Читать бесплатно онлайн книгу автора  Classics fantasy — 8

A. Belyaev

A. Belyaev

Classics fantasy — 8

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© A. Belyaev, 2019

HEAVENLY GUEST

Tyumenev opened a double star which has to fly by in close proximity to Solar system. When it passes in the next distance from Earth that will tear off a part of the terrestrial atmosphere and several thousands of cubic kilometers of ocean water which have to fall to one of planets of this star.

ISBN 978-5-0050-1124-4 (т. 8)

ISBN 978-5-0050-0936-4

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Contents

1. Classics fantasy — 8
2. HEAD OF PROFESSOR DOUEL
   1. FIRST MEETING
   2. MYSTERY OF THE FORBIDDEN CRANE
   3. THE HEAD STARTED TALKING
   4. DEATH OR MURDER?
   5. VICTIMS OF THE BIG CITY
   6. NEW INHABITANTS OF LABORATORY
   7. THE HEADS HAVE A GOOD TIME
   8. SKY AND EARTH
   9. DEFECT AND VIRTUE
   10. DEAD DIANA
   11. THE RUN-AWAY EXHIBIT
   12. THE FINISHED SINGING SONG
   13. ZHENSHCHINA-ZAGADKA
   14. CHEERFUL WALK
   15. TO PARIS!
   16. VICTIM OF THE CORE
   17. RAVINO’S CLINIC
   18. «IS MAD»
   19. «HARD CASE IN PRACTICE»
   20. NEWCOMER
   21. ESCAPE
   22. BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH
   23. AGAIN CARRIED BODIES
   24. VOLUMES DIES FOR THE SECOND TIME
   25. CONSPIRATORS
   26. DEMONSTRATION OF THE BRISK HUMAN HEAD
   27. THE SPOILED TRIUMPH
   28. LAST APPOINTMENT
3. HEAVENLY GUEST
   1. 1. WORLD SENSATION
   2. 2. THE GONE ELENA
   3. 3. STRANGE NAKHODKA
   4. 4. THE CONVERSATION ON THE VERANDAH
   5. 5. IN THE MOUSETRAP
   6. 6. THROUGH THE AIR STREAM
   7. 7. UNEASY DAY
   8. 8. THE STAR WORKS
   9. 9. ROAD ADVENTURE
   10. 10. EXPECTATION ON «NEPTUNE»
   11. 11. ICE METEORITE
   12. 12. ARCHIMEDES’S SKILL
   13. 13. BEFORE LANDING
   14. 14. SAVICH IS SHOCKED
   15. 15. «HI, BETA!»
   16. 16. ON THE LEAF PLANE
   17. 17. KALEIDOSCOPE
4. HEAD OF PROFESSOR DOUEL
5. (story)
   1. I. FIRST MEETING
   2. II. MYSTERY OF THE FORBIDDEN CRANE
   3. III. THE HEAD STARTED TALKING
   4. IV. VICTIM OF THE BIG CITY
   5. V. NEW INHABITANTS OF LABORATORY
   6. VII. THE SPOILED TRIUMPH
   7. VIII. «MADWOMAN»
   8. IX. ON FREEDOM
   9. X. LAST APPOINTMENT

HEAD OF PROFESSOR DOUEL

I devote to the wife my Margarita Konstantinovna Belyaeva

FIRST MEETING

— I ask to sit down.

Mari Laurent fell to a deep leather chair.

While professor Kern opened an envelope and read the letter, she fluently examined an office.

What gloomy room! But it is good to be engaged here: nothing distracts attention. The lamp with the deaf lamp shade lights only the desk which is filled up with books, manuscripts, proof-sheets. An eye hardly distinguishes solid furniture of a black oak. Dark wall-paper, dark drapr. In the twilight only gold of imprinted covers in heavy cases gleams. The long pendulum of the old wall clock moves measuredly and smoothly.

Having translated a look on the Core, Laurent involuntarily smiled: professor entirely corresponded to style of an office. As if the cut-down from an oak, heavy, severe figure of the Core seemed a part of furniture. Big points in a tortoise frame reminded two dials of hours. As pendulums, moved his eyes of gray-ashy color, passing from a line to a line of the letter. The rectangular nose, a direct section of eyes, a mouth and the square, given forward chin gave to the face a type of the stylized decorative mask molded by the sculptor-cubist.

«To decorate a fireplace with such mask» — Laurent thought.

