按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Oh； the Devils grab the food and the people have to bribe them to get it back。 So suddenly the Devils find out WHO the bandit is。 A Devil's own son！ So they declare him an OUTLAW！ And there's a lot of fighting and the Outlaw escapes。〃
〃Hurray！〃 said Hightee。
〃But the Devils finally catch him；〃 said Madison； 〃and hang him。 Hang him up high and very dead。 The people all cry… … 〃
〃Wait a minute；〃 said Hightee。 〃I don't see any part in this for me。 There's no girl。〃
〃Well； I was ing to that。 You're the hero's sister。〃
〃Then I must be a Devil； as he was a stolen child。〃
〃No； no。 The Devil stole a brother and SISTER！ I forgot to mention it。 And in the musical； the sister warns and saves the hero time and again。 And SHE'S the one who sings all the songs。 The Outlaw just runs around shooting people； and the sister； in the songs； describes what he is doing。 And all the people begin singing her songs。〃
〃So there're a lot of choruses。〃
〃Exactly！〃 said Madison。 〃Now the last scene when they hang him is the great one。 All the people are there watching him choke out his life on the scaffold… … 〃
〃How grisly！〃
〃And the sister es in and sings a great song； a kind of a dirge。 And then the Devils realize that she was the one who tipped him off all the time and they hang her on the spot！〃
〃No！〃
〃Yes。 Right alongside her brother on a second scaffold。 And then two graves open up and huge skeletal hands e out of them and grab the bodies off the scaffolds。 And then the people all rise up and sing the song she had been singing and remember the Outlaw forever！〃
Hightee Heller was staring at him； wide…eyed。
Madison held his breath。 Would she fall for it？
A speaker underneath a flowering tree opened up and interrupted them。 〃Hightee； the instrument is ready。〃
Chapter 2
Madison； as he followed her into the music practice room； knew he had better be awfully lucky or awfully good or both。
The place was a domed room with no flat surfaces to reflect sound。 It was decorated with huge enlargements of Voltarian single notes in pastel blue that hung in various places as baffles to farther break up the sound。 The interior of the dome was a pastel yellow。 Jarp was hanging something from wires in the middle of the room。 It was the drawn piano keyboard but the keys were vertical and it was raised five feet above the floor。
〃No；〃 said Madison。 〃You sit down to it。〃
〃No musician ever sits down；〃 said Jarp。 〃It must be awfully lazy music。〃
〃Give him what he wants；〃 said Hightee。 〃I can't see for the life of me how you play such a thing。 Keys？〃
At Madison's direction； Jarp had a band helper get a stool and then they supported the keyboard horizontal and firmed it in place。
Madison； on his part； couldn't possibly see how it would work。 The keys； white and black； were simply drawn on paper。 They had no action up or down at all。
He summoned up his nerve。 It was all or nothing。 He struck one of the painted； motionless keys with one finger and he got a sort of a howl。
〃Oh； no；〃 he said。 〃A piano doesn't sound like that。 It vibrates more like a harp〃
〃Let's see if we've got the notes right； first；〃 said Jarp。
Madison limbered up his fingers； wishing he had at least tried to entertain people since he was twelve。 He ran the whole scale from bottom to the top。 Yes； the notes were all on pitch。 But no piano ever HOWLED！
〃The tones are wrong；〃 said Madison。 〃A piano note is bright and bubbling。〃
〃My word；〃 said Jarp。 〃Well； here's the adjustment tool and that's the panel over on the right end。 The first slot is 'attack；' the second is 'decay。' The next one is 'overtones' and the bottom one is 'percussion。' See what you can do。〃
Striking one picture of a key with one finger； Madison fiddled with the controls。 He began to perspire。 He got rid of the howls and got some sharp striking notes but it still didn't sound like a piano。 Far too dead now。
〃What's this second box under the top one？〃 said Madison。
