dk.nightchills-第22节

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　At　2：59；　the　left…hand　screen　began　a　new　line　print　from　the　top　of　the　tube：
　TEST　NORMAL　FOR　THIS　SUBJECT　VALUE
　TEMPERATURE　98。6　98。8
　RESPIRATION　18　PER　MIN　48　PER　MIN
　PULSE　70　PER　MIN　190　PER　MIN
　BLOOD　PRESSURE
　SYSTOLIC　CANCEL　CANCEL　CANCEL　CANCEL　CANCEL　CANCEL
　CANCEL　CANCEL　CANCEL
　On　the　black…and…white　screen；　Kingman　convulsed　and　was　almost　perfectly　still。　His　feet　twitched；　and　his　right　hand
　opened　and　closed；　opened　and　closed；　but　otherwise　he　was　motionless。　Even　his　eyes　had　stopped　rolling；　they　were　squeezed　tightly　shut。
　The　read…out　screen　went　blank；　then　an　instant　later　flashed　an　emergency　message。
　0200　59　12
　MASSIVE　MYOCARDIAL　INFARCTION
　MASSIVE　MYOCARDIAL　INFARCTION
　〃Heart　attack；〃　Salsbury　said。
　Kingman's　left　arm　was　bent　in　a　V　across　his　chest　and　seemed　to　be　paralyzed。　His　left　hand　was　fisted　and　unmoving　against　his　neck。
　0300　00　00
　PULSE　IRREGULAR
　RESPIRATION　IRREGULAR
　Kingman's　eyes　were　open　now。　He　was　staring　at　the　ceiling。
　〃He's　screaming　again；〃　Klinger　said。
　〃Trying　to　scream；〃　Salsbury　said。　〃I　doubt　if　he　could　manage　more　than　a　croak　in　his　present　state。〃
　0300　01　00
　PULSE　ERRATIC
　RESPIRATION　ERRATIC
　EEC　WAVES　DETERIORATING　TO　DELTA
　Kingman's　feet　stopped　kicking。　His　right　hand　stopped　opening　and　closing。　He　stopped　trying　to　scream。
　〃It's　over；〃　Salsbury　said。　Simultaneously；　the　two　screens　went　blank。　Brian　Kingman　had　died　again。
　〃But　what　killed　him？〃　Dawson's　handsome　face　was　the　Color　of　dusting　powder。　〃The　drug？〃
　〃Not　the　drug；〃　Salsbury　said。　〃Fear。〃
　Klinger　returned　to　the　autopsy　table　to　have　a　look　at　the　body。　〃Fear。　I　thought　that's　what　you　were　going　to　say。〃
　〃Sudden；　powerful　fear　can　kill；〃　Salsbury　said。　〃And　in　this　case；　that's　where　all　the　evidence　points。　Of　course；　I'll　do　a　thorough　autopsy。　But　I　don't　believe　I'll　find　any　physiological　cause　for　the　heart　attack。〃
　Squeezing　Saisbury's　shoulder；　Dawson　said；　〃Do　you　mean　Brian　realized；　in　his　sleep；　that　we　were　on　the　verge　of　taking　control　of　him？　And　that　he　was　so　terrified　of　being　controlled　that　the　thought　killed　him？〃
　〃Something　like　that。〃
　〃Then　even　if　the　drug　works…the　subliminals　don't。〃
　〃Oh；　they'll　work；〃　Salsbury　said。　〃I've　just　got　to　refine　the　program。〃
　〃Refine？〃
　〃I'll　put　it　in　lay　terms　as　best　I　can。　You　see；　to　implant　the　key…lock　subliminals；　I've　got　to…to　bore　a　hole　through　the　id　and　the　ego。　Apparently；　the　first　program　was　too　crude。　It　didn't　just　bore　a　hole。　It　shattered　the　id　and　ego　altogether；　or　very　nearly　did。　I've　got　to　be　more　subtle　the　next　time；　preface　the　mands　with　some　careful　persuasion。〃　He　pushed　a　wheeled　instrument　cart　to　the　side　of　the　autopsy　table。
　Not　wholly　satisfied　with　Salsbury's　explanation；　Dawson　said；　〃But　what　if　you　don't　refine　it　quite　enough？　'What　if　the　next　test　subject　dies？　It's　conceivable　that　one　member　of　my　personal　staff　might　walk　off　his　job；　vanish　without　a　trace。　But　two？　Or　three？　Impossible！〃
