[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
by a brief close-up of the District Director, showing concern on his features,
fol-lowed by a return to a head-and--shoulder shot of Jai.
"Even now," Jai said. "I hate to condemn this man. Although tests show him to
be completely sane and responsible, it is hard to believe that any sane man
could plan on ex-posing hundreds of thousands of Chicago residents to the Rot,
simply to gain a position on thePritcher Mass that would insure his being one
of those that would emigrate to a new world once such a world had been found."
He waved again atChaz . Once more,Chaz saw his own face flashed on the
building. The sound of the crowd voices mounted. Jai's features replaced those
ofChaz .
"The details are somewhat techni-cal," Jai said. "Briefly, however,Sant tried
to gain a position of authority on the Mass by creating an illusion that he
had contacted not only a habitable world, but one with intelli-gent aliens on
Page 104
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
it. This hoax was ex-posed when I went out with him dur-ing a shift of work on
the Mass, and made mental contact with the illusion myself. While it first
seemed to have some validity, a closer exam-ination showed nothing really new
or alien about the world or its so-called alien inhabitants. Working with an
artist, I have managed to produce actual-size representations of those aliens
asSant imagined them. I have those representations here; and you will be shown
them. Notice how they are nothing but a common Earth insect, and an equally
common Earth mollusk, en-larged."
He waved his hand to the left side of the table, whereChaz saw two large
two-dimensional cut-outsort of figures. One was very much like the Mantis and
the other was very much like the large Snail from the cartoon world. He looked
back at Jai.
"I didn't know you were with me," he said to Jai. "You actually are good,
aren't you? But why drag that part in wait, I understand. You've got to find
some way of justifying what happens to me to the non-Cita-del people back on
theMass. You've got to have some reason for shutting off contact with the
cartoon world I added to theMass. "
Jai did not answer. He had paused to let his viewers look at the
repre-sentations. Now, he went on to his audience.
"When I toldSant I knew this was a hoax," Jai said, "he admitted it; but he
begged to be kept on theMass. I was forced to refuse. He came back to Earth.
Back here, he went outside the Chicago District and gathered a crew of
saboteurs with the idea of blackmailing the citizens ofChicago into creating a
threat to this building and its workers. It was his hope that he could use
that threat in turn to blackmail us here into putting him back on the Mass in
a position of author-ity."
Jai paused and smiled across the table atChaz . For a secondChaz sawhis own
face, looking oddly un-concerned, imaged on the building in the screen between
the antennae. Then Jai was back on the screen.
"But we," said Jai, "trusting in the good common sense of ourChicago
citizens, decided to call his bluff; with the result that, as the Police
General has explained, we have now nullified all his attempts at sabotage; and
he, with the woman who abetted him, is now in custody."
Another flash ofChaz ' face on the side of the building below.The vol-ume of
sound from outside was turned up; and the voice of the crowd was an ugly
voice, becoming uglier at the sight ofChaz ' image.
"Santand the woman will now be sent under police escort from this building
through the streets to Police Headquarters," Jai said. "You may all return to
your homes, satisfied that everything is secure and justice will be done.
Please, I beg you, any of you who have strong feelings about whatSant might
have suc-ceeded in doing, take my word for it that in our courts justice will
indeed be done. Do not be tempted to take it into your own hands . .. "
The crowd roared like a senseless beast.
"I trust you," said Jai, with a sad smile, "your General of Police and your
District Director trust you, to allow these criminals and the two police
officers who will be escorting them, to proceed in an orderly man-ner from
here to Police Headquar-ters "
Chazrose with a great effort, and threw his chair at the young man with the
laser, knocking him down. Following the chair as fast as he could but it was
Page 105
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
almost as if he moved in slow motion Chazwas on top of the gunman before he
could recover and had his hands literally on the weapon. But before he could
get to his feet a number of people were holding him. He was pushed to his
knees and the laser wrested easily out of his grasp. He was hauled to his feet [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szamanka888.keep.pl
by a brief close-up of the District Director, showing concern on his features,
fol-lowed by a return to a head-and--shoulder shot of Jai.
