A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born

"I didn't like the wine. Nasty." Only her outline was visible in the darkness. Lacking the usual glorious physical accompaniment her voice, as well as her words, left a very lot to be desired. Yet The Bishop's deep basso was free of rancor when he spoke again.

"Beth-1 may call you Beth, mayn't I? Thank you. Beth, we shall be in the city of Val's Halla tomorrow, where I must go ashore and call into my bank. Our funds are running low. You wouldn't like our money to run out, would you?" "No, I wouldn't." "Thought not. But would you like me to go to the bank and bring you back one-hundred thousand bucks in small buck bills?" I heard her gasp. Then she ftimbled for the switch and the riding lights above the cockpit came on. She was frowning at The Bishop and, for the very first time, lost her cool.

"Are you trying to play games with me, old man?" "Not at all, young lady. l] am simply paying for our safety. You know certain facts that are, shall we say, best left unspoken aloud. I think that sum is a reasonable amount to pay for your continuing silence. Don't you?" She hesitated-then burst out laughing. "I sure do. Just let me see the color of those bucks and I may even consider letting you boys continue your journey without poor little me. " "Whatever you say, my dear, whatever you say," Nor would he speak another word on. the subject. We retired soon after that, for it had been a busy day for all of us. Beth took possession of the boat and we had the tent. When I returned from setting the alarms to make sure that the boat would still be there in the morning. The Bishop was already in full snore. Before I slept myself I realized that, whatever he was planning, we had at least one more day of freedom before Beth would think of contacting the police. The lure of that money would ensure her silence. As I dozed off I realized that The Bishop had undoubtedly planned it that way.

We were humming down the river anhour after dawn, despite Beth's protests. She emerged later, but her anger soon vanished beneath The Bishop's monetary ministrations. He described the interest her invested bucks could earn without her spending any of her capital, touched lightly on the consumer goods she would soon purchase, and generally charmed her like a snake with a rabbit. I had no idea what his plans were but I enjoyed every moment of it.

By midafternoon I had tied up at the manna on the canal that bisected Val's Halla. The city center was close to hand and The Bishop, beard combed and moustache twirled, was neatly turned out and businesslike.

"This will not take long," he said, then left. Beth looked after him, already atwitch with anticipation.

"He's really the one they call The Bishop," she said when he had gone.

"I wouldn't know about that." "Don't give me that old booshwah. I saw the films on 3V, how somebody got him out. A small guy with a moustache. It had to be you." "Lot of moustaches in this world." "I never thought, when I saw you around the school, you would ever end up like this. " "I thought the same about you. I admired you from afar." "So did every other pubescent boy in the school. Don't think I didn't know it. We used to laugh about it, him being a teacher and all that..." She shut up and glowered at me and I smiled sweetly and went below to wash the dinner and breakfast dishes that she had so carefully ignored, I was just finishing up when there was a hail from the shore. "Boat ahoy! Permission to come aboard?" The Bishop stood on the dockside, beaming and splendid, His new suit must have cost a small fortune. The suitcase that he held up appeared to be made of real animal skin of some kind, with fittings of glowing gold. Beth's eyes were as wide as saucers. The Bishop climbed aboard and treated us to a conspiratorial wink.

"Best to get below before I show you what's in this case. It is not for the world to see." Beth led the way and he held the case to his chest until I had closed and locked the door. Then he swept the papers from the table to the deck, placed the case in its center, and with tantalizing precision unlocked and opened the case.

Even I was impressed. There was far more than the hundred-thousand here. Beth stared at it-then reached out and tugged a bundle of thousand buck bills free. "Real? Is it real?" she asked.

"Guaranteed right from the mint. I saw to that myself." With her attention on the money he turned to me. "Now, Jim, would you mind doing me a favor? Would you find some rope or twine. I'm sure that you will know what you will need. I want absolute silence as well when you tie this girl up so she cannot move." ~ I was expecting something-she was not. Her mouth was just opening to scream when I seized that precious neck and pressed hard just below the ears.

Chapter 17