"David,.Peter.-.Spider-Man.2" - читать интересную книгу автора (David Peter)

УRight now, Otto, for me the major breakthrough would be if I could finally
convince you to call me СCurt.Т Everyone else whoТs my friend does.Ф
УAnd since when am I Сeveryone elseТ?Ф Octavius demanded. УFurthermore, youТre
dodging the question.Ф
УHow can you tell?Ф
УYour eyes begin to spin counterclockwise.Ф
Connors laughed at that. УIf you must know, IТm doing some investigation into
the cellular regeneration present in lizards. The way they regrow tailsЧФ
УI know what lizards do. But this isnТt about lizards, is it?Ф He stopped and
nodded in the direction of ConnorsТ missing arm. УAre you considering moreЕ
practical applications?Ф
Connors shrugged. УI wonТt say it hasnТt crossed my mind.Ф
УListen to meЕCurt Е all IТm saying to you is: DonТt do anything precipitous.Ф
УWhat are you suggesting?Ф
УIТm suggesting nothing. What IТm telling you is that, even when I was a youth,
I always detested the portrayal of scientists in Grade B horror films. I know, I
know,Ф he waved impatiently before Connors could respond, Уthey werenТt even
remotely supposed to represent reality. The problem is, those were the only
portrayals most people ever saw, and perception has a disturbing habit of
becoming twisted into reality. And those scientists would always be involved
with some sort of wild experiment, always be in a damned hurry to test it, and
the next thing you know,bam, theyТre fifty feet tall and destroying a city, or
theyТre radioactive, or they have X-ray eyes and can see through womenТs
clothingЕФ He paused and said, УAll right, that one I never minded so much.Ф
Connors laughed. УLonely as a young man, were you, Otto?Ф
УWhich of us wasnТt? What you have to remember, Curt, isЕ weТre scientists. To
many people, even in the real world, that alone makes us monsters. And not just
from the way theyТve seen us portrayed in movies. It stems from the fact that we
challenge the most fundamental beliefs there are. They tell us that the Earth
was created in a weekЧthat man was dropped fully made into the Garden of Eden,
ready to goЧand we come back and say the earth took billions of years to form
and, by the way, hereТs evolution to chew on. But weТre not monsters. We must
never lose sight of that, lest perception shapes the reality once more.Ф
УMy, my. YouТre in a mood today, Otto. Is this what youТre planning to discuss
with my students?Ф
УI could discuss a great many things. What did they say they were interested in
hearing about when you told them I was coming?Ф
УAhhhh,Ф Connors waggled a finger at him. УI never told them it was you. I was
purposely vague about it.Ф
Octavius stopped in his tracks and stared at Connors. УYou didnТt tell them? Why
on earth not?Ф
УBecause, Otto, until you stepped out of the cab, I wasnТt certain you were
going to show, and I didnТt want to disappoint them.Ф
УCurtis, how could you say that?Ф demanded Octavius. УI made a commitment.Ф
УYou have exactly two commitments in your life that mean anything to you, Otto,Ф
said Connors, ticking them off on his fingers. УYour wife, and your work. And
not even always in that order. Tell me, how many times did Rosie have to remind
you that you were supposed to come here today?Ф
УI have no idea what youТreЧФ
УHow many?Ф he prodded gently.