could　not　speak。
Lord　Turn；　at　the　back　of　the　group；　snarled；　〃Well；　answer　her！　Speak　up　so　we　can　get　about　our　business！〃
〃Say　yes；〃　hissed　the　Widow　Tayl。
Gris　took　a　look　at　her　slitted；　determined　eyes。　He　looked　at　the　hos