— The colleague Sabatye spoke already about you. Yes, I need the assistant. You medichka? Perfectly. Forty francs a day. Calculation is weekly. Breakfast, lunch. But I lay down one condition…

Having drummed a dry finger on a table, professor Kern asked an unexpected question:

— You are able to be silent? All women are talkative. You the woman — it is bad. You are beautiful — it is even worse.

— But what relation…

— The closest. The beautiful woman — the woman doubly. Means, doubly possesses also female shortcomings. You can have a husband, the friend, the groom. And then all secrets to hell.

— But…

— No but’s! You have to be dumb as a fish. You have to be silent about everything that you will see and you will hear here. You accept this condition? Has to warn: non-execution will cause consequences, extremely unpleasant for you. Extremely unpleasant.

Laurent was confused and interested…

— I agree if I in all this am not present…

— Crimes, you want to tell? You can be absolutely quiet. And you are threatened by no responsibility… Your nerves as it should be?

— I am healthy…

Professor Kern nodded.

— Alcoholics, neurasthenics, epileptics, mentally ill people were not in a sort?

— No.

The core once again nodded.

His dry, sharp finger stuck into the button of an electric call.

The door silently opened.

In the twilight of the room as on the shown photographic plate, Laurent uvidat only whites of the eyes, then patches of light of the shining face of the Black were gradually shown. Black hair and a suit merged with dark door drapr.

— John! Show mademoiselle Loran laboratory.

The Black nodded, suggesting to follow himself, and opened the second door.

Laurent entered absolutely dark room.

The switch clicked, and bright light of four opaque hemispheres filled in the room. Laurent involuntarily covered eyes. After the twilight of a gloomy office the whiteness of walls blinded… Glasses of cases with brilliant surgical instruments sparkled. With cold light steel and aluminum unfamiliar Laurent of devices burned. Warm, yellow patches of light light on the copper polished parts laid down. Pipes, coils, flasks, glass cylinders… Glass, rubber, metal…

In the middle of the room — a big prozektorsky table. Near a table — a glass box; in it human heart pulsed. From heart there were tubes to cylinders.

Laurent turned the head aside and suddenly uvidat something, forced it to shudder, as from electric blow.

The human head — one head without trunk looked at it.

It was attached to a square glass board. The board was supported by four high brilliant metal legs. From the cut arteries and veins, through openings in glass, went, having connected already in pairs, tubes to cylinders. Thicker tube left a throat and was reported with the big cylinder. The cylinder and cylinders were supplied with cranes, manometers, thermometers and unknown Laurent devices.

The head attentively and mournfully looked at Laurent, blinking for centuries. There could not be a doubt: the head lived, separated from a body, independent and adult life.

Despite tremendous impression, Laurent could not but notice that this head is surprisingly similar to the head of recently died famous scientist-surgeon, professor Douel who became famous for the experiences of revival of the bodies which are cut out from a fresh corpse. Laurent was at his brilliant public lectures more than once, and she well remembered this high forehead, a characteristic profile, the wavy, silvered by a gray hair thick fair hair, blue eyes… Yes, it was the head of professor Douel. Only lips and a nose of its steel are thinner, temples and cheeks was pulled in, eyes sank down in orbits more deeply and white skin got a yellow and dark shade of a mummy. But in eyes there was life, there was a thought.

Laurent as captivated could not have a look on these blue eyes glued.

The head silently moved lips.

…It was too for nerves Laurent. It was close to a faint. The Black supported her and brought out of laboratory.

— It is awful, it is awful … — Laurent repeated, having fallen to a chair.

Professor Kern silently drummed fingers on a table.

— Tell, really it is the head?.

— Professor Douel? Yes, it is his head. Douel’s head, my died dear colleague restored by me to life. Unfortunately, I could revive one head. Not everything is given at once. Poor Douel had an illness incurable so far. Dying, he bequeathed the body for scientific experiences which we conducted with it together. «All my life was devoted to science. Let the science will be served also by my death. I prefer that in my corpse the friend scientist dug, but not the sepulchral worm» — here what will made professor Douel. And I received his body. I managed not only to recover his heart, but also to revive consciousness, to revive «soul», speaking to crowd language. What here awful? People considered still awful death. Unless resurrection from the dead was not a thousand-year dream of mankind?

— I would prefer death to such revival.

Professor Kern made uncertain gesture a hand.

— Yes, it has the inconveniences for revived. It would be inconvenient to poor Douel to seem to public in it… an incomplete look. That is why we arrange with a secret this experience. I speak «we» because such is Douel’s desire. Besides experience is not finished yet.

