"Edmond Hamilton - Alien Earth" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Edmond)

A flash crossed BerreauтАЩs eyes. He exclaimed, тАЬI knew the Rite
would be called! And the others are thereтАФтАЭ

He checked himself. It was as though the unaccustomedness of
strangers had made him for a moment forget FarrisтАЩ presence.

LysтАЩ blonde head drooped. She looked away from Farris.

тАЬYou were saying?тАЭ the American prompted.

But Berreau had tightened up. He chose his words now. тАЬThe Laos
tribes have some queer beliefs, MтАЩsieu Farris. TheyтАЩre a little hard to
understand.тАЭ

Farris shrugged. тАЬIтАЩve seen some queer Asian witchcraft, in my time.
But this is unbelievable!тАЭ

тАЬIt is science, not witchcraft,тАЭ Berreau corrected. тАЬPrimitive science,
born long ago and transmitted by tradition. That man you saw in the forest
was under the influence of a chemical not found in our pharmacopeia, but
nonetheless potent.тАЭ

тАЬYou mean that these tribesmen have a drug that can slow the
life-process to that incredibly slow tempo?тАЭ Farris asked skeptically. тАЬOne
that modern science doesnтАЩt know about?тАЭ

тАЬIs that so strange? Remember, MтАЩsieu Farris, that a century ago an
old peasant woman in England was curing heart-disease with foxglove,
before a physician studied her cure and discov-ered digitalis.тАЭ

тАЬBut why on earth would even a Laos tribesman want to live so much
slower?тАЭ Farris demanded.

тАЬBecause,тАЭ Berreau answered, тАЬthey believe that in that state they can
commune with something vastly greater than themselves.тАЭ

Lys interrupted. тАЬMтАЩsieu Farris must be very weary. And his bed is
ready.тАЭ

Farris saw the nervous fear in her face, and realized that she wanted
to end this conversation.
 He wondered about Berreau, before he dropped off to sleep. There
was something odd about the chap. He had been too excited about this
hunati business.

Yet that was weird enough to upset anyone, that incredible and
uncanny slowing-down of a human beingтАЩs life-tempo. тАЬTo commune with
something vastly greater than themselves,тАЭ Berreau had said.