JК
The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 95 из 164«What areyou? Loyal? Crazy? Scared? Your kind would sell out for five thousand. I'm offering fifty. Fifty thousand for information, you son of a bitch, or you die slow and hard.» The tattooing appeared on Foyle's face. He forced Forrest's head back into the water and held the struggling man. Robin tried to pull him off.
«You're murdering him!»
Foyle turned his terrifying face on Robin. «Get your hands off me, bitch! Who was aboard with you, Forrest? Who gave the order? Why?»
Forrest twisted his head out of the water. «Twelve of us on 'Vorga,'» he screamed. «Christ save me! There was me and Kemp…”
He jerked spasmodically and sagged. Foyle pulled his body out of the surf.
«Go on. You and who? Kemp? Who else? Talk.»
There was no response. Foyle examined the body.
«Dead,» he growled.
«Oh my God! My God!»
«One lead shot to hell. Just when he was opening up. What a damned break.» He took a deep breath and drew calm about him like an iron cloak. The tattooing disappeared from his face. He adjusted his watch for 120 degrees east longitude. «Almost midnight in Shanghai. Let's go. Maybe we'll have better luck with Sergei Orel, pharmacist's mate off the 'Vorga.' Don't look so scared. This is only the beginning. Go, girl. Jaunte!»
Robin gasped. He saw that she was staring over his shoulder with an expression of incredulity. Foyle turned. A flaming figure loomed on the beach, a huge man with burning clothes and a hideously tattooed face. It was himself.
«Christ!» Foyle exclaimed. He took a step toward his burning image, and abruptly it was gone.
He turned to Robin, ashen and trembling. «Did you see that?»
«Yes.»
«What was it?»
«You.»
«For God's sake! Me? How's that possible? How…”
«It was you.»
«But…” He faltered, the strength and furious possession drained out of him. «Was it illusion? Hallucination?»
«I don't know. I saw it too.»
«Christ Almighty! To see yourself. . . face to face. . . The clothes were on fire. Did you see that? What in God's name was it?»
«It was Gully Foyle,» Robin said, «burning in hell.»
«All right,» Foyle burst out angrily. «It was me in hell, but I'm still going through with it. If I burn in hell, Vorga'll burn with me.» He pounded his palms together, stinging himself back to strength and purpose. «I'm still going through with it, by God! Shanghai next.
«You're murdering him!»
Foyle turned his terrifying face on Robin. «Get your hands off me, bitch! Who was aboard with you, Forrest? Who gave the order? Why?»
Forrest twisted his head out of the water. «Twelve of us on 'Vorga,'» he screamed. «Christ save me! There was me and Kemp…”
He jerked spasmodically and sagged. Foyle pulled his body out of the surf.
«Go on. You and who? Kemp? Who else? Talk.»
There was no response. Foyle examined the body.
«Dead,» he growled.
«Oh my God! My God!»
«One lead shot to hell. Just when he was opening up. What a damned break.» He took a deep breath and drew calm about him like an iron cloak. The tattooing disappeared from his face. He adjusted his watch for 120 degrees east longitude. «Almost midnight in Shanghai. Let's go. Maybe we'll have better luck with Sergei Orel, pharmacist's mate off the 'Vorga.' Don't look so scared. This is only the beginning. Go, girl. Jaunte!»
Robin gasped. He saw that she was staring over his shoulder with an expression of incredulity. Foyle turned. A flaming figure loomed on the beach, a huge man with burning clothes and a hideously tattooed face. It was himself.
«Christ!» Foyle exclaimed. He took a step toward his burning image, and abruptly it was gone.
He turned to Robin, ashen and trembling. «Did you see that?»
«Yes.»
«What was it?»
«You.»
«For God's sake! Me? How's that possible? How…”
«It was you.»
«But…” He faltered, the strength and furious possession drained out of him. «Was it illusion? Hallucination?»
«I don't know. I saw it too.»
«Christ Almighty! To see yourself. . . face to face. . . The clothes were on fire. Did you see that? What in God's name was it?»
«It was Gully Foyle,» Robin said, «burning in hell.»
«All right,» Foyle burst out angrily. «It was me in hell, but I'm still going through with it. If I burn in hell, Vorga'll burn with me.» He pounded his palms together, stinging himself back to strength and purpose. «I'm still going through with it, by God! Shanghai next.