"Even now," Jai said. "I hate to condemn this man. Although tests show him to
be completely sane and responsible, it is hard to believe that any sane man
could plan on ex-posing hundreds of thousands of Chicago residents to the Rot,
simply to gain a position on thePritcher Mass that would insure his being one
of those that would emigrate to a new world once such a world had been found."
He waved again atChaz . Once more,Chaz saw his own face flashed on the
building. The sound of the crowd voices mounted. Jai's features replaced those
ofChaz .
"The details are somewhat techni-cal," Jai said. "Briefly, however,Sant tried
to gain a position of authority on the Mass by creating an illusion that he
had contacted not only a habitable world, but one with intelli-gent aliens on
Page 104
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
it. This hoax was ex-posed when I went out with him dur-ing a shift of work on
the Mass, and made mental contact with the illusion myself. While it first
seemed to have some validity, a closer exam-ination showed nothing really new
or alien about the world or its so-called alien inhabitants. Working with an
artist, I have managed to produce actual-size representations of those aliens
asSant imagined them. I have those representations here; and you will be shown
them. Notice how they are nothing but a common Earth insect, and an equally
common Earth mollusk, en-larged."
He waved his hand to the left side of the table, whereChaz saw two large
two-dimensional cut-outsort of figures. One was very much like the Mantis and
the other was very much like the large Snail from the cartoon world. He looked
back at Jai.
"I didn't know you were with me," he said to Jai. "You actually are good,
aren't you? But why drag that part in wait, I understand. You've got to find
some way of justifying what happens to me to the non-Cita-del people back on
theMass. You've got to have some reason for shutting off contact with the
cartoon world I added to theMass. "
Jai did not answer. He had paused to let his viewers look at the
repre-sentations. Now, he went on to his audience.
"When I toldSant I knew this was a hoax," Jai said, "he admitted it; but he
begged to be kept on theMass. I was forced to refuse. He came back to Earth.
Back here, he went outside the Chicago District and gathered a crew of
saboteurs with the idea of blackmailing the citizens ofChicago into creating a
threat to this building and its workers. It was his hope that he could use
that threat in turn to blackmail us here into putting him back on the Mass in
a position of author-ity."
Jai paused and smiled across the table atChaz . For a secondChaz sawhis own
face, looking oddly un-concerned, imaged on the building in the screen between
the antennae. Then Jai was back on the screen.
"But we," said Jai, "trusting in the good common sense of ourChicago
citizens, decided to call his bluff; with the result that, as the Police
General has explained, we have now nullified all his attempts at sabotage; and
he, with the woman who abetted him, is now in custody."
Another flash ofChaz ' face on the side of the building below.The vol-ume of
sound from outside was turned up; and the voice of the crowd was an ugly
voice, becoming uglier at the sight ofChaz ' image.
"Santand the woman will now be sent under police escort from this building
through the streets to Police Headquarters," Jai said. "You may all return to
your homes, satisfied that everything is secure and justice will be done.
Please, I beg you, any of you who have strong feelings about whatSant might
have suc-ceeded in doing, take my word for it that in our courts justice will
indeed be done. Do not be tempted to take it into your own hands . .. "
The crowd roared like a senseless beast.
"I trust you," said Jai, with a sad smile, "your General of Police and your
District Director trust you, to allow these criminals and the two police
officers who will be escorting them, to proceed in an orderly man-ner from
here to Police Headquar-ters "
Chazrose with a great effort, and threw his chair at the young man with the
laser, knocking him down. Following the chair as fast as he could but it was
Page 105
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
almost as if he moved in slow motion Chazwas on top of the gunman before he
could recover and had his hands literally on the weapon. But before he could
get to his feet a number of people were holding him. He was pushed to his
knees and the laser wrested easily out of his grasp. He was hauled to his feet [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]