〃Well； that thing I pasted the picture on is a chorder…bar。 I moved the contact points under it so they match the pictures that you drew； only I can't figure why anybody would want pictures to play an instrument。 You simply press the right spots hard or soft。 And you don't want that second box。 That's drums； cymbals and bells。〃
〃Ah！〃 said Madison and promptly went to work with his tool on the second box。 He found another slot Jarp hadn't mentioned： it was 〃resonance。〃
Striking one note repeatedly； he thought he finally had it right。
He wiped off his hands； flexed his fingers； and without daring to hope； experimentally struck a chord。 It felt so weird not to have anything move。
Everything； he felt； depended upon this now。
He took a deep breath and began to play 〃Beale Street Blues。〃
He got very interested。 This thing was putting out sound like the most jangly honky…tonk piano he had ever heard。
He was making an AWFUL lot of flubs and sour chords。
Too much depended on this。 He was rattled。 He stopped playing and wiped off his hands again。 He shook his fingers in the air。 What piece had he been enamored with and had played a lot？ Then he remembered。 It was Scott Joplin's music they had used in the movie The Sting。 It seemed very appropriate。
He started playing。 This instrument really did have a wide dynamic range； the soft was soft and the loud was LOUD！ He started to give it the heavy downbeat of ragtime。
He glanced sideways at his audience of two。 He could tell nothing from their faces。
He thought he had the instrument now。 He reached over to his briefcase and whipped out a sheet。 〃Now this；〃 he said； 〃is one of the lyrics of the musical。〃 Nothing had been easier than to e up with music； for he could pirate the entire library of Earth ragtime and blues and simply get words written to it。 He had lifted the tune 〃The Trickster Rag〃 from a Broadway musical edy； The Con Man。 The ex…Royal Academy reporter had put new words to it。
〃If you would like；〃 said Madison； 〃I will play the melody through and then you can sing it。 It's called 'The Outlaw。〃'
Hightee took it； looked at it。 Madison went through the tune and then Hightee began to sing：
We hunt him here；
We hunt him there；
For he is hiding everywhere：
The Outlaw！
In your favorite boudoir；
If you hear a randy snore；
Don't look further anymore：
The Outlaw！
If you step into a bank
And see the muzzle of a tank；
Don't ask who you have to thank：
The Outlaw！
If there is a town to steal；
If the jewels are very real；
If the beauty has appeal：
The Outlaw！
He'll take anything you've got；
Your money； girls； the whole lot；
And leave you tied up in a knot：
The Outlaw！
He will use the smartest lure
To take riches from a boor
And give it to the very poor：
The Outlaw！
So for this man； strike up the band；
And give to him a helping hand；
For he will give us the whole land：
THE OUTLAW！
Her brilliant voice died away。
〃Of course；〃 said Madison； 〃when you sing it in the play； you will be wearing black shorts and boots and a wide…rimmed black hat and you will have a gun on each hip and then draw and hold up the audience at the end of the song。 And then the Outlaw himself rushes amongst them； robs them and runs off to give it to the poor。 Terrific theater！〃
A man who must be her bandleader had drifted in。
〃That's an amazing downbeat；〃 said Hightee。 〃What do you think of it； Tink？〃
〃Primitive；〃 said Tink。 〃It probably came from the backwoods of some planet like Flisten and then got refined a bit。 Drums。 You know； es from beating sticks on logs。 And the downbeat is probably some kind of a charge motion at a wild animal。 Hunter enactment dances。 You know； chug chug CHUG； chug chug CHUG。〃
〃You are absolutely right；〃 said Madison。 〃Except it es from the blacks of Africa and it got to New Orleans and caught on all over the place。 It's called jazz。〃
〃You sure got that chorder…bar sounding crazy；〃 said Tink。 〃Why didn't you tune it up for him； Jarp？〃
〃He tuned it；〃 said Jarp defensively。
〃It's tuned to represent a honky…tonk piano；〃 said Madison。
〃Why do you need the pictures drawn on it？〃 said Tink。
〃Listen；〃 said Hightee； glancing at her locket watch； 〃I've got to run。 I have a show to do this afternoon。 I'll walk you to your car； Madison。 Somebody tell my maid to bring me a jacket and tell my driver to run out an airbus。〃
