"012 (B043) - The Man Who Shook The Earth (1934-02) - Lester Dent (b)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

Renny was standing near the open door.
"Holy cow!" he boomed unexpectedly. "Come here and look at this!"
Renny was not in the habit of showing excitement without reason. He was
certainly excited now. The men sprang to his side and stared through the open
door.
Astonishment pulled their eyes wide. They were men hardened to horror, but as
they stared there was not one who did not feel as if there were invisible ants
crawling on his flesh.

ONE of the elevators had stopped at the eighty-sixth floor. The operator was
helping a man out.
It was the condition of this man which caused little pricks of horror to tingle
the skin of DocТs aids.
The newcomer was a wiry man. He had a tremendous beak of a nose, the tip of
which hooked down well over his mouth.
He had fingers that were very long, and so flexible as to be unpleasantly
remindful of dangling strings. His clothing was expensive. It was torn in
several places. His knees, elbows, and hands were muddy. His garments were damp
with melted snow.
What riveted attention, however, was the manТs condition. He seemed alive, and
yet dead. His jaw, sagging down, held his mouth roundly open. His tongue dangled
out.
He seemed powerless to make any motion of his own volition.
When the elevator attendant released him, the man began to fall. The attendant
caught him.
"He was able to walk into the elevator and ask to be brought to your office,"
the attendant said excitedly. "But he seems to be getting worse."
The living-dead manТs eyes did not look at Doc. Apparently he did not move them.
But from his lips words came.
"Doc Savage?" His question was a barely audible gulp.
"Yes," Doc said.
The man seemed to try to say something. Failing, he slumped forward. Doc caught
him, carried him into the room.
Reluctantly, the elevator attendant went back to his duties. He would have liked
to remain and watch Doc Savage work. He had heard of some of the bronze manТs
amazing feats.
While Doc investigated to see what ailed the man who seemed to be dead, and yet
alive, Ham went through the fellowТs pockets.
A plain, richly engraved card came to life. The name on it read:
JOHN ACRE
"
The guy who was kidnaped!" Ham ejaculated. "He must have got away from them. But
what ails him?"
Doc was giving the examination of John Acre all the benefit of his knowledge of
surgery and medicine. He completed a first scrutiny without finding what was
wrong. He began a second examination.
"He is under the influence of some kind of stupefying drug," Doc decided. "But
that doesnТt entirely explain his condition. I never saw anything quite like
it."
John AcreТs eyes remained fixed in their sockets. It was as if every muscle in