you’re right . . . it
is
a physical injury I’m rubbing. If you ever get where I am, you’ll have some deep-seated injuries and illnesses too. Because there’ll be people around you putting them there.”
“Maybe you should take a couple of flying wedge squads of police and seize the Bond Hotel,” Barris said. “He was there an hour ago. Down in the old section of the city. Not more than two miles from here.”
“He’d be gone,” Dill said. “He turns up again and again on the outskirts this way. We’ll never get him; there’re a million ratholes he can slither down.”
Barris said, “You almost did get him.”
“When?”
“In the hotel room. When that robot tracking device entered and made for him. It almost succeeded in burning him up, but he was quite fast; he managed to roll away and get it first.”
Dill said, “What robot tracking device? Describe it.” As Barris described it, Dill stared at him starkly. He swallowed noisily but did not interrupt until Barris had finished.
“What’s wrong?” Barris said. “From what I saw of it, it seems to be the most effective counterpenetration weapon you have. Surely you’ll be able to break up the Movement with such a mechanism. I think your anxiety and preoccupation is excessive.”
In an almost inaudible voice, Dill said, “Agnes Parker.”
“Who is that?” Barris said.
Seemingly not aware of him, Dill murmured, “Vulcan 2. And now a try at Father Fields. But he got away.” Putting down his pencil beam he reached into his coat; rummaging, he brought out two reels of tape. He tossed the tape down on the desk.
“So that’s what you’ve been carrying,” Barris said with curiosity. He picked up the reels and examined them.
Dill said, “Director, there is a third force.”
“What?” Barris said, with a chill.
“A third force is operating on us,” Jason Dill said, and smiled grotesquely. “It may get all of us. It appears to be very strong.”
He put his pencil beam away, then. The two of them faced each other without it.
CHAPTER NINE
The police raid on the Bond Hotel, although carried out expertly and thoroughly, netted nothing.
Jason Dill was not surprised.
In his office by himself he faced a legal dictation machine. Clearing his throat he said into it hurriedly, “This is to act as a formal statement in the event of my death, explaining the circumstances and reasons why I saw fit as Unity Managing Director to conduct
sub rosa
relations with North American Director William Barris. I entered into these relations knowing full well that Director Barris was under heavy suspicion concerning his position vis-à-vis the Healers’ Movement, a treasonable band of murderers and—” He could not think of the word so he cut off the machine temporarily.
He glanced at his watch. In five minutes he had an appointment with Barris; he would not have time to complete his protective statement anyway. So he erased the tape. Better to start over later on, he decided. If he survived into the later on.
I’ll go meet him, Jason Dill decided, and go on the assumption that he is being honest with me. I’ll cooperate with him fully; I’ll hold nothing back.
But just to be on the safe side, he opened the drawer of his desk and lifted out a small container. From it he took an object wrapped up and sealed; he opened it, and there was the smallest heat beam that the police had been able to manufacture. No larger than a kidney bean.
Using the adhesive agent provided, he carefully affixed the weapon inside his right ear. Its color blended with his own; examining himself in a wall mirror he felt satisfied that the heat beam would not be noticed.
Now he was ready for his appointment. Taking his overcoat, he left his office, walking briskly.
He stood by while Barris laid the tapes out on the surface of a table, spreading them flat with his hands.
“And no more came after these,” Barris said.
“No more,” Dill said. “Vulcan 2 ceased to exist
is
a physical injury I’m rubbing. If you ever get where I am, you’ll have some deep-seated injuries and illnesses too. Because there’ll be people around you putting them there.”
“Maybe you should take a couple of flying wedge squads of police and seize the Bond Hotel,” Barris said. “He was there an hour ago. Down in the old section of the city. Not more than two miles from here.”
“He’d be gone,” Dill said. “He turns up again and again on the outskirts this way. We’ll never get him; there’re a million ratholes he can slither down.”
Barris said, “You almost did get him.”
“When?”
“In the hotel room. When that robot tracking device entered and made for him. It almost succeeded in burning him up, but he was quite fast; he managed to roll away and get it first.”
Dill said, “What robot tracking device? Describe it.” As Barris described it, Dill stared at him starkly. He swallowed noisily but did not interrupt until Barris had finished.
“What’s wrong?” Barris said. “From what I saw of it, it seems to be the most effective counterpenetration weapon you have. Surely you’ll be able to break up the Movement with such a mechanism. I think your anxiety and preoccupation is excessive.”
In an almost inaudible voice, Dill said, “Agnes Parker.”
“Who is that?” Barris said.
Seemingly not aware of him, Dill murmured, “Vulcan 2. And now a try at Father Fields. But he got away.” Putting down his pencil beam he reached into his coat; rummaging, he brought out two reels of tape. He tossed the tape down on the desk.
“So that’s what you’ve been carrying,” Barris said with curiosity. He picked up the reels and examined them.
Dill said, “Director, there is a third force.”
“What?” Barris said, with a chill.
“A third force is operating on us,” Jason Dill said, and smiled grotesquely. “It may get all of us. It appears to be very strong.”
He put his pencil beam away, then. The two of them faced each other without it.
CHAPTER NINE
The police raid on the Bond Hotel, although carried out expertly and thoroughly, netted nothing.
Jason Dill was not surprised.
In his office by himself he faced a legal dictation machine. Clearing his throat he said into it hurriedly, “This is to act as a formal statement in the event of my death, explaining the circumstances and reasons why I saw fit as Unity Managing Director to conduct
sub rosa
relations with North American Director William Barris. I entered into these relations knowing full well that Director Barris was under heavy suspicion concerning his position vis-à-vis the Healers’ Movement, a treasonable band of murderers and—” He could not think of the word so he cut off the machine temporarily.
He glanced at his watch. In five minutes he had an appointment with Barris; he would not have time to complete his protective statement anyway. So he erased the tape. Better to start over later on, he decided. If he survived into the later on.
I’ll go meet him, Jason Dill decided, and go on the assumption that he is being honest with me. I’ll cooperate with him fully; I’ll hold nothing back.
But just to be on the safe side, he opened the drawer of his desk and lifted out a small container. From it he took an object wrapped up and sealed; he opened it, and there was the smallest heat beam that the police had been able to manufacture. No larger than a kidney bean.
Using the adhesive agent provided, he carefully affixed the weapon inside his right ear. Its color blended with his own; examining himself in a wall mirror he felt satisfied that the heat beam would not be noticed.
Now he was ready for his appointment. Taking his overcoat, he left his office, walking briskly.
He stood by while Barris laid the tapes out on the surface of a table, spreading them flat with his hands.
“And no more came after these,” Barris said.
“No more,” Dill said. “Vulcan 2 ceased to exist
Similar Books
