"Edmond Hamilton - Pardon My Nerves" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Edmond)

It was like Simon to say that. He has a chamber,тАЭ he said.
great and brilliant mind but I'm afraid he I admit that I was a little touched by
lacks the ordinary human sympathies that Otho's anxiety. тАЬDon't worry about me,
the rest of us have. Otho,тАЭ I said weakly. тАЬIтАЩll get over it.
тАЬBetter let me handle this, Simon,тАЭ said Don't you bother.тАЭ
Curt. тАЬGrag is really upset.тАЭ тАЬNothing's too much bother for my old
He went with Simon toward the Brain's pal Grag !тАЭ he insisted. тАЬI wish I could
private laboratory. His low voice floated cheer you up a little. WaitтАФIтАЩll have Oog
back down the corridor to me. do his new trick for you.тАЭ
тАЬтАФimitativeness, reallyтАФlong asso- Now if there was one thing I didn't want
ciation with humansтАФcure him byтАФтАЭ to see it was OthoтАЩs pet Oog. That
It was evident that Captain Future at repulsive little beast is a meteor- mimic, an
least had a keen anxiety about my asteroidal species with a horribly uncanny
condition. That was a comfort to me. ability to assume any desired bodily form.
And when Otho presently returned into But I didn't want to hurt his feelings so I
the main room he seemed to have come to made no objection. He whistled and Oog
a realization that it was no laughing matter. came lolloping inтАФa fat doughy little
For he came over and looked at me closely. white creature with vacant staring eyes.
тАЬGrag, it's true that you don't look so тАЬDo the new trick I just taught you, Oog
well,тАЭ he said. тАЬI didn't notice it before but !тАЭ ordered Otho.
I can see it now.тАЭ Oog's body changed shape, flowed,
I mistrusted Otho's sudden solicitude. I twisted and suddenly had assumed a new
said warily, тАЬYes ?тАЭ form.
тАЬYesтАФit shows up in your face,тАЭ he He was now a manlike little figure,
said, shaking his head. sitting with a cape of his own tissues
тАЬMy face is rigid metal, so how can wrapped around him, rocking back and
anything show up ?тАЭ I demanded. forth and holding hands to his middle.
тАЬIt's your eyes I referred to,тАЭ Otho said. Otho suddenly went off into a roar of
тАЬThey're sort of dullтАФas though their laughter. тАЬThat's it, Oog !тАЭ
photoelectric circuits were disarranged. A suspicion seized me. I looked more
And your voice has a timbre I don't like.тАЭ closely at Oog. The manlike, sitting figure
he was imitatingтАФit was me !

T HIS news dismayed me. I felt even тАЬOog is now playing 'Sick Robot !' тАЭ
worse and weaker than before. guffawed Otho.
тАЬYou should protect your mental I leaped up, flung aside the blanket and
circuits from these terrific temperature started toward Otho. тАЬThis does it,
changes you subject them to,тАЭ Otho said android!тАЭ I roared. тАЬThis time you've gone
earnestly. тАЬI know heat and cold mean too far!тАЭ
nothing to you usually but in a condition My anger at being thus mocked when I
like thisтАФтАЭ was unwell was so great that I donтАЩt know
He dashed out and came back with a what I would have done to Otho if my
thick blanket. тАЬHere, this will insulate your voice hadn't brought Curt running.



7
 тАЬOtho, get out of here !тАЭ snapped тАЬSince it will take time to prepare an
Captain Future. тАЬI told you to let him expedition to investigate that dangerous
alone.тАЭ little world they asked if we Futuremen