"Harry Adam Knight - Fungus" - читать интересную книгу автора (Knight Harry Adam)

Well, perhaps he was happier now writing his childish thrillers over in Ireland. She knew his books were
beginning to enjoy a popularity of sorts-but what a waste! Imagine spending your time producing escapist
fantasies for emotionally retarded adults when you could be doing something useful with your life.

She gave the mushroom one last lingering look then went to the door. It slid open at the touch of a button.
She stepped through into a small room enclosed by frosted glass. As the

door slid shut behind her there was a hissing sound from above. A harmless but powerful anti-bacteria gas
was being fed into the room. She began to strip off her clothes-the rubber gloves, the plastic cap, the face
mask, the long white gown, the paper briefs and then finally the plastic overshoes and slippers. The
reusable items went into the sterilizer, the non-reusable into a small electric incinerator.

Then she stepped into a shower cubicle and turned on the water, which also contained anti-bacteria
agents.

As she soaped herself thoroughly she gave her body an indifferent inspection. Despite her 31 years and
two children it was still a good body with long, well-shaped legs, firm stomach and large but equally firm
breasts. Once she had been proud of her body but now her looks, and even her sexuality, rarely impinged
on her consciousness.

This had been another point of contention with Barry. тАЬMaking love to you is like making love to the
mattress,тАЭ he had accused her. тАЬAnd you know why? Because youтАЩre sublimating your sex drive in your

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damn work! Your body may leave the lab occasionally but your mind stays in there 24 hours a day. All
youтАЩre ever really thinking about are your precious fungi. Hell, the only way now I could turn you on
would be to dress up as a fucking fungus myself, phallus impudicus preferably.тАЭ

She had told him he was talking nonsense but deep down knew there was some justification in what heтАЩd
said. But it couldnтАЩt be helpedтАФthe work had to be continued at that fast pace. She promised herself that
once she achieved her goal and the pressure lessened she would try and make it up to Barry. But, of
course, the marriage had collapsed well before that had happened.

By the time sheтАЩd finished showering her thoughts had left Barry and returned to the fungus lying on the
lab table. As she walked naked to a second glass door and then stepped through into a small changing
room she was thinking that tomorrow she would try the enzyme on a specimen of agaricus campestris,
the ordinary field mushroom which was very similar to the cultivated variety but actually a different
species. It was possible that the reproduction-inhibiting factor might be only present in a bisporus. . .

The thought cheered her up still further as she dressed and began to dry her long, blonde hair with a
portable drier.

It was then she noticed the cut on her right forefinger . It was a small incision on the very tip of her finger,
extending at right angles from the end of her fingernail for just over a quarter of an inch. As she held it up
for a closer look a small drop of blood oozed out. Automatically she put the end of her finger in her
mouth and sucked. . .