— And how professor Douel, that is his head, expressed this desire? The head can speak?

Professor Kern for a moment was confused.

— … the head of professor Douel does not say no. But she hears, understands and can answer with a facial expression…

And to give the conversation another turn, professor Kern asked:

— So, you accept my offer? Perfectly. I wait for you tomorrow by nine in the morning. But you remember: silence, silence and silence.

MYSTERY OF THE FORBIDDEN CRANE

Mari Laurent hardly was given life. She was seventeen years old when her father died. On Mari’s shoulders care of sick mother laid down. The small sums which remained after the father lasted not for long, it was necessary to study and support a family. Several years it worked as the night proofreader in the newspaper. Having been entitled the doctor, vainly tried to find the place. There was an offer to go to godforsaken places of New Guinea where yellow fever raged. Neither to go there with sick mother, nor Mari wanted to be separated from her. The proposal of professor Kern was for it a way out.

Despite all strangeness of work, she agreed almost without fluctuation.

Laurent did not know that professor Kern before accepting her, directed about it careful references.

Two weeks it worked for the Core. Its duties were simple. She had to watch throughout day the devices supporting head life. At night it was replaced by John.

Professor Kern explained to her as it is necessary to handle cranes at cylinders. Having pointed to the big cylinder from which there was a thick tube to a head throat, Kern most strictly forbade it to open the cylinder crane.

— If to turn the crane, the head will be immediately killed. Somehow I will explain you all power supply system of the head and purpose of this cylinder. So far to you the nobility is enough how to handle devices.

The Core, however, did not hurry with the promised explanations.

The small thermometer was deeply inserted into one of nostrils of the head. In certain hours it was necessary to take out it and to write down temperature. Thermometers and manometers supplied also cylinders. Laurent watched temperature of liquids and pressure in cylinders. Well adjusted devices did not bring trouble, operating with a clockwork accuracy. Special sensitivity the device put to a head temple noted a pulsation, mechanically drawing a curve. In a day the tape was replaced. Contents of cylinders were replenished in the absence of Laurent, before her arrival.

Mari gradually got used to the head and even became friends with it.

When Laurent was included in the morning into laboratory with the cheeks which turned pink from walking and fresh air, the head poorly smiled to it and her eyelids shivered as a sign of a greeting.

The head could not speak. But between it and Laurent conditional language, though very limited was established soon. Lowering by the head meant a century «yes», a raising upward — «no». A little also silently moving lips helped.

— How you feel today? — asked Laurent.

The head smiled «suggestion of a smile» and lowered eyelids: «Well, I thank».

— How spent night?

Same mimicry.

Asking questions, Laurent quickly fulfilled morning duties. Checked devices, temperature, pulse. Made log entries. Then with the greatest care washed water with alcohol the person of the head by means of a soft sponge, wiped hygroscopic cotton wool auricles. Removed the cotton wool scrap which hung on eyelashes. Washed out eyes, ears, a nose, a mouth — special tubes were for this purpose entered into a mouth and a nose. Put hair in order.

Her hands quickly and dexterously touched the head. On a face of the head there was an expression of content.

— Today wonderful day — Laurent said. — Blue-blue sky. Clean frosty air. And there is a wish to breathe all breast. You look how the sun brightly shines, absolutely as in spring.

Corners of lips of professor Douel sadly fell. Eyes with melancholy looked in a window and stopped on Laurent.

It reddened from slight disappointment on itself. With an instinct of the sensitive woman Laurent avoided to speak about everything that was unattainable for the head and could remind of poverty of its physical existence once again.

Mari felt some maternal pity to the head, as to the helpless, offended by the nature child.

— Well — with, let’s be engaged! — hasty told Laurent to correct a mistake.

In the mornings, before arrival of professor Kern, the head was engaged in reading. Laurent brought lots of the last medical magazines and books and showed them to the head. The head looked through. On the necessary article moved with eyebrows. Laurent put the magazine on a lectern, and the head plunged into reading. Laurent got used, watching head eyes, to guess what line the head reads, and in time to turn pages.

When it was necessary to make a mark in fields, the head did a sign, and Laurent ran a finger over lines, watching eyes of the head and noting a pencil line on fields.

For what the head forced to do marks in fields, Laurent did not understand, by means of their poor mimic language did not hope to receive an explanation and therefore did not ask.

