"A. E. Van Vogt - The Cataaaa" - читать интересную книгу автора (Van Vogt A E)

The cat said, "It seems incredible that you, an intelligent man, have never realized the one
character of all human beings." It turned briskly, straightening. "But now, enough of this
conversation. I have fulfilled the basic requirements of my domicile here. I have lived for a
period without being suspected, and I have told one inhabitant that I have been here. It remains
for me to send home a significant artifact of your civilization--and then I can be on my way . . .
elsewhere."
I ventured, shakily, "Surely, the artifact isn't Silkey."
"We seldom," said the cat, "choose actual inhabitants of a planet, but when we do we give them a
compensation designed to balance what we take away. In his case, virtual immortality."
I felt desperate, suddenly. Seconds only remained; and it wasn't that I had any emotion for
Silkey. He stood there like a clod, and even though later he would remember, it didn't matter. It
seemed to me that the cat had discovered some innate secret of human nature which I, as a
biologist, must know.
"For God's sake," I said, "you haven't explained anything yet. What is this basic human
characteristic. And what about the postcard you sent me. And--"
"You have all the clues." The creature started to turn away. "Your inability to comprehend is no
concern of mine. We have a code, we students, that is all."
"But what," I asked desperately "shall I tell the world? Have you no message for humankind,
something--"
The cat was looking at me again. "If you can possibly restrain yourself," it said, "don't tell
anyone anything."
This time, when it moved away, it did not look back. I saw, with a start, that the mist of light
above Silkey's head was expanding, growing. Brighter, vaster, it grew. It began to pulse with a
gentle but unbroken rhythm. Inside its coalescing fire the cat and Silkey were dim forms, like
shadows in a fire.
Abruptly, the shadows faded; and then the mist of light began to dim. Slowly, it sagged to the
ground, and lay for minutes blurring into the darkness.
Of Silkey and the creature there was no sign.
THE GROUP sitting around the table in the bar was briefly silent. Finally, Gord said, "Glub!"
and Jones said in a positive fashion:
"You solved the problem of the postcard, of course?"
Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com THE CATAAAA 15
The slim, professorish man nodded. "I think so. The reference in the card to time differentials is
the clue. The card was sent after Silkey was put on exhibition in the school museum of the cat
people, but because of time variations in transmission it arrived before I knew Silkey would be in
town."
Morton came up out of the depths of his chair. "And what about this basic human characteristic,
of which religion is merely an outward expression?"
The stranger made a gesture. "Silkey, exhibiting freaks, was really exhibiting himself. Religion is
self-dramatization before a god. Self-love, narcissism--in our own little way we show ourselves
off . . . and so a strange being could come into our midst unsuspected."
Cathy hiccoughed, and said, "The love interest is what I like. Did you marry Virginia? You are
the professor of biology at State, aren't you?"
The other shook his head. "I was," he said. "I should have followed the cat's advice. But I felt it
was important to tell other people what had happened. I was dismissed after three months, and I
won't tell you what I'm doing now. But I must go on. The world must know about the weakness
that makes us so vulnerable. Virginia? She married a pilot of big air firms. She fell for his line of
self-dramatization."
He stood up. "Well, I guess I'll be on my way. I've got a lot of bars to visit tonight."
When he had gone, Ted paused momentarily in his evening's task of looking stupid. "There," he