"A. E. Merritt - Burn, Witch, Burn!" - читать интересную книгу автора (Merritt A. E)

"I am Dr. Lowell," I said, hastily. "Connected with the hospital. Come right along."

They did not answer me. Nor did their gaze waver from me; nor did they move. Ricori stepped in front
of them. His hands were also in his pockets. He looked me over, then nodded to the others; I felt the
tension relax.

"I know you, Doctor," he said pleasantly, in oddly precise English. "But that was quite a chance you
took. If I might advise you, it is not well to move so quickly when those come whom you do not know,
and at night--not in this town."

"But," I said, "I do know you, Mr. Ricori."

"Then," he smiled, faintly, "your judgment was doubly at fault. And my advice doubly pertinent."

There was an awkward moment of silence. He broke it.

"And being who I am, I shall feel much better inside your doors than outside."

I opened the doors. The two men passed through with their burden, and after them Ricori and I. Once
within, I gave way to my professional instincts and stepped up to the man the two were carrying. They
shot a quick glance at Ricori. He nodded. I raised the man's head.

A little shock went through me. The man's eyes were wide open. He was neither dead nor unconscious.
But upon his face was the most extraordinary expression of terror I had ever seen in a long experience
with sane, insane and borderland cases. It was not undiluted fear. It was mixed with an equally disturbing
horror. The eyes, blue and with distended pupils, were like exclamation points to the emotions printed
upon that face. They stared up at me, through me and beyond me. And still they seemed to be looking
inward--as though whatever nightmare vision they were seeing was both behind and in front of them.

"Exactly!" Ricori had been watching me closely. "Exactly, Dr. Lowell, what could it be that my friend has
seen--or has been given--that could make him appear so? I am most anxious to learn. I am willing to
spend much money to learn. I wish him cured, yes--but I shall be frank with you, Dr. Lowell. I would
give my last penny for the certainty that those who did this to him could not do the same thing to
me--could not make me as he is, could not make me see what he is seeing, could not make feel what he
is feeling."

At my signal, orderlies had come up. They took the patient and laid him on a stretcher. By this time the
resident physician had appeared. Ricori touched my elbow.

"I know a great deal about you, Dr. Lowell," he said. "I would like you to take full charge of this case."

I hesitated.

He continued, earnestly: "Could you drop everything else? Spend all your time upon it? Bring in any
others you wish to consult--don't think of expense--"

"A moment, Mr. Ricori," I broke in. "I have patients who cannot be neglected. I will give all the time I
can spare, and so will my assistant, Dr. Braile. Your friend will be constantly under observation here by
people who have my complete confidence. Do you wish me to take the case under those conditions?"