"Smith, E E 'Doc' - SubSpace Vol 2 - Subspace Encounter" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

of Tellurian civilization that it was the mighty Explorer, and not one or a succession of
InStell's passenger liners, that eventually put those highly capable defenses of Slaar and
Orm to the test.
IV - THE ADAMS FUSION

Alone in his office aboard the super Starship Explorer, the Leybyrdite monster which
MetEnge and DesDes had built in partnership, Doctor Andrew Adams paced restlessly, a
frown of complete concentration on his long, lean face. He seemed to glide across the
heavy pile of the floor, oblivious to the comfortable furnishings, the necessary electronic
equipment, his tall, lithe, gray-clad form avoiding them by instinct. His wife, Stella, had
left the room quite a while ago, sensing his need to be alone.

Adams was annoyed-annoyed with himself. He ran one hand through his thick gray hair.
Time and again he had considered his problem and always without result, always
concluding that the solution was beyond him. And inevitably he had returned to the
question that had to have an answer.

What-no, who-was behind the psionic explosion that in an incredibly short time had
opened vistas of knowledge, produced powers of accomplishment that normally should
have taken decades? He thought of his own development-his and Stella's, rather, since
what they had done had been accomplished through their mutual efforts. Of course he
had a good mind to start with-but of psionic ability there wasn't a trace. The same must
be said of Stella. The Destons had given them their first real insight into telepathy, and,
through it, their first inkling of the universe of psionics. That had been less than a year
ago--and through their studies of metaphysics, paraphysics, occultism. and every other
kind of esoterica; through telepathic consultation with sages in India and China, Tibet and
Central America and everywhere else where a germ of truth
might be gleaned, they had made of themselves psiontists of extraordinary ability.

Was it logical? It was not! It was entirely too much of a lifting by one's bootstraps.

He thought again of the list he had once compiled, eighteen coincidences. Impossible!
There had to be an Operator-with a capital O.

At first thought it would seem to be Barbara Deston, for she had been an oil-witch with
extraordinary powers before any of the rest of them had manifested any psionic abilities
beyond the simple matter of hunches that worked. But he didn't believe it was Barbara.
No-and again he was back to the idea which in earlier go-arounds had brought him up
against a stone wall. It must be some power completely outside their knowledge and
association. A puppeteer pulling strings!
Assuming this were so, why? Altruism? The bettering of the human race? Certainly this
was being accomplished through the opening of the universe in a manner never dreamed
of before. But that was a most unsatisfactory motive. Something, someone playing God.

Adams scowled. If this were so, how could he-or it - possibly be detected? Why try?
Because he had to know! But how? Where to begin? He'd gone over all this before. Well,
it didn't promise any tremendous revelation, but there was one thing he hadn't done
before-a study of the six top psiontists, all of whom were aboard the Explorer. Perhaps
a hint, the mark of the Operator.