Man Who Used the Universe by Alan Dean Foster Read Free Book Online Page A

enough to make them hesitate.
    "What an extraordinary comment to come from a condemned man," observed the fat woman.
    "Quiet, Amoleen." This came from the fourth member of the tribunal, who had hardly said a word until now. She sat at the far side of the table and looked like a rumpled housewife. She was clad in clothing as plain as that of the janitorial folk who cleaned the sewers of the tubes. She looked in no way remarkable.
    Loo-Macklin knew immediately who was senior here.
    Her eyes searched his face, sought hints, clues, leanings. Found nothing. That disturbed her very much. She was very good at reading faces. This strangely confident young man was more than blank. He wore the expression of a vacuum, and yet behind the mask there was a hint of something immensely powerful, a seething, raging emotion held as tightly in check as the fusion reactions, which powered interstellar drives.
    Draw him out, she thought. This is no time to be hasty, no time to make a dangerous mistake.
    "That's a peculiar thing for a condemned man to say, especially one so young. Can you justify it?"
    "Oh now, really, Khryswhy," muttered Nubra, "we waste time with this one."
    "I want to be sure," she told him firmly, turning back to Loo-Macklin. "Well? We're waiting, and you don't have much time left."
    He focused his attention on her, instantly blotting out the presence of the other three. As far as he was concerned, they'd ceased to exist. At last he could deal with someone in a position to make decisions.
    "You have at least one monitor recording this meeting?"
    She nodded.
    "And therefore the usual computer links. Try and call up the figures for, oh, say, the number of bribes that are due and payable and to which police officers in the central tubes for the next six months. Also what forms the bribes are to take: jewelry, money, women, men. Where the drops are to be made.
    "That's a very small detail but important to the steady functioning of the syndicate. Surely all of you have them memorized and don't even need to use your computer?"
    She glanced over at Basright. "Put away that toy pistol you've been holding and ask the question." The older man nodded, rose, and walked over to the wall, holstering his syringer as he did so. At the wall he touched a button. A section of imitation wood slid upward, revealing a video monitor and accompanying entryboard.
    "Ask again," she told Loo-Macklin, "in case he missed something."
    Loo-Macklin obediently repeated the comment.
    Basright, who was obviously much more than just an overage gunman, punched in the complex question. The monitor screen was large enough for everyone to read the information it would display without leaving their seats.
    The computer responded promptly to the inquiry.
    INFORMATION NO LONGER IN FILES
    "Try again," said Khryswhy, while the woman named Amoleen and the suddenly uncertain Nubra began to fidget uneasily.
    Basright repeated the query, slowly this time, and again was rewarded with the response:
    INFORMATION NO LONGER IN FILES
    He looked helplessly toward Khryswhy.
    "Pursue it," she said grimly.
    He nodded, punched in fresh codes.
    WHY REQUESTED INFORMATION NO LONGER IN FILES? INFORMATION REMOVED 0-4-26: 02:35
    Basright licked thin lips, his long fingers working at the entryboard.
    INFORMATION REMOVED BY WHOM?
    The computer hesitated a second before announcing firmly:
    QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
    WHAT QUALIFIED PERSONNEL?
    INFORMATION NO LONGER IN FILES
    Loo-Macklin allowed that to burn on the screen for a minute, then glanced down at the plain, thoughtful Khryswhy. "Want to try something else? How about asking it when and where and in what quantity the next shipment of green screamers is coming into your distribution system? Or, for that matter, any other syndicate pharmaceuticals?"
    "You lousy, meddling mollywobble!" Nubra started to rise, expressing both confusion and anger.
    Khryswhy glanced sharply at him. "Sit down, Nubra, and don't play the idiot." The young man hesitated,