Madison walked with her out of the music practice room。 He had no clue as to whether he had won or lost。 An awful lot depended on getting this image built so he could fit Heller to it。
Hightee seemed to be a bit thoughtful。 They came to the landing target。 She stopped suddenly； 〃A MODEL 99！ Good Heavens！ I didn't think they ever would sell one！〃
Madison had forgotten all about Flick。 Suddenly he decided he could at least use this meeting to prevent further robberies。 He said； 〃My driver will be delighted to show it to you。〃
Flick； scarlet…faced； trying to go down on his knees but too frozen to even make them bend； just stood there。
Madison said； 〃Flick is trying to ask you if you'd honor him by letting him drive you to the studio。〃
〃That would be an adventure。 I've heard these ride like a cloud。〃 Her maid was hurrying up with her things and she turned to her。 〃Send Tink and the others in my car。 I'm going to take a ride in this Model 99。〃
Flick managed to get himself unglued enough to open the door for her。 When she and Madison were in； Flick； beet…red and gasping； slid under the controls。
They flew to Joy City and Flick managed it without ever taking his eyes off the mirrors which showed him Hightee in the rear seat。
They landed on a target marked Hightee which jutted out of the huge dome。 Attendants rushed forward。 One yelled back over his shoulder； 〃Hey！ Here's Hightee in a Model 99！〃
Flick had a sudden； obscured fight with the attendants and opened the door himself。 Although he seemed to be having great trouble breathing； he stood there； straight as a rod； waiting to help her out and bow。
But Hightee did not get out。 She turned to Madison。 〃You know； Madison； you're a nice fellow。 But any friend of Jettero's would be。 I'm absolutely bowled over by that…what's its name？ Piano beat？ You get the writer to do the rest of the book and I'll do the show。〃
When she had disappeared inside the dome； Flick said； 〃You're an absolute wonder； Chief。 I actually drove her in the car！ I'm a totally changed and reformed man！〃
Madison didn't even hear him。 As they took off； he was grinning from ear to ear。
He had a stage image being manufactured by the most popular star on Voltar； the guy's own sister！ And he would soon； with other media； fit Heller to it。
He would soon put an end to this mediocre hero worship Heller now experienced and push Heller's name to the heights of true immortality。
And he began to hug himself。 He had a bonus！ When the musical had been aired and when she had found Heller for him； he would have another headline。 It would run：
HELLER BURNS TEMPLE
KILLS THOUSANDS
OF PRIESTS
ROBS SACRED IDOL
OF PRICELESS EYE
TO GIVE PRESENT
TO HIS SISTER
Sure…fire！ She would even have shown the evidence on Homeview。 He could use the story on an off day when he didn't have more exciting news to print about Heller。
He was REALLY making progress now！
Chapter 3
They were nearly home when Flick turned around。 〃Chief； I just thought of something。 When you were busy with Hightee Heller； you got a viewer…phone call from Queen Teenie。〃
Madison was jolted out of his euphoria。 All his influence rested on Teenie Whopper； who was busily misrepresenting herself as royalty and holding her position through making page boys into catamites。 It was； however； to Madison； the equivalent of a Royal mand。
〃Go up and hover！〃 he manded nervously。 〃If she gave you a connection； call it back at once！〃 He was very jittery： apparently； due to time lag； it was difficult to call from Palace City。 Was Teenie in town？
A piece of upholstery unfolded and a viewer…phone was staring him in the face。
Teenie's face appeared。 She looked provoked。 〃I've been waiting out here in the desert beside this God （bleeped） message center for an hour！ It's going to ruin my plexion！〃
〃Oh； I'm sorry！〃 said Madison。
〃Why didn't you call back？〃 she snarled。
〃Oh； I've been meaning to call you。 But I got tied up。〃
〃Tied up with Hightee Heller！ You owe me a progress report on Gris！〃
〃Well； actually；〃 said