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

тАЬWhat happened to him? Or is it a her? Those bandages make it impossible to tell.тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs a тАШhe.тАЩ And those arenтАЩt bandages.тАЭ

Carter turned to Mason, thinking he was making some sort of odd joke, but the look in MasonтАЩs eyes told
him it was no joke. Carter felt himself go very cold and his testicles seemed to be shrinking up into his
crotch as if trying to hide.

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He turned back to the figure on the bed and bent his helmet close to the plastic tent. What heтАЩd thought
was a bandage was instead a thick yellow growth that covered the whole body, even the face.

тАЬJesus,тАЭ he groaned. тАЬWhat the hell is that? It looks like a mold . . .тАЬ

тАЬIt is.тАЭ

Carter was confused. тАЬIтАЩve seen a fair few corpses in my time but never one in a state like that. And why
have you got it up here instead of in the morgue?тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs not a corpse.тАЭ MasonтАЩs voice was bleak.

тАЬWhat!тАЭ He stared at Mason in astonishment then back at the form on the bed. He now saw that the fluff-
covered chest rose and fell perceptibly. He was glad he hadnтАЩt had time for breakfast before heтАЩd left
home.

тАЬYes, heтАЩs still alive,тАЭ said Mason. тАЬI suppose you could say heтАЩs one of the lucky ones.тАЭ He made a
sound that might have been a laugh. тАЬUnlike this patient.тАЭ

Mason led Carter to the adjacent bed. The naked body beneath the plastic was that of a man. Carter
judged him to be in his mid-twenties. He couldnтАЩt tell for sure because from the neck up there was
nothing but a lump of gray, featureless fungus. It was like a dirty cauliflower.

тАЬMercifully dead, but I donтАЩt dare transfer him to the morgue. The risk of contagion is too great. The man
may be dead but that growth is still alive, I fear.тАЭ

тАЬBut what is it?тАЭ demanded Carter. тАЬWhere did these people get infected with this stuff?тАЭ

тАЬThe answer to both your questions is, тАШI donтАЩt know,тАЩ тАЬsaid Mason. He pointed back at the first bed.
тАЬThat one was picked up by the police less than two hours ago. He was spotted by the driver of a
newspaper delivery van staggering along the Euston Road. The two policemen who answered the call had
the good sense to bring him straight here. And this victim...тАЭ He indicated the body in front of them.
тАЬ...was brought in by ambulance from Ladbroke Grove about an hour ago. Neighbors heard his girlfriend
screaming at around 5 a.m. She was completely hysterical. SheтАЩd woken up in bed and found him like this
. . . beside her.тАЭ Mason swallowed dryly and led Carter to the next bed.