The Stainless Steel Rat for President (ssr-5) by Harry Harrison

Author:Harry Harrison [Harrison, Harry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sf
ISBN: 0553276123
Publisher: Spectra
Published: 1988-03-19T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

There’s nothing like a whiff of panic to clear the head. As the adrenalin pumped through my veins, all traces of fatigue vanished on the instant. What was wrong? The door should have been open-they had my message. I pushed again with the same lack of result.

When I looked over my shoulder I saw that the policemen had reached the car. But as soon as they got close the limp arm vanished back inside and the vehicle burst into life, surging forward and away. One policeman shook his fist in impotent fury while the other, slightly more intelligent, wrote down the registration number of the vanishing vehicle. Although this exercise was about as practical as the fist waving: the car had been stolen.

Within seconds the police would turn around and see me there. One last push and I would be off. To think of another plan.

I slammed my shoulder hard against the door in angerjust as it opened. Off-balance I plummeted through and heard it slam behind me.

“Welcome to Castle Penoso, Sir Hector,” a tremulous voice said, “Welcome.” I climbed to my feet and dusted off my knees. The owner of the voice stood just before me. A wraithlike gray man with gray hair and gray skin that neatly matched the color of his clothes. I accepted the tremulous hand and pressed the ancient fingers lightly, bowing at the same time. Trying to remember what you called a duke. Your worship? Your highness? Your dukeness? My mind was empty. I would have to fake it.

“What kindness! How can I thank you? I have faced death this day and have only been saved by your timely actions!” “All I did was open the door. Sir Hector,” he said, dismissing this brave action as a mere bagatelle. He biinked rheumy eyes in my direction. “But sit, I pray you, have a drop of 94 brandy. Then tell me everything. I had only a brief note from the marqu6z asking me to admit you. He said you would explain.” I did. While schnozzling into the excellent brandy. Of course, I simplified the story in the telling, but the events pretty much followed those that had happened the day before. The duke’s eyes widened at my tale, and he trembled and gasped so hard I was worried for him. But he lasted the course and the story so impressed him that he joined me in a brandy.

“Terrible! Terrible! Zapilote must be done away with once and for all. But how is my dear fourth cousin thirteen times removed?” It was my turn to hobble my head, until I finally realized that he must have meant the marquez; I wondered how they kept track of the family connections.

“I don’t know. That is where you must help me. If I write the message will you send it on the semaphore?” “Oh dear, instantly of course. I will call my operator.” While he tingled his little bell and issued instructions I scratched out a concise query I AM SAFE IN CASTLE PENOSO.

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