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Read Ebook: Hero From Yesterday by Garrett Randall Silverberg Robert Becker Illustrator
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Ebook has 118 lines and 5867 words, and 3 pages
Karson thought about that for a moment. "Of course; there would have to be some reward, wouldn't there? Well, what would you want? We can supply virtually anything, if you'll do the job properly. Osmiridium? Sapphires? Books? Women?"
The man named Jack shook his head. "Gold," he said.
Karson was startled. "Gold? But why would you want--oh, very well. Gold was the reigning object of value in your day, wasn't it? Would 25 pounds be enough?"
The man from the past smiled unwarmly. "Quite enough," he said. "You got yourself a deal."
The man named Jack cautiously approached the big building that served as headquarters for Lugert until the time when he would move into the sprawling area of the Government Building.
Jack wore modern clothes; his own shabby ancient ones were carefully stored away in a laboratory closet. His hair was close-cropped in the current fashion.
But inside his skull was the mind of a 20th-century man. And hidden in the folds of his vest was a 20th-century automatic, a snubnosed .38 ready to spit death.
The day was 5 September 2531; he had been in this strange world of the future three days and if all went well he would return to his own time today. He had spent the three days studying the approach to Lugert's headquarters, familiarizing himself with the layout, readying himself for the killing that had to be done.
Well, in 600 years a lot could happen. He shrugged. It wasn't his business to worry about the doings of his remote descendants.
His business was to kill.
He knew that Lugert's personal suite was on the eighth floor of the building, that he was guarded by one man outside the door, one at the elevator entrance, and several in the lobby. He didn't have to worry about the ones in the lobby. He didn't really have to worry about any of them on the way in: they wouldn't be expecting anyone dangerous. The only dangerous people in this world were Lugert and his henchmen and they'd probably be off-guard when he came by.
His forearm itched where Lorence had inserted the sliver of metal. The old scientist had been very apologetic.
"I'm sorry, Jack, but we have to do this. We can't risk having another Lugert. This is to make sure you don't get delusions of power once you've finished off Lugert."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean we can control you hypnotically through this generator I'm embedding in your arm. Just in case you decide not to go back to your own time when you're through here."
"Don't worry. I wouldn't want to run this place."
But he couldn't blame them for being cautious. Not at all. They'd be even more helpless before him than they would be under Lugert, after all.
He drew near the big building. The guard in front said, "Who are you, and where are you going?"
Jack made his voice as subservient-sounding as he could. He said, "I'm from Speaker Karson. I'd like to see Lugert."
The guard frowned. "How come Karson didn't just phone the boss?"
"Beats me," Jack said. "Must be top-secret."
The guard frowned at Jack's strange language, shrugged, and sent him on in. He passed rapidly through the lobby and reached the elevator.
A guard inside the elevator wanted to know where he was going. "I'm from Speaker Karson," he said. "I have an urgent message to deliver to Lugert."
The guard held out his hand. "Let's have it. I'll take it up to him; the boss doesn't like to meet strangers."
Smiling coldly, Jack fumbled in his pocket and withdrew the .38. It fired once; the silencer muffled the sound down to a squirt! A neat hole appeared in the elevator operator's head.
Three minutes and two killings later he stood outside the office of Lugert himself. The elevator was clear, now, and the floor was empty of henchmen. That would make the getaway easier, Jack thought.
He knocked.
"Who's there?" a voice growled.
"Mr. Lugert?"
"Yeah. Who's there and what do you want?"
"Urgent message from Speaker Karson, sir. Very important that I see you, Mr. Lugert."
After a considerable pause the door swung open. Lugert stood there, wearing a glittering plastic robe. He hadn't shaved; he was short and squat and fierce-looking. Jack smiled and drew the gun.
"Please step inside and keep your hands in the air," he said quietly. "And don't make a fuss. This gun happens to kill people when it goes off."
Lugert stepped back. Jack noticed the man didn't seem frightened and wondered whether it was because Lugert just didn't believe another man could possibly offer danger or because Lugert was without fear.
He said, "I've killed three of your henchmen. I'm figuring on killing you, now. Speaker Karson is paying me to do it, Lugert."
Quietly Lugert said, "Who are you? Where'd you come from?"
"You can call me Jack. You don't know me."
"I can see there's a toughness about you," Lugert said. "You're like me. I didn't think there were any others like me in the world. Where did Karson find you?"
"In the past, Lugert. In yesterday. He dredged me up from the 20th-Century. There were lots like you and me then, Lugert."
For the first time fear showed in Lugert's face. A driblet of perspiration snaked down the side of his fleshy jaw. Paler than he had been before, he said, "From the past? Then--then you can really kill me?"
Jack nodded. "I'm going to. Karson's paying me 25 pounds of gold for it."
"In my time," said Jack, "the stuff wasn't so common. It was worth plenty. Times change."
A crafty glint showed in Lugert's eyes. "You're just a hired killer, then. A man without conscience. Suppose I offer you 30 pounds of gold not to kill me. Fifty pounds? A hundred?"
The generator in Jack's arm twitched warningly. He knew Karson and Lorence were listening in. "No," he said. "There's no percentage in it. You don't have the time-net. You can't send me back to my own time. I'll stick with their offer."
"No! Look, we can be partners! You're the kind of man I can get to like, Jack. We'll work together, you and me. Fifty-fifty! An even split!"
Again the generator twitched. Jack sighed. "Sorry, Lugert. Can't do it. I made an agreement and I'm going to stick to it. I'm going to kill you."
Sweat streamed down Lugert's face. "It's not fair," he said. "I had this world under my thumb--and then they had to find you somewhere! Why? Why'd they have to mess everything up?"
"Sorry, Lugert. It's just a lousy break for you," Jack said emotionlessly. "This is the way it's gonna be."
"No!" Lugert yelled.
Jack raised the .38. Lugert threw up his hands as if to protect himself but Jack's finger tightened anyway. The gun went squirt!
Lugert toppled heavily to the floor. He lay there on the heavy-pile rug, his blood spilling out and staining the brown carpet a deep red.
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