"Syndrome Johnny" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maclean Katherine)

A waiter came and placed steaming platters of food on the table. Camba waited until he was gone. УYou know him well, I presume. Is he sane?Ф

The question was another shock. Alcala thought carefully, for any man might be insane in secret. УYes, so far as I know.Ф He turned his attention to the steak, but first took three very large capsules from a bottle in his pocket.

УI would not expect that a doctor would need to take pills,Ф Cunha remarked with friendly mockery.

УI donТt need them,Ф Alcala explained. УMixed silicones. IТm guinea-pigging.Ф

УCanТt such things be left to the guinea-pigs?Ф Camba asked, watching with revulsion as Alcala uncapped the second bottle and sprinkled a layer of grey powder over his steak.

УGuinea-pigs have no assimilation of silicones; only man has that.Ф

УYes, of course. I should have remembered from your famous papers, The Need Of Trace Silicon In Human Diet and Silicon Deficiency Diseases.Ф

Obviously Camba had done considerable investigating of Alcala before approaching him. He had even given the titles of the research papers correctly. AlcalaТs wariness increased.

УWhat is the purpose of the experiment this time?Ф asked the small dark Federation agent genially.

УTo determine the safe limits of silicon consumption and if there are any dangers in an overdose.Ф

УHow do you determine that? By dropping dead?Ф

He could be right. Perhaps the test should be stopped. Every day, with growing uneasiness, Alcala took his dose of silicon compound, and every day, the chemical seemed to be absorbed completely Ц not released or excretedЦ in a way that was unpleasantly reminiscent of the way arsenic accumulated without evident damage, then killed abruptly without warning.

Already, this evening, he had noticed that there was something faulty about his co-ordination and weight and surface sense. The restaurant door had swung hack with a curious lightness, and the hollow metal handle had had a curious softness under his fingers. Something merely going wrong with the sensitivity of his fingersЦ?

He tapped his fingertips on the heavy indestructible silicone plastic table top. There was a feeling of heaviness in his hands, and a feeling of faint rubbery give in the table.

Tapping his fingers gently, his heavy fingersЕ the answer was dreamily fantastic. IТm turning into silicon plastic myself, he thought. But how, why? He had not bothered to be curious before, but the question had always been Ц what were supposedly insoluble silicons doing assimilating into the human body at all?

Several moments passed. He smoothed back his hair with his oddly heavy hand before picking up his fork again. УIТm turning into plastic,Ф he told Camba.

УI beg your pardon?Ф

УNothing. A joke.Ф

Camba was turning into plastic, too. Everyone was. But the effect was accumulating slowly.



Camba lay down his knife and started in again. УWhat connections have you had with John Delgados?Ф

Concentrate on the immediate situation. Alcala and Johnny were obviously in danger of some sort of mistaken arrest and interrogation.

As Alcala focused on the question, one errant whimsical thought suddenly flitted through the back of his mind. In red advertising letters; TRY OUR NEW MODEL RUSTPROOF, WATERPROOF, HEAT & SCALD RESISTANT, STRONG, EXTRA-LONG-WEARING HUMAN BEING!

He laughed inwardly and finally answered: УFriendship. Mutual interest in high ion colloidial suspensions and complex synthesis.Ф Impatience suddenly mastered him. УExactly what is it you wish to know, Senor? Perhaps I could inform you if I knew the reasons for your interest.Ф

Camba chose a piece of salad with great care. УWe have reason to believe that he is Syndrome Johnny.Ф