"Dickson, Gordon - Dragon And The George Txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

"All right!" Jim snapped. "Talk fast. What is it?"

"I could send you after her-" Grottwold broke off at something that was almost a shriek of terror. "Wait! I'm serious. I tell you this might work."

"You're frying to get rid of me, top," said Jim be- tween his teeth. "You want to get rid of the only wit- ness that could testify against you!"

"No, no!" said Grottwold. "This will work. I know it will work. The more I think about it, the more I know it'll work. And if it does, I'll be famous."

Some of the panic seemed to go out of him. He straightened up and made an effort-an unsuccess- ful one-to push Jim away from him.

"Let me go!" he said. "I have to get my instruments, or I can't do Angie or anyone else any good. What do you think I am, anyway?"

"A murderer!" said Jim, grimly.

"All right. Think what you want! I don't care what you think. But you know how I felt about Angie. I don't want anything to happen to her, either. I want to get her back safely here as much as you do!"

Cautiously, Jim let go of the other man but kept his hands ready to grab him again.

"Go ahead, then," he said. "But move fast."

"I'm moving as fast as I can." Grottwold turned about to his control panel, muttering to himself. "Yes, that's the way I thought I set it. Yes... Yes, there's no other way..."

"What are you talking about?" Jim demanded.

Hansen looked back at him over one boney shoul- der.

"We can't do anything about getting her back until we know where she's gone," he said. "Now, all I know is I asked her to concentrate on anything she liked and she said she'd concentrate on dragons."

"What dragons? Where?"

"I don't know where, I tell you! It could be dragons in a museum, or anyplace! That's why we have to locate her; and why you've got to help or we can't do it."

"Well, tell me what to do, then," said Jim.

"Just sit down in the chair there-" Grottwold broke off as Jim took a menacing step toward him. "All right, then, don't do it! Take away our last chance to bring her back!"

Jim hesitated. Then, slowly, reluctantly, he turned back to the empty dentist's chair at which Grottwold had been pointing.

"You'd better be right about this," he said.

He walked over and seated himself gingerly.

"What are you going to do, anyway?" he asked.

"There's nothing to worry about!" said Grottwold. "I'm going to leave the control settings just the way they were when she apported. But I'll lower the volt- age. That must have been what made her apport in the first place. There was just too much power behind her. I'll reduce the power and that way you'll project, not apport."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you won't go anywhere. You'll stay right there in the chair. Only your mind'll reach out and project in the same direction Angie went."