"Herbert, Frank - The Eyes of Heisenberg" - читать интересную книгу автора (Herbert Brian & Frank)

'Medicine does that, not the Optimen,' Igan said. 'Delicate careful refinement of the enzymic prescription's the key. That plus a proscribed life in which emotional upset is held to a minimum. Selected exercises and a diet chosen for your specific needs. It could be done for almost anyone.'
'Indefinite life?' Svengaard whispered.
'No! But long life, much longer than we get now. I'm going on four hundred years, myself - as are several of my contemporaries. Almost four hundred lovely years,' he said, remembering Calapine's vicious phrase... and Nourse's chuckle.
'Four hundred - you?' Svengaard asked.
'I agree it's nothing compared to their many 'thousands,' Igan said. 'But almost anyone could have these years, except they don't permit it.'
'Why?' Svengaard asked.
'This way they can offer the bonus years to the selected few,' Igan said, 'a reward for service. Without this rule they have no coin to buy us. You knew this! You've been trying to sell yourself to them for this coin all your life.'
Svengaard looked down at his bound hands. Is that my life? he wondered. Fettered hands? Who will buy my fettered hands?
'And you should hear Nourse chuckle at my pitiful four hundred years,' Igan said.
'Nourse?'
'Yes! Nourse of the Tuyere, Nourse the Cynic, Nourse of the more than forty thousand years! Why do you think Nourse is a Cynic?' Igan demanded. 'There s older Optimen, much older. Most of those aren't Cynics.'
'I don't understand,' Svengaard said. He stared at Igan, feeling weak, battered, unable to counter the force of these words and arguments.
'I forget you're not of Central,' Igan said. They classify themselves by the tiny bit of emotion they're permitted. They're Actionists, Emotionals, Cynics, Hedonists and Effetes. They pass through cynicism on their way to hedonism. The Tuyere already's well occupied in pursuit of personal pleasure. There's a pattern here, too, and none of it's good.'
Igan studied Svengaard, weighing the effect of his words. Here was a creature barely above the Polk. He was medieval man. To him. Central and the Optimen were the 'primum mobile' in control of all celestial systems. Beyond Central lay only the empyrean home of the Creator... and for the Svengaards of the world there was little distinction between Optiman and Creator. Both were higher than the moon and totally without fault.
'Where can we run?' Svengaard asked. There's no place to hide. They control the enzymic prescriptions. The minute one of us walks into a pharmacy for a renewal, that's the end.'
'We have our sources,' Igan said.
'But why would you want me?' Svengaard asked. He kept his eyes on his bindings.
'Because you're a unique individual,' Igan said. 'Because Potter wants you. Because you know of the Durant embryo.'
The Durant embryo, Svengaard thought. What's the significance of the Durant embryo? It all comes back to that embryo.
He looked up, met Igan's eyes.
'You find it difficult to see the Optimen in my description of them,' Igan said.
'Yes.'
They're a plague on the face of the earth,' Igan said. They're the earth's disease!'
Svengaard recoiled from the bitterness of Igan's voice.
'Saul has erased his thousands and David his ten thousands,' Igan said. 'But the Optimen erase the future.'
A blocky hulk of a man squeezed past the narrow space beside the table, planted himself with his back to Svengaard. ~ 'Well?' he asked. The voice carried a disturbing tone of urgency, just in that one word. Svengaard tried to see the face, but couldn't move far enough to the side. There was just that wide belted back in a gray jacket.
'I don't know,' Igan said.
'We can spare no more time,' the newcomer said. Totter has completed his work.'
The result?' Igan asked.
He says successful. He used enzymic injection for quick recovery. The mother will be ready to move soon.' A thick hand moved over the shoulder to point a thumb at Svengaard. 'What do we do with him?'
'Bring him,' Igan said. 'What's Central doing?'
'Ordered arrest and confinement of every surgeon.'
'So soon? Did they get Dr Hand?'
'Yes, but he took the black door.'
'Stopped his heart,' Igan said. 'The only thing. We can't let them question one of us. How many does that leave us?'
'Seven.'
'Including Svengaard?'
'Eight then.'
'Well keep Svengaard restrained for the time being,' Igan said.
They're beginning to pull their special people out of Seatac,' the big man said.
Svengaard could see only half of Igan's face past the newcomer, but that half showed a deep frown of concentration. The one visible eye looked at Svengaard, disregarded him.
'It's obvious,' Igan said.
'Yes - they're going to destroy the megalopolis.'
'Not destroy, sterilize.'
'You've heard Allgood speak of the Folk?'
'Many times. Vermin in their warrens. Hell step on the entire region without a qualm. Is everything ready to move?'
'Ready enough.'
The driver?'
'Programed for the desired response.'
'Give Svengaard a shot to keep him quiet, then. We won't have time for him once we're on the road.'