"Henry Kuttner - Shock UC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kuttner Henry)

He looked through the valve again, but still could see nothing but the blue wall. It obviously wasn't in the next-door apartment of Tommy MacPherson, the aging playboy who had given up night-clubbing for more peaceful pursuits, at his doctor's suggestion. Nevertheless, Gregg went into the hall and rang the buzzer beside MacPherson's door.

' 'Lo, Mac,' he said when a round, pale face, topped by carefully dyed chestnut hair, appeared to blink sleepily at him. 'Busy? I'd like to come in a minute."

MacPherson enviously eyed Gregg's cigarette. 'Sure. Make yourself at home. I've been going over some incunabula my

Philadelphia man sent me, and wishing for a drink, Highball?'

'If you'll join me."

'Wish I could,' MacPherson groaned. 'But I'm too young to die. What's up?' He followed Gregg into the kitchen and watched the other man carefully examining the wall. 'Ants?'

'There's a hole in my wall,' Gregg said. 'It doesn't come through, though.' Which proved that the valve was definitely off .the beam. It had to open either into MacPherson's kitchen or elseЧsome other place. <

'Hole in your wall? How come?'

'I'll show you.'

'I'm not that curious,' MacPherson remarked. 'Phone the landlord. He may be interested.'

Gregg scowled. 'I mean it, Mac. I want you to take a look. It'sЧfunny. And I'd rather like confirmation.'

'It's either a hole or it isn't,' MacPherson said simply. 'Is that razor-edged brain of yours poisoned by alcohol? I wish mine was.' He looked wistfully at the portable bar.

'You're no help,' Gregg said. 'But you're better than nobody. Come on!' He lugged the protesting MacPherson into his apartment and pointed to the valve. Mac went over, muttering something about a mirror, and peered into die gap. He whistled softly. Then he put his arm through, stretching it as far as possible, and tried to touch the blue wall. He couldn't quite make it.

'The hole's got bigger,' Gregg said quietly, 'even since a few, minutes ago. You see it too, eh?'

MacPherson found a chair. 'Let's have a drink,' he grunted. 'I need it. Anyhow it's an excuse. Make it short, though,' he added with a flash of last-minute caution.

Gregg mixed two highballs and gave MacPherson one. As they drank, he told die other'what had happened. Mac was unhelpful.

'Out of die future? Glad it didn't happen to me. I'd have gone off my crock.'

'It's perfectly logical,' Gregg argued, partly widi himself. 'The guyЧHalisonЧcertainly wasn't a 1953 product.'

'He must have looked like a combination of Pogo and Karloff.'

'Well, you don't look like a Neanderthaler or a Piltdown man,-do you? That skull of hisЧHalison must have a tremendous brain. His I.Q.Чwell!'

'What good's all diat if he wouldn't talk to you?' MacPherspn asked cogently.

For some reason Gregg felt a slow flush creeping warmly up his neck. 'I must have seemed like an ape to him,' he said flatly. T could scarcely understand himЧand no wonder. But he'll be back.'

'By Thursday? Who's diis Ranilpants?'

Hanil-Mens,' Gregg said. 'A friend, I suppose. A ... a teacher. Halison said he got wisdom from him. Perhaps Ranil-Mens is a professor at some future university. I can't quite think straight. You don't realize the implications of all this, Mac, do you?'

'I don't want to,' MacPherson said, tasting his drink. 'I'm a bit scared.'