Universe Twister - Keith Laumer [216]
"Well, we meet again, my boy," the old fellow said apologetically.
Chapter Nine
1
"You mean," Lafayette said in a sagging voice, "you're not a Central agent? You weren't sent here to investigate Daphne's report? You don't have an Enforcer squad standing by to put the arm on this bogus King Lafayette?"
Lom frowned at O'Leary. "You almost sound," he said, "as if you hoped I was a Central agent . . ."
"You don't deny you know about Central, then?" Lafayette leaped into the breach. "I guess that's something. Look here, Lom—just who are you? How do you figure in all this?"
"Just the question I was about to ask you," Lom countered. "Frankly—my previous theories seem somewhat untenable in light of the present contretemps."
"What theories?"
"Not so fast, young fellow," Lom said in an entirely new tone. "I didn't say I was satisfied with your bona fides; far from it. As a matter of fact, it's obvious to me now that you're either innocent—a hapless victim—or more deeply involved than I'd thought. I sincerely hope you can establish that the former is the case . . ."
"Wait a minute. You sound as if I was expected to make excuses to you! If you're not a Central agent, then you must be in this mess up to your ears!"
"How does it happen," Lom demanded in a no-nonsense voice, "that you seem familiar with a device—the Mark III Focal Referent—which is a secret I had supposed to be known only to its inventor, and one other?"
"Easy; the Red Bull handed it to me—"
"A facile explanation, but hardly satisfying."
"I don't know why I'm alibiing in the first place," O'Leary snapped. "You're the one with some explanations to give. And don't try to snow me with that story about just happening to stumble on a cave full of just what you needed. If Central sent you here, well and good. They'd have supplied you, naturally. If not—then you must know a lot more than you're telling."
"Possibly," Lom said crisply. "Now, tell me: why were you roaming the hills in the first place?"
"What were you doing on the mountaintop?" Lafayette came back.
"Why did you come here to Artesia City? Whom were you expecting to meet?"
"How do you know about Central? Nobody in Artesia ever heard of it, but me, and Daphne!"
"What's your connection with Central?"
"I asked you first!"
"What's he paying you?"
"What's who paying me?"
"Him, that's who!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"I'll double his offer!"
"Talk or I'll twist that skinny neck of yours!"
"Lay a hand on me and I'll visit you with a plague of cramps!"
"Aha! Now you're a warlock!" Lafayette took a step toward the old man—and doubled up at a stab of pain under the ribs. He made a desperate grab, and yelped as his left calf knotted in a Charley horse.
"I warned you," Lom said calmly.
Lafayette made one more try, was rewarded by a stitch in his side. He lurched back against the bars.
"Now talk," Lom snapped. "I want the whole story. What was your role supposed to be? How did you happen to fall out with him? That's why you fled to the hills, eh? But why did you come back?"
"You're babbling," Lafayette gasped, clutching his ribs. "I'm Lafayette O'Leary. Somebody tricked me . . . into this Zorro routine . . . so they could take my place . . ."
"Anyone who wanted to masquerade as O'Leary would simply have disposed of his person, not set him free to confuse the issue. No, my lad, it won't do. Now talk! The truth, this time! Or I'll give you a spasm of the eyeballs, a sensation you'll not soon forget!"
"You talk as if . . . you really didn't know," Lafayette managed, between pangs resembling, he suspected, those of imminent childbirth. His fingers encountered an object in an inside pocket, felt over it. He had a sudden, vivid recollection of those same fingers—Zorro's trained fingers—darting out deftly as Percy thrust him into the cell, lifting something from Percy's