"Philip Jose Farmer - The Sliced Crosswise Only on Tuesday W" - читать интересную книгу автора (Farmer Phillip Jose)

go."
"Then you'll say yes!" Tom said, grabbing the doctor's hand and shaking it.
"Perhaps. I have some doubts."
The doctor had a faraway look. Tom laughed and released the hand and slapped the
doctor on the shoulder. "Admit it! You were really struck by her! You'd have to be
dead not to!"
"She's all right," the doctor said. "But you must think this over. If you do go there
and she turns you down, you might go off the deep end, much as I hate to use such a
poetical term."
 "No, I won't. I wouldn't be a bit the worse off. Better off, in fact. I'll at least get to
see her in the flesh."
Spring and summer zipped by. Then, a morning he would never forget, the letter of
acceptance. With it, instructions on how to get to Wednesday. These were simple
enough. He was to make sure that the technicians came to his stoner sometime during
the day and readjusted the timer within the base. He could not figure out why he could
not just stay out of the stoner and let Wednesday catch up to him, but by now he was
past trying to fathom the bureaucratic mind.
He did not intend to tell anyone at the house, mainly because of Mabel. But Mabel
found out from someone at the studio. She wept when she saw him at supper time, and
she ran upstairs to her room. He felt badly, but he did not follow to console her.
That evening, his heart beating hard, he opened the door to his stoner. The others
had found out by then; he had been unable to keep the business to himself. Actually,
he was glad that he had told them. They seemed happy for him, and they brought in
drinks and had many rounds of toasts. Finally, Mabel came downstairs, wiping her
eyes, and she said she wished him luck, too. She had known that he was not really in
love with her. But she did wish someone would fall in love with her just by looking
inside her stoner.
When she found out that he had gone to see Doctor Traurig, she said, "He's a very
influential man. Sol Voremwolf had him for his analyst. He says he's even got
influence on other days. He edits the Psyche Crosscurrents, you know, one of the few
periodicals read by other people."
Other, of course, meant those who lived in Wednesdays through Mondays.
Tom said he was glad he had gotten Traurig. Perhaps he had used his influence to
get the Wednesday authorities to push through his request so swiftly. The walls
between the worlds were seldom broken, but it was suspected that the very influential
did it when they pleased.
Now, quivering, he stood before Jennie's cylinder again. The last time, he thought,
that I'll see her stonered. Next time, she'll be warm, colorful, touchable flesh.
"Ave atque vale!" he said aloud. The others cheered. Mabel said, "How corny!"
They thought he was addressing them, and perhaps he had included them.
He stepped inside the cylinder, closed the door, and pressed the button. He would
keep his eyes open, so that тАж
And today was Wednesday. Though the view was exactly the same, it was like
being on Mars.
He pushed open the door and stepped out. The seven people had faces he knew and
names he had read on their plates. But he did not know them.
He started to say hello, and then he stopped.
Jennie Marlowe's cylinder was gone.
He seized the nearest man by the arm.
"Where's Jennie Marlowe?"