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

He sent a thought to Stella, in the great lounge in conversation with Bernice Jones and
Cecily Train. Quietly she excused herself and joined Adams in their quarters, where in
flashing thoughts he apprised her of his thinking and what he planned.

Stella's response was slow in coming. "But, Andy, I don't like the idea of secretly
examining-probing-the minds of our friends. But if we ask them we'll be."
"Putting them on their guard? All the better, my dear. An area guarded might be just what
we're seeking." Her objection vanished, and he sent a thought to the six psiontists.

"Pardon this intrusion, please. I've been thinking . . . He ignored Deston's barely
suppressed, "Andy, what a surprise!" "I've been thinking again about some of the
problems of psionics; and I've arrived at a need to study your minds individually and in
the aggregate. Stella and I in fusion will do the investigating. May we have your
permission."

Though they were surprised, all six gave immediate consent, Deston speaking for the
group, "Of course, Doc, if you think there's something to be gained we'll be glad to
cooperate. Any suggestions."

"Just that you be yourselves. Go about whatever you're doing. I should not have to tell
you that we won't be prying. Our study will be confined to the functioning of the mind, the
upper levels of cerebration, Campbell's Fourth Nume, if you will. You should not be
aware of any intrusion." He added apologetically, "Believe me, we don't like this any
more than you do and if I didn't consider it necessary I wouldn't be suggesting it."
Unanimous reassurances came, and Adams withdrew.

Stella and Andrew Adams faced each other, holding hands tightly across a small table,
eyes meeting unwinkingly. Their minds merged in an indescribable fusion, functioning as
one.

Barbara Deston. In perfect visualization they sensed the trim, five-foot-three,
yellow-haired oil "dowser" who as Barbara Warner had found oil wells for WarnOil
throughout the ninety-six planets. The Barbara whose nickname had progressed from
Barbry through Barby to the dynamo they affectionately called Bobby. The physical
Barbara vanished in the personality-a woman who on the one hand was warm,
empathetic, loving; and on the other a coldly driving, rigidly direct force that moved
unswervingly toward any predetermined objective. A blending of opposites that in
Barbara did not seem contradictory. But all of this was surface inspection, a foundation
for the probing that followed.

Concerning the Adams's study of Barbara's and the others' minds little can be said. What
they actually did cannot be told in ordinary words or any symbology except that of the
psiontist. The sifting, the penetrating, the delving into one mind by another lies beyond
description. Yet when their study of Barbara ended, the Adams fusion realized that
though they had greatly widened the scope of their own thinking, they had made no
advance toward their primary aim-the Operator. Certainly she had the ability to help in
the psionic development of other minds-had done so-had developed for herself
abilities in every phase of psionics-but there was no indication of the super-psiontist they
were seeking.