lrh.villainyvictorious- 第78节

Madison　said；　〃Lombar；　all　famous　figures　have　to　be　able　to　withstand　ridicule。　It's　one　of　the　rules　of　the　game：　ridicule　the　mighty。　But　be　calm；　they　have　played　right　into　your　hands。　I　am　glad　that　you　have　seen　that。　You　can　get　even　with　her　and　can　get　Heller　to　show　up。　All　you　have　to　do　is　sign　this　note。〃
Lombar　looked　at　it。　A　savage　look　replaced　the　shock　that　had　been　dominating　him。　〃That's　brilliant！〃　he　said　and　signed　it；　stamped　it。
Madison　took　it　back　to　see　that　it　was　all　in　order。　It　said：

ARREST　HIGHTEE　HELLER　AND　HOLD　HER。　THEN　BARGAIN　WITH　HER　BROTHER　AND　GET　HIM　TO　E　IN。　THEN　KILL　THEM　BOTH。

LOMBAR　HISST

〃Make　sure　you　get　that　executed！〃　said　Lombar　with　a　ferocious　snarl。　〃I've　never　been　so　affronted　in　my　life！〃
〃I　knew　you'd　see　your　way　out　of　this；〃　said　Madison。　〃You　can　now　ignore　the　details。　Leave　the　rest　up　to　me。〃
J。　Warbler　Madman　was　about　to　pull　off　the　PR　caper　of　the　age。

Chapter　4

The　arrest　of　Hightee　Heller　took　place　in　the　street　before　the　huge　dome　studio　of　Homeview。
She　had　been　told　that　a　group　of　notables　and　fans　from　Mistin　wished　to　present　her　with　that　planet's　symbolic　flower。　There　were　some　notables　there　all　right；　but　they　weren't　from　Mistin。　They　were　Death　Battalion　men　in　civilian　clothes。
Madison　had　his　own　camera　crew　placed　on　a　ledge　that　outcropped　from　the　dome：　it　was　thirty　feet　above　and　could　look　down　on　the　whole　scene。　There　was　another　crew　there；　on　the　scene　itself；　assigned　by　the　manager　of　Homeview。　There　were　several　reporters　and　photographers　from　papers。
The　street　was　just　a　typical　Joy　City　street；　lined　with　shops　that　sold　knickknacks　and　pretty　clothes。　The　main　entrance　to　the　dome；　however；　was　imposing；　for　the　pavement　just　in　front　of　it　appeared　to　be　made　of　gold。　It　was　there　that　the　deputation　stood。
Hightee　Heller　came　out　of　the　building：　she　was　dressed　in　a　white　gown　and　gold　gloves。　Such　presentations　were　quite　ordinary：　she　would　simply　go　down；　accept　whatever　it　was；　smile；　shake　hands；　thank　them　and　withdraw。　It　was　a　little　ceremony　that　took　place　several　times　a　week。　She　was　usually　only　acpanied　by　a　couple　Homeview　ushers　to　carry　away　the　present　or　award　or　whatever　it　was。　No　one　would　have　dreamed　of　flanking　Hightee　with　security　men；　for　in　all　her　career；　no　one　had　ever　laid　a　finger　on　the　Homeview　star　or　even　frowned　at　her　in　public。
She　might　have　been　checked　by　the　fact　that　the　deputation　was　so　silent。　Usually　such　groups　were　more　numerous　and　gave　a　little　cheer　when　she　appeared。　This　one　just　stood　there；　the　man　in　front　holding　a　bouquet。
She　was　five　feet　from　the　apparent　leader。　He　extended　the　bouquet　toward　her　stiffly。　Still　moving　forward；　she　put　out　a　hand　toward　it。
He　dropped　the　flowers　to　the　pavement。
They　had　masked　the　blastgun　in　his　hand！
A　whistle　screamed。
With　a　single　movement；　two　hundred　men　stepped　out　of　the　different　shops。　They　wore　black　uniforms　and　carried　rifles。　The　street　was　suddenly　totally　lined　with　these　troops。
From　the　back　of　the　deputation；　a　man　strode　forward；　throwing　off　a　cloak　to　reveal　himself　as　a　colonel　of　the　Death　Battalion。
Hightee　turned　to　reenter　the　building。
Two　Death　Battalion　soldiers　blocked　her　way。　She　turned　back　to　the　〃deputation。〃
The　colonel's　boot　crushed　the　fallen　flowers。　〃High…tee　Heller；　I　arrest　you　in　the　name　of　Lombar　Hisst！〃
The　two　ushers　made　a　sudden　rush　to　protect　Hightee。
Two　actors；　placed　there　by　Madison　for　that　purpose　in　Apparatus　uniforms；　smashed　blood　bags　into　the　faces　of　her　protectors！　It　looked　exactly　like　they　had　been　killed！　They　fell。
A　member　of　the　〃deputation〃　raised　and　dropped　a　black　sack　over　Hightee。
Four　Death　Battalion　troopers　grabbed　her　as　though　she　were　a　bundle　and　rushed　her　into　a　personnel　carrier。
Two　hundred　Death　Battalion　troops　struck　down　the　people　who　had　stopped；　stunned；　in　the　street。　They　raced　for　their　vehicles。
With　a　shattering　roar　of　takeoffs；　the　street　was　empty　except　for　pedestrians　collapsed　upon　the　walks。
Then　people　began　to　run　out　of　the　building　and　out　of　the　shops。　They　looked　around。　They　stared　at　the　sky　in　horror。　A　woman　began　to　scream。
Madison　had　the　cameraman　fade　out　on　the　crushed　bouquet。　It　looked　as　though　the　battered　flowers　bled。
He　was　grinning。　It　had　been　carried　live；　as　a　special；　over　all　Homeview。
It　was　on　the　streets　in　an　hour：