　Salsbury　opened　a　drawer　in　the　cart。　He　took　out　a　thick　white　linen　towel　and　spread　it　across　the　top　of　the　cart。　〃We　won't　use　anyone　from　your　staff　for　the　second　test。〃
　〃Where　else　are　we　going　to　get　a　test　subject？〃
　Salsbury　took　surgical　instruments；　one　at　a　time；　from　the　drawer　and　lined　them　up　on　the　linen。　〃I　think　the　time　has　e　to　put　together　that　corporation　in　Liechtenstein。　Hire　three　mercenaries；　give　them　sets　of　forged　papers；　and　bring　them　here　from　Europe　under　their　new　names。〃
　〃To　this　house？〃　Dawson　asked。
　〃That's　right。　We　won't　need　the　walled　estate　in　Germany　or　France　for　some　time　yet。　'We'll　give　the　drug　to　all　three　of
　them　the　first　day　they're　here。　The　second　day；　I'll　start　the　new　key…lock　program　with　one　of　them。　If　it　works　with　him；　if　it　doesn't　kill　him；　then　I'll　use　it　on　the　other　two。　Eventually；　we'll　be　running　the　field　test　in　this　country。　'When　the　time　es　for　that；　we'll　be　happy　to　have　two　or　three　well…trained；　submissive　men　so　close　at　hand。〃
　Scowling；　Dawson　said；　〃Hiring　lawyers　in　Vaduz；　establishing　the　corporation；　buying　the　forged　papers；　hiring　the　mercenaries；　bringing　them　here　。　。　。　these　are　expenditures　I　didn't　want　to　make　until　we　were　certain　the　drug　and　subliminals　will　work　as　you　say。〃
　〃They　will。〃
　〃We　aren't　yet　certain。〃
　Holding　a　scalpel　to　the　light；　studying　the　silhouette　of　its　razored　edge；　Salsbury　said；　〃I'm　sure　the　money　won't　e　out　of　your　pocket；　Leonard。　You'll　find　some　way　to　squeeze　it　from　the　corporation。〃　
　〃It's　not　is　easy　as　all　that；　I　assure　you。　Futurex　isn't　a　private　game　park；　you　know。　It's　a　public　corporation。　I　can't　raid　the　treasury　at　will。〃
　〃You're　supposed　to　be　a　billionaire；〃　Salsbury　said。　〃In　the　great　tradition　of　Onassis；　Getty；　Hughes　。　。　。　Futurex　isn't　the　only　thing　you've　got　your　hand　in。　Somewhere；　you　found　more　than　two　million　dollars　to　set　up　this　lab。　And　every　month　you　manage　to　e　up　with　the　eighty　thousand　dollars　needed　to　maintain　it。　By　parison；　this　new　expense　is　a　trifle。〃
　〃I　agree；〃　the　general　said。
　〃It's　not　your　money　that's　going　down　a　rat　hole；〃　Dawson　said　irritably。
　〃If　you　think　the　project's　a　rat　hole；〃　Salsbury　said；　〃then　we　Should　call　it　off　right　now。〃
　Dawson　started　to　pace；　stopped　after　a　few　steps；　put　his　hands　in　his　trouser　pockets；　and　took　them　right　out　again。　It's　these　men　that　bother　me。〃
　〃What　men？〃
　〃These　mercenaries。〃
　〃What　about　them？〃
　〃They're　nothing　but　killers。〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃Professional　killers。　They　earn　their　living　by…by　murdering　people。〃
　〃I've　never　had　much　of　anything　good　to　say　about　freelancers；〃　Klinger　said。　〃But　that's　a　simplification；　Leonard。〃
　〃It's　essentially　true。〃
　Impatiently；　Salsbury　said；　〃So　what　if　it　is？〃
　〃Well；　I　don't　like　the　idea　of　having　them　in　my　home；〃　Dawson　said。　His　tone　was　almost　prissy。
　You　hypocritical　ass；　Salsbury　thought。　He　didn't　have　the　nerve　to　say　it。　His　confidence　had　increased　over　the　past　year
