"Mack Reynolds - After Utopia" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Mack)

itselfтАФsighed and died.



Chapter Three
┬л^┬╗
Tracy Cogswell awoke. That isnтАЩt quite the word. He
came alive again.
His first impression was: IтАЩm whole again. IтАЩm in
complete control of my own mind and body.
Unconsciously, his hand, weak and trembling, went up
to caress the scar which ran along the ridge of his jaw.
The scar was gone. But it couldnтАЩt be, heтАЩd had the scar
since the age of seventeen.
And it came to him suddenly that his left arm was no
longer stiff at the elbow. Was this his own body? What
had happened?
Everything was flowing back to him. The insane
happenings. His body taken over byтАжby whatever it was
that had taken it over. The monument, the coffin, the
expenditure of all the money the International Executive
Committee had entrusted him with.
He looked about the room. A man of approximately
thirty years of age was seated beside the bed, evidently
waiting for Tracy to awaken. He was slight of build and
looked considerably like the younger Leslie Howard
playing some easygoing part. He seemed to be interested
in a piece of what looked like green stone. He was
holding it in a somewhat cramped fashion, running his
thumb over its surface.
His eyes came idly to Tracy CogswellтАЩs face and lit up
when he noticed Cogswell was awake. He had a lazy
charm which was immediately felt.
He said, тАЬWell, awake at last, eh?тАЭ
Cogswell took in the otherтАЩs clothes, or, rather, the lack
of them. A brief vest-like top garment beneath which the
chest was bare, a kilt of some ultrasoft material, and
sandals. HeтАЩd never seen such garb anywhere. He still
looked like Leslie Howard, but as though the actor was
done up for a masquerade.
The other came to his feet in a fluid, lazy motion. тАЬMy
nameтАЩs Edmonds,тАЭ he said. тАЬJo Edmonds. Just a moment,
IтАЩll be right back.тАЭ
He left, and Tracy Cogswell looked about the room. His
mind felt blank. There was too much to assimilate. The
room was attractive enough, comfortable looking, but as
alien in appearance as the costume ofтАж what was the
fellowтАЩs name?тАж Jo Edmonds.
Edmonds returned with an older man, who was
obviously excited.