"Damon Knight - Short Stories Vol 1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Knight Damon)

like them. I was in the minority; I didn't think they were trying to put anything over.

The delegate from Argentina got up and said that his government was interested in the demonstration of a
new cheap power source, which the Kanamit had made at the previous session, but that the Argentine
government could not commit itself as to its future policy without a much more thorough examination.

It was what all the delegates were saying, but I had to pay particular attention to Senor Valdes, because
he tended to sputter and his diction was bad. I got through the translation all right, with only one or two
momentary hesitations, and then switched to the Polish-English line to hear how Grigori was doing with
Janciewicz. Janciewicz was the cross Grigori had to bear, just as Valdes was mine.

Janciewicz repeated the previous remarks with a few ideological variations, and then the
Secretary-General recognized the delegate from France, who introduced Dr. Denis L├йvequ├и, the
criminologist, and a great deal of complicated equipment was wheeled in.

Dr. L├йvequ├и remarked that the question in many people's minds had been aptly expressed by the
delegate from the U.S.S.R. at the preceding session, when he demanded, тАЬWhat is the motive of the
Kanamit? What is their purpose in offering us these unprecedented gifts, while asking nothing in return?тАЭ

The doctor then said, тАЬAt the request of several delegates and with the full consent of our guests, the
Kanamit, my associates and I have made a series of tests upon the Kanamit with the equipment which
you see before you. These tests will now be repeated.тАЭ

A murmur ran through the chamber. There was a fusillade of flashbulbs, and one of the TV cameras
moved up to focus on the instrument board of the doctor's equipment. At the same time, the huge
television screen behind the podium lighted up, and we saw the blank faces of two dials, each with its
pointer resting at zero, and a strip of paper tape with a stylus point resting against it.

The doctor's assistants were fastening wires to the temples of one of the Kanamit, wrapping a
canvas-covered rubber tube around his forearm, and taping something to the palm of his right hand.

In the screen, we saw the paper tape begin to move while the stylus traced a slow zigzag pattern along it.
One of the needles began to jump rhythmically; the other flipped halfway over and stayed there, wavering
slightly.

тАЬThese are the standard instruments for testing the truth of a statement,тАЭ said Dr. L├йvequ├и. тАЬOur first
object, since the physiology of the Kanamit is unknown to us, was to determine whether or not they react
to these tests as human beings do. We will now repeat one of the many experiments which were made in
the endeavor to discover this.тАЭ

He pointed to the first dial. тАЬThis instrument registers the subject's heartbeat. This shows the electrical
conductivity of the skin in the palm of his hand, a measure of perspiration, which increases under stress.
And thisтАФтАЭ pointing to the tape-and-stylus deviceтАФ"shows the pattern and intensity of the electrical
waves emanating from his brain. It has been shown, with human subjects, that all these readings vary
markedly depending upon whether the subject is speaking the truth.тАЭ

He picked up two large pieces of cardboard, one red and one black. The red one was a square about
three feet on a side; the black was a rectangle three and a half feet long. He addressed himself to the
Kanama.