"Fred Hoyle - The Black Cloud" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hoyle Fred)

He was ready to talk astronomy at all hours of the day and night, and he would
talk with intense enthusiasm to anyone, whether a distinguished scientist like
himself or a young man at the threshold of his career. It was natural therefore
that Jensen should wish to tell Marlowe about his curious find.
He carefully put the two plates in question in a box, switched off the electrical
equipment and the lights in the basement, and made his way to the notice board
outside the library. The next step was to consult the observing list. He found to
his satisfaction that Marlowe was not away either at Palomar or Mount Wilson.
But, of course, he might have gone out for the evening. Jensen's luck was in,
however, for a phone call soon elicited that Marlowe was at home. When he
explained that he wanted to talk to him about something queer that had turned
up, Marlowe said:
"Come right over, Knut, I'll be expecting you. No, it's all right. I wasn't doing
anything particular."
It says much for Jensen's state of mind that he rang for a taxi to take him to
Marlowe's house. A student with an annual emolument of two thousand dollars
does not normally travel by taxi. This was particularly so in Jensen's case.
Economy was important to him because he wished to travel around the different
observatories in the United States before he returned to Norway, and he had
presents to buy, too. But on this occasion the matter of money never entered his
head. He rode up to Altadena, clutching his box of plates, and wondered whether
in some way he'd made a fool of himself. Had he made some stupid mistake?
Marlowe was waiting.
"Come right in," he said. "Have a drink. You take it strong in Norway, don't
you?"
Knut smiled.
"Not so strong as you take it, Dr. Marlowe."
Marlowe motioned Jensen to an easy chair by the log fire (so beloved by many
who live in centrally heated houses), and after moving a large cat from a second
chair, sat down himself.
"Lucky you rang, Knut. My wife's out for the evening, and I was wondering
what to do with myself."
Then, typically, he plunged straight to the issue - diplomacy and political
finesse were unknown to him.
"Well, what've you got there?" he said, nodding at the yellow box that Jensen
had brought.
Somewhat sheepishly, Knut took out the first of his two pictures, one taken on
9th December, 1963, and handed it over without comment. He was soon gratffied
by the reaction.
"My God!" exclaimed Marlowe. "Taken with the 18-inch, I expect. Yes, I see
you've got it marked on the side of the plate."
"Is there anything wrong, do you think?"
"Nothing so far as I can see." Marlowe took a magnifying glass out of his
pocket and scanned carefully over the plate.
"Looks perfectly all right. No plate defects."
"Tell me why you're so surprised, Dr. Marlowe."
"Well, isn't this what you wanted me to look at?"
"Not by itself. It's the comparison with a second plate that I took a month later
that looks so odd."
"But this first one is singular enough," said Marlowe. "You've had it lying in