　…but　not　enough　to　enable　him　to　speak　so　frankly　to　Dawson。　Klinger　said；　〃Leonard；　how　in　the　hell　do　you　think　we'd
　fare　with　the　police　and　the　courts　if　they　found　out　how　King…man　died？　Would　they　just　pat　us　on　the　head　and　send　us　away　with　a　scolding？　Do　you　think　that　just　because　we　didn't　strangle　or　shoot　or　stab　him；　they'd　hesitate　to　call　us　killers？　Do　you　think　we'd　get　off　scot…free　because；　although　we're　killers；　we　don't　earn　our　living　that　way？〃
　For　an　instant　Dawson's　black　eyes；　like　onyx　mirrors；　caught　the　cold　fluorescent　light　and　gleamed　unnaturally。　Then　he　turned　his　head　a　fraction　of　an　inch；　and　the　effect　was　lost。　However；　something　of　the　same　frigid；　alien　quality　remained　in　his　voice。　〃I　never　touched　Brian。　I　never　laid　a　finger　on　him。　I　never　said　an　unkind　word　to　him。〃
　Neither　Salsbury　nor　Klinger　responded。
　〃I　didn't　want　him　to　die。〃
　They　waited。
　Dawson　wiped　one　hand　across　his　face。　〃Very　well。　I'll　move　ahead　in　Liechtenstein。　I'll　get　those　three　mercenaries　for　you。〃
　〃How　Soon？〃　Salsbury　asked。
　〃If　I'm　to　maintain　secrecy　every　step　of　the　way…three　months。　Maybe　four。〃
　Salsbury　nodded　and　continued　laying　out　surgical　instruments　for　the　autopsy。
　7
　Monday；　August　22；　1977
　AT　NINE　0'　CL　0　C　K　Monday　morning；　Jenny　came　to　visit　the　Annendale　camp；　and　she　brought　with　her　a　sturdy；　yard…high　canary　cage。
　Mark　laughed　when　he　saw　her　carrying　it　out　of　the　woods。　〃What's　that　for？〃
　〃A　guest　should　always　bring　a　gift；〃　she　said。
　〃What　will　we　do　with　it？〃
　She　put　it　in　the　boy's　hands　as　Paul　kissed　her　on　the　cheek。　Mark　grinned　at　her　through　the　slender；　gilded　bars。　〃You　said　you　wanted　to　bring　your　squirrel　to　town　this　ing　Friday。　Well；　you　can't　let　him　loose　in　the　car。　This　will　be　his　travel　cage。〃
　〃He　won't　like　being　penned　up。〃
　〃Not　at　first。　But　he'll　get　used　to　it。〃
　〃He'll　have　to　get　used　to　it　sooner　or　later　if　he's　going　to　be　your　pet；〃　Paul　said。
　Rya　nudged　her　brother　and　said；　〃For　God's　sake；　Mark；　aren't　you　going　to　say　thank　you？　Jenny　probably　looked　all　over　town　for　that。〃
　The　boy　blushed。　〃Oh；　sure。　Thanks。　Thanks　a　lot；　Jenny。〃
　〃Rya；　you'll　notice　there's　a　small　brown　bag　in　the　bottom　of　the　cage。　That's　for　you。〃
　The　girl　tore　open　the　bag　and　smiled　when　she　saw　the　three　paperback　books。　〃Some　of　my　favorite　authors。　And　I　don't　have　any　of　these！　Thanks；　Jenny。〃
　Most　eleven…year…old　girls　liked　to　read　nurse　novels；　romances；　perhaps　Barbara　Cartland　or　Mary　Roberts　Rinehart。　But　Jenny　would　have　made　a　serious　mistake　if　she　had　brought　anything　of　that　sort　for　Rya。　Instead：　one　Louis　L'Amour　western；　one　collection　of　horror　stories；　and　one　adventure　novel　by　Alistair　MacLean。　Rya　wasn't　a　classic　tomboy…but　she　sure　as　hell　wasn't　like　most　other　eleven…year…old　girls；　either。
　Both　of　these　children　were　special。　That　was　why；　although　she　had　no　particular　affection　for　children　in　general；　she　had　fallen　for　them　so　quickly。　She　loved　them　every　bit　as　much　as　she　loved　Paul。
　Oh；　yeah？　she　thought；　catching　herself　in　th