"C M Kornbluth - Gomez" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kornbluth C M)

"By God," the admiral said, "we've got to do something about this. I'm going to have him drafted and
assigned to special duty. This is the last time-"

"Look," I said. "You've got to stop treating him like a chesspiece. You've got duty-honor-country on the
brain and thank God for that. Somebody has to; it's your profession. But can't you get it through your
head that Gomez is a kid and that you're wrecking his life by forcing him to grind out science like a
machine? And I'm just a stupe of a layman, but have you professionals worried once about digging too
deep and blowing up the whole shebang?"

He gave me a piercing look and said nothing.

I dressed and had breakfast sent up. The admiral, Dalhousie, and I waited grimly until noon, and then
Gomez phoned up.

"Come on up, Julio," I said tiredly.

He breezed in with his blushing bride on his arm. The admiral rose automatically as she entered, and
immediately began tongue-lashing the boy. He spoke more in sorrow than in anger. He made it clear



that Gomez wasn't treating his country right. That he had a great talent and it belonged to the United
States. That his behavior had been irresponsible. That Gomez would have to come to heel and realize
that his wishes weren't the most important thing in his life. That he could and would be drafted if there
were any more such escapades.

"As a starter, Mr. Gomez," the admiral snapped, "I want you to set down, immediately, the enfieldment
matrices you have developed. I consider it almost criminal of you to arrogantly and carelessly trust to
your memory alone matters of such vital importance. Here!" He thrust pencil and paper at the boy, who
stood, drooping and disconsolate. Little Rosa was near crying. She didn't have the ghost of a notion as to
what it was about.

Gomeztook the pencil and paper and sat down at the writing table silently. I took Rosa by the arm. She
was trembling. "It's all right," I said. "They can't do a thing to him." The admiral glared briefly at me and
then returned his gaze to Gomez.

The boy made a couple of tentative marks. Then his eyes went wide and he clutched his hair. "Dios
mlo!" he said. "Estd per dido! Olvidado!"

Which means: "My God, it's lost! Forgotten!"

The admiral turned white beneath his tan. "Now, boy," he said slowly and soothingly. "I didn't mean to
scare you. You just relax and collect yourself. Of course you haven't forgotten, not with that memory of
yours. Start with something easy. Write down a general biquadratic equation, say."

Gomez just looked at him. After a long pause he said in a strangled voice: "No puedo. I can't. It too I
forget. I don't think of the math or physics at all since-" He looked at Rosa and turned a little red. She
smiled shyly and looked at her shoes.