"E. E. Doc Smith - Skylark 1 - Skylark of Space " - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

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Chapter Six

From daylight until late in the evening Seaton worked in the shop, sometimes supervising
expert mechanics, sometimes working alone. Every night when Crane went to bed he
saw Seaton in his room in a cloud of smoke, poring over blueprints or seated at the
computer, making interminable calculations. Deaf to Crane's remonstrances, he was
driving himself at an unhuman rate, completely absorbed in his project. While he did not
forget Dorothy, he had a terrific lot to do and none of it was getting done. He was going
to see her just as soon as he was over this hump, he insisted; but every hump was
followed by another, higher and worse. And day after day went by.

Meanwhile, Dorothy was feeling considerably glum. Here was her engagement only a
week old - and what an engagement! Before that enchanted evening he had been an
almost daily visitor. They had ridden and talked and played together, and he had forced
his impetuous way into all her plans. Now, after she had promised to marry him, he had
called once - at eleven o'clock - with his mind completely out of this world, and she hadn't
even heard from him for six long days. A queer happening at the laboratory seemed
scant excuse for such long-continued neglect, and she knew no other.

Puzzled and hurt, her mother's solicitous looks unbearable, she left the house for a long,
aimless walk. She paid no attention to the spring beauty around her. She did not even
notice footsteps following her, and was too deeply engrossed in her own somber
thoughts to be more than mildly surprised when Martin Crane spoke to her. For a while
she tried to rouse herself into animation, but her usual ease had deserted her and her
false gaiety did not deceive the keen-minded Crane. Soon they were walking along
together in silence, a silence finally broken by the man.

`I have just left Seaton,' he said. Paying no attention to her startled glance, he went on,
`Did you ever see anyone else with his singleness of purpose? Of course, though, that is
one of the traits that make him what he is .... He is working himself into a breakdown.
Has he told you about leaving the Rare Metals Laboratory?,

'No, I haven't seen him since the night the accident, or discovery, or whatever it was,
happened. He tried to explain it to me then, but what little I could understand of what he
said sounded simply preposterous:

`I can't explain the thing to you - Dick himself can't explain it to me - but I can give you an
idea of what we both think it may come to.'

`I wish you would. I'll be mighty glad to hear it'

`Dick discovered something that converts copper into pure energy. That water-bath took
off in a straight line -'

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`That still sounds preposterous, Martin,' the girl interrupted, `even when you say it'