Bill 01 Bill The Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison

Author:Harry Harrison
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2011-01-16T00:00:00+00:00

IV

The bullet plowed slowly out of the cloud of expanding gas and drifted about

two feet toward Bill before the humming gravity field slowed it to a stop. The

simple-minded cycling circuit translated the bullet's speed as mass and assumed

that another body had entered the gravchute and assigned it a position.

Deathwish's fall slowed until he was fifteen feet behind the bullet, while the

other MP also assumed the same relative position behind him. The gap between

Bill and his pursuers was now twice as wide, and he took advantage of this and

ducked out of the exit at the next level. An open elevator beckoned to him

coyly and he was into it and had the door closed before the wildly cursing

Deathwish could emerge from the shaft.

After this, escape was simply a matter of muddling his trail. He used

different means of transportation at random, and all the time kept fleeing to

lower levels as though seeking to escape like a mole by burrowing deep into the

ground. It was exhaustion that stopped him finally, dropping him in his tracks,

slumped against a wall and panting like a triceratops in heat. Gradually he

became aware of his surroundings and realized that he had come lower than he

had ever been before. The corridors were gloomier and older, made of steel

plates riveted together. Massive pillars, some a hundred feet or more in

diameter, broke the smoothness of the walls, great structures that supported

the mass of the world-city above. Most of the doors he saw were locked and

bolted, hung with elaborate seals. It was darker, too, he realized, as he

wearily dragged to his feet and went looking for something to drink: his throat

burned like fire. A drink dispenser was let into the wall ahead and was

different from most of the ones he was used to in that it had thick steel bars

reinforcing the front of the mechanism and was adorned with a large sign that

read THIS MACHINE PROTECTED BY YOU-COOK-EM BURGLAR ALARMS ANY ATTEMPT TO BREAK

INTO THE MECHANISM WILL RELEASE 100,000 VOLTS THROUGH THE CULPRIT RESPONSIBLE.

He found enough coins in his pocket to buy a double HeroinCola and stepped

carefully back out of the range of any sparks while the cup filled.

He felt much better after draining it, until he looked in his wallet then he

felt much worse. He had eight imperial bucks to his name, and when they were

gone-then what? Self-pity broke through his exhausted and drug-ridden senses,

and he wept. He was vaguely aware of occasional passersby but paid them no

heed. Not until three men stopped close by and let a fourth sink to the floor.

Bill glanced at them, then looked away; their words coming dimly to his ears

made no sense, since he was having afar better time wallowing in lacrimose

indulgence.

"Poor old Golph, looks like he's done for."

"That's for sure. He's rattling just about the nicest death rattle I ever

heard. Leave him here for the cleaning robots."

"But what about the job? We need four to pull it."

"Let's take a look at deplanned over there."

A heavy boot in Bill's side rolled him over and caught his attention.

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