[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Mr. Chavez's male nurse," he said, turning to Cardigan.
"That I am," agreed Jake.
"[ don't know if either of you gentlemen is familiar with the
Page 148
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Japanese language, but taiyoo means sun," the android explained. "In his suite
Mr. Chavez will be treated with our special simulated sunray that is
guaranteed to--"
"Doc Ahiru already gave me the spiel," cut in Gomez. "Let's simply get to the
damn suite, huh?"
"Cranky and impatient." Chuckling, the android turned to Jake and winked.
"Lots of them are when they first come to us here." He clapped his hands.
A chrome plated robot in a short crimson kimono entered the room, bowing first
to the android and then to the seated Gomez.
"How may I assist you, sir?"
"Juuku, escort Mr. Chavez and his nurse to Taiyoo Suite : 16, Generated by ABC
Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
please."
"It shall be done." Bowing again, Juuku turned and walked toward a nearby
arched doorway.
William S hat n er
Cme and his chair went rolling after him.
"I sure hope this does him some good," Jake confided in the android before
following the other two.
They moved down a long empty corridor whose walls were filled with animated
murals based on the paintings of Hokusai.
At the doorway to Suite 16 the silvery robot stopped, bowing again.
Gomez smiled, slipped a stun gun out from under his bright shawl and shot the
robot.
Jake caught the mechanical man and, after his partner had jumped clear of the
chair, dumped him into it.
The door of # 16 whirred open, the chair and the disabled robot went
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
rolling in and the door shut.
Gomez bowed to Jake. "Let's descend," he invited.
Wearing a long sky blue kimono that masked his clothes and carrying a
plyosponge and a p]aspak of cleansing solution, Gomez came sauntering amiably
along the dead white corridor. "Evening, gents. Which way to the pool?"
Both the thickset Japanese guards popped to their feet out of their white
wicker chairs. Each drew a lazgun from a hip holster, each pointed his weapon
at the intruder. Just behind them was a narrow metal door.
"You made a mistake, buddy," the larger of the two informed him, making a
Page 149
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
go-away motion with his gun. "The baths are out in the other direction."
Gomez smiled apologetically, glancing up at the dead white ceiling and then
around at the dead white walls. He spotted no sign of a spy camera. "How about
that?" he said, shaking his head. "My wife told me I--well, she's not exactly
my wife, you know, although we are traveling as mister and missus. That's
because you get a much better rate that way in most of--"
"Take a hike," suggested the other guard. He returned his gun to its
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
holster and sat again in his white chair. "This part of the spa is closed to
the public."
"Is it now? Fancy that." Gomez chuckled. "I was just telling my wife--well,
you know who I mean. I was telling her that half the temples in this damn town
seem to be closed to the public. But I
figure, because of my serious heart condition--it's one of these new phs ones
and they can't seem to keep the damn motor working right, l figure I should be
admitted just about anywhere, since my time is probably limited and if I don't
see this stuff now, why--"
"Your time is really going to be limited, buddy, unless you haul your butt out
of here." Putting a hand on Gomez's shoulder, the larger guard started pushing
him along the corridor.
Around a bend they came to the teakwood door Gomez had used to come in.
"You lads can't see this portal from where you sit," he remarked.
"We're more interested in the door we sit in front of."
"Isn't that inter." oh, mother of mercy! The motor's conking."
Gomez gasped, staggered, dropped to the corridor floor. He stretched out his
back, legs kicking.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Hey, you can't go having a fit here." Holstering his gun, the big man knelt.
The teakwood door swung open suddenly, Jake, stun gun in hand,
stepped through and fired at the guard.
"Bingo, as they say." Gomez quietly got up. "There aren't an3'
security cams in the corridor, amigo. Shall we work a similar dodge on the
remaining guard?"
"Seis. That makes an even half-dozen louts downed thus far," remarked
Gomez, catching the bulky guard he'd just stun gunned He arranged him neatly
in a sitting position against the blank dead white wall of the underground
corridor."
"Seven," corrected Jake.
"Oh, si. I neglected to include the one you felled two bends back."
Jake said, "According to Yoshiko's floor plan, this main corridor is going to
Page 150 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]