HIGHTEE　ARRESTED
BY　HISST

Madison　had　it　all　scheduled。　Later　papers　would　carry　that　her　whereabouts　was　unknown；　later　ones　would　headline　the　beginning　of　the　riots；　tomorrow　it　would　be：

BILLIONS　MOURN

Madison　now　had　other　things　to　do。

Chapter　5

For　three　days；　the　Gris　trial　took　second　place。　For　all　three　of　those　days　Madison　had　been　beaming　a　message　to　Calabar。　The　message　had　been　carried　on　all　military　wavelengths：　these　were　known　to　be　monitored　by　the　rebels。　The　message；　over　and　over；　had　said：

JETTERO　HELLER。　ON　THURSDAY　MORNING　YOUR　SISTER；　HIGHTEE　HELLER；　WILL　BE　AT　HERO　PLAZA；　GOVERNMENT　CITY；　VOLTAR。　IF　YOU　DO　NOT　LAND　THERE　AND　GIVE　YOURSELF　UP；　AT　NOON　SHE　WILL　BE　SHOT。　LOMBAR　HISST；　DICTATOR　OF　THE　CONFEDERACY。

On　Wednesday　night；　Madison　leaked　it　to　the　papers。　On　Thursday　morning　it　was　being　carried　throughout　the　Confederacy。
Orders　were　crackling　on　every　Apparatus；　Domestic　Police　and　Army　line　to　control　and　suppress　riots。
Hero　Plaza　is　a　circular　expanse。　It　is　two　hundred　yards　in　diameter。　There　is　nothing　there　but　clear　pavement　since　it　is　often　used　for　affairs　of　state。　In　the　exact　center　is　a　pletely　plain　circular　pillar　fifty　feet　tall　and　about　twenty　feet　in　circumference；　led　to　by　three　circular　steps。　The　only　decoration　or　inscription　is　on　the　front　edge　of　the　top　step：　it　says　Dedicated　to　the　Heroes　of　Voltar。　Madison　had　chosen　it　carefully。
Entering　the　plaza　were　eight　boulevards；　usually　crammed　with　traffic。　Today　each　boulevard；　at　the　plaza's　edge；　was　blocked　by　an　Apparatus　tank。
At　nine　o'clock；　Hightee　Heller；　gowned　in　white；　was　taken　to　the　pillar　by　a　Death　Battalion　squad。　She　was　without　her　gloves　now　and　the　shoulder　of　the　dress　was　torn。　Her　golden　hair　was　in　disarray　but　it　still　looked　like　a　halo。
Her　eyes　were　calm　as　she　looked　at　the　Apparatus　general　who；　in　his　red　uniform；　was　directing　the　squad。
A　camera　crew　was　close　to　hand；　one　of　the　several　on　duty　at　the　plaza　now。　Hightee　saw　the　microphone　pointing　in　her　direction。
〃Jettero！〃　she　suddenly　shouted；　〃If　you　are　listening；　don't　e　in　here！　They　mean　to　kill　you！〃
The　general　had　acted　slightly　late。　He　clamped　his　beefy　hand　over　Hightee's　mouth。　At　a　gesture；　three　of　his　squad　chased　the　camera　crew　away。　But　Madison；　hidden　by　a　tank　at　the　plaza　edge；　saw　that　other　crews　were　covering。　It　was　all　going　live　to　the　whole　Confederacy。
The　Death　Battalion　took　a　chain。　It　was　twenty　feet　long　and　had　big　links。　They　clamped　one　end　of　it　on　Hightee's　left　wrist；　they　ran　the　length　around　the　pillar；　they　fastened　the　other　end　to　Hightee's　right　wrist。　They　made　sure　the　links　were　solid。　She　was　chained　now　with　her　back　to　the　pillar。
The　squad　drew　back。
The　heavy　guns　of　the　eight　tanks　at　the　boulevard　ends　trained　around　on　Hightee。
Madison　grinned。　What　a　tableau！　Beauty　chained　to　a　pillar。　A　vast　clear　area　of　pavement。　Eight　deadly　muzzles；　ringing　the　plaza；　poised　for　destruction。
And　then　things　started　to　go　slightly　wrong。　Possibly　the　crowds…which；　despite　roadblocks；　had　gotten　into　the　boulevards…had　been　in　the　grip　of　unreality。　This　couldn't　possibly　be　happening：　it　was　too　monstrous。　But　when　the　Apparatus　general　had　dared　to　actually　touch　Hightee　to　silence　her；　a　roar　and　mutter　had　begun　to　rise。
There　must　have　been　a　hundred　thousand　people　in　those　boulevards。　There　were　only　two　or　three　thousand　Apparatus　troops　forming　barricades　to　block　them。
The　barricades　buckled。
There　was　a　roar　of　Apparatus　stunguns。
Missiles　flew　from　the　crowd！
Apparatus　troops　charged　them！
The　Domestic　Police　were　conspicuously　absent。　The　Apparatus　knew　very　little　about　crowd　control。
For　twenty　minutes　there　was　hand…to…ha