Preferred Risk
Preferred Risk
作者：McCann, Edson; Kossin, Sandy [Illustrator]
体例：题 章数：141
字数：265,009 来源：Project Gutenberg
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cache/epub/51814/pg51814.txt（Project Gutenberg）
章节目录
共 141 题- PREFERRED RISK
- By EDSON McCANN
- Illustrated by KOSSIN
- I didn't understand.
- I hadn't known, of course, that Marianna would die first....
- I coughed. "Sir?" I asked.
- I said stiffly, "Delighted."
- I broke in apologetically, "Mr. Gogarty, I have only a Class-B policy."
- Gogarty blinked at me. "What?"
- I stopped myself.
- She looked at me strangely. All she said was, "Let's go back inside."
- I said, "I hope so, sir."
- She asked, rather oddly, "And is there a course in loyalty?"
- I said with difficulty, "Miss dell'Angela, what are you getting at?"
- I cleared my throat and sort of halfway leaned over to her.
- I stared.
- II
- I pushed open the swinging gate.
- Susan giggled. "Heavens, no. What an idea!"
- I nodded eagerly. I had been hoping for some explanations.
- I said dubiously, "Well, I saw the accident, if that's what you mean."
- I yelped, "Mr. Gogarty! This is a fraud!"
- I goggled at him. "But--"
- III
- I said, "Hammond, let's wait here for a lift."
- I turned to look back at him as we drove off.
- I could have been no more grateful had she given me the Company Mint.
- I said as pleasantly as I could, "I'm glad to see you at last."
- I said carefully, "Well, you must admit you are a rather unusual case."
- I asked one of them, "Anything wrong?"
- I temporized. "Suppose it's legitimate?"
- I said, "I suppose you're right."
- IV
- The woman scowled. "Che dice?"
- She said quickly, "Mr. Wills! I didn't expect you."
- I said, "You phoned me. I came as soon as I could."
- She smiled an odd sort of smile. "That wasn't the reason, Mr. Wills."
- I asked uncertainly, "Don't you believe me?"
- I shook my head quickly. "No, you don't understand. I--"
- She said evenly, "It's in the file. Because I was a bad girl."
- That reminded me. I said, "Rena, how did you know my name?"
- I cut in, "What does he want?"
- I repeated, "Happened? What could happen to him?"
- He said over his shoulder, "Good morning, Thomas. Sit down."
- He asked, "Nothing new on Hammond?"
- I asked, "How? What happened?"
- I said hesitantly, "I don't know if Mr. Gogarty would like me to--"
- Defoe said impatiently, "Of course, Thomas. Come along."
- Zorchi waved his hand defiantly. "_You_ are the bad news."
- I could hardly believe my eyes. The great stone face was smiling!
- VI
- I said uncertainly, "What--where shall I begin?"
- I could almost feel the thrust of their eyes as I entered the clinic.
- I said: "Am I supposed to identify him or something?"
- Moving closer, I said: "It won't work, Rena."
- She said in a detached voice: "Well done, Mr. Wills."
- I didn't want to turn her in.
- I coughed and said: "Rena, will you make a bargain?"
- She stared drearily. "Bargain?"
- VII
- I said quickly, "Below? You mean a half an hour ago?"
- He nodded. "Find anything?"
- I said, "Maybe they were scared off before they finished."
- Lawton asked me: "This the man?"
- Lawton looked at me curiously. "Maybe."
- Lawton said off-handedly. "He was right near Bay 100, wasn't he?"
- I flared peevishly: "Damn it, don't you want him saved?"
- Her eyes flashed, but she only said: "I know nothing of any killings."
- She was smiling, though still angry. "Are you apologizing to _me_?"
- She was shaking with the effort of controlling her temper. "Name one!"
- I swore in exasperation. "All right," I said. "It ended war."
- I obediently closed my eyes, but I didn't stop seeing her.
- She stirred. "Yes, Tom?"
- VIII
- I applied myself to the map.
- I said, "I doubt it."
- I found a staircase and climbed to another level of the boxlike clinic.
- I held it to the radiation-seared body of Benedetto dell'Angela.
- And I heard a faint whisper of a moan: "_Aiutemi, aiutemi._"
- I said hesitantly, "Well, I'd like to get you out of here...."
- I said honestly, "I don't know."
- IX
- I was almost expecting to see plastic sacks.
- I said, "It gets lonesome."
- I swallowed. "Who--whom did I murder?"
- I looked at it casually, and stopped dead.
- I said, with some difficulty, "Rena, look!"
- Out of the darkness came Slovetski's voice: "Welcome."
- I looked at it again, shuddering.
- Slovetski said commandingly, "Why did you permit him his liberty?"
- Rena said: "I can't tell you, Tom. _Please_ don't ask me!"
- She shook her head. "Tom, Tom. You must have misunderstood."
- Leadenly: "No, Tom."
- Again tears. "_Please_ don't ask me!"
- I yelled: "At least you can tell me what we're waiting for!"
- I snarled, "I'm tired of this. Go in and remind him!"
- She took a deep breath. "Not that, Tom."
- I straightened. "That's impossible."
- XI
- I saw it clearly.
- She said crisply, and not at all surprised: "Tom Wills."
- I said, "Mr. Defoe, I have to talk to you. It's a very urgent matter."
- I shook my head. "No, sir. I can't. It's too, well, risky."
- I said, "Wait a minute, Defoe! Leave Marianna out of this. I only--"
- I slapped the door of the booth open and leaped out.
- I got perhaps ten feet from the booth.
- I came to with a light shining in my eyes.
- I felt terrible, but my head was clearing.
- I said weakly, "Hi."
- I stopped. He pursed his lips, considering.
- For the first time he looked puzzled. "Dud bomb?"
- I shouted, over the screaming of the jets, "Where are we going?"
- XII
- XIII
- XIV
- I said, "I'll phone for a doctor."
- Benedetto said faintly, "No, Thomas! The Company!"
- I stared at him. "You're delirious!"
- I said stiffly, "If you don't want to help me, say so."
- I grated, "For God's sake, Zorchi, call a doctor!"
- She shrugged. "I don't know, Tom."
- Then she said: "Strange man."
- I stopped, feeling like a fool. Zorchi was laughing raucously.
- I said, "Wasn't I of some little assistance to you at one time?"
- I let it go at that. There was no point in arguing with that man, ever.
- I said, "Well, not exactly--"
- XV
- I got up stiffly and walked over to the window.
- I tried all the channels; they were all the same.
- Rena said worriedly, "Dear, you _must_ stay in bed. The doctor said--"
- Rena said, "Please! You're sick!"
- I said, "That's impossible! Defoe wouldn't let him go!"
- XVI
- Dr. Lawton appeared. He commanded coldly: "Take your clothes off."
- I think that was the most humiliating moment of all.
- I thought I heard Rena's voice....
- XVII
- I stopped him. "Wait a minute. Is there any way back in, once we leave?"
- XVIII
- He shook his head. "I can answer, but I'm waiting for a better offer."
- XIX