But once, passing through an office of professor Kern in his absence, it uvidat on a desk magazines with the marks made by it according to the indication of the head. And on the sheet of paper the hand of professor Kern rewrote noted places. It set thinking Laurent.

Having remembered it now, Mari did not keep from a question. Perhaps, the head will manage to answer somehow.

— Tell why we note some places in scientific articles?

On a face of professor Douel expression of displeasure and impatience appeared. The head expressively looked at Laurent, then at the crane from which there was a tube to a head throat, and two times raised eyebrows. It meant a request. Laurent understood that the head wants that opened this forbidden crane. Already not for the first time the head addressed to it with such request. But Laurent explained desire of the head in own way: the head, obviously, wants to finish the desolate existence. And Laurent did not decide to open the forbidden crane. She did not want to be guilty in head death, was afraid also of responsibility, was afraid to lose the place.

— No, no — with fear answered Laurent a head request. — If I open this crane, you will die. I do not want, I cannot, I do not dare to kill you.

From impatience and awareness of powerlessness on the person of the head there passed the spasm.

Three times it vigorously raised eyelids and eyes up…

«No, no, no. I will not die!» — so understood Laurent. It fluctuated.

The head began to move silently lips, and Laurent seemed that bays try to tell: «Open. Open. I beg!.»

Curiosity Laurent was excited to extreme degree. She felt that here some secret disappears.

In the opinion of the head the boundless melancholy shone. Eyes asked, begged, demanded. It seemed, all force of a human thought, all tension of will concentrated in this look.

Laurent decided.

Her heart strongly fought, the hand shivered when it carefully slightly opened the crane.

Immediately from a throat of the head hissing was heard. Laurent heard the weak, deaf, cracked voice jingling and hissing as the spoiled record player:

— I thank… you…

The forbidden crane passed the air compressed in the cylinder. Passing through a head throat, air set throat sheaves in motion, and the head had an opportunity to speak. Muscles of a throat and a sheaf could not work already normally: air with hissing passed through a throat and when the head did not speak. And the section of nervous trunks in a neck broke normal muscle work of vocal chords and gave to a voice of the deaf, the jingling timbre.

The person of the head expressed satisfaction.

But at this moment steps from an office and a sound of the opened lock were heard (the door of laboratory was always closed by a key from an office). Laurent hardly managed to close the crane. Hissing in a throat of the head stopped.

Professor Kern entered.

THE HEAD STARTED TALKING

Since Laurent revealed a secret of the forbidden crane, passed about a week.

During this time between Laurent and the head even more friendly relations were established. In those hours when professor Kern went to university or clinic, Laurent opened the crane, sending a small current of air that the head could speak distinct whisper to a head throat. Quietly spoke also Laurent. They were afraid that the Black did not uslykhat their conversation.

Their talk, probably, well affected the head of professor Douel. Eyes became more live, and even mournful wrinkles between eyebrows were smoothed.

The head spoke much and willingly, as if rewarding itself during the compelled silence.

Last night Laurent dreamed the head of professor Douel and, having woken up, thought: Whether «Douel’s head has dreams?»

— Dreams … — were quietly whispered by the head. — Yes, I have dreams. And I do not know what more they deliver to me: grief or joy. I dream myself healthy, full of strength and I wake up twice unfortunate. Disadvantaged both physically, and morally. I am deprived of everything that to well living people. And only ability to think is left to me. «I think. Therefore, I exist» — with a bitter smile the head of the word of the philosopher Descartes quoted. — I exist…

— What do you dream?

— I never before saw myself in my present look. I see myself such what was once… I see the family, friends… Recently saw the late wife and endured with her spring of our love. Bettie once addressed me as the patient, having injured a leg at an exit from the car. Our first acquaintance was in my reception office. We somehow approached at once it. After the fourth visit I suggested it to look at the portrait of my bride lying on a desk. «I marry it if I receive its consent» — I told. It approached a table and uvidat on it a small mirror; having looked at it, she burst out laughing and told: «I think… she will not refuse». In a week she was my wife. This scene rushed before me in a dream recently… Бетги died here, in Paris. You know, I arrived from America as the surgeon here during the European war. Offered me department here, and I remained to live near expensive grave. My wife was the surprising woman…

The person of the head brightened up from memoirs, but was immediately saddened.

— As this time is infinitely far!

The head thought. Air quietly hissed in a throat.

— Last night I dreamed my son. I very much would like to look at it once again. But I do not dare to put it on this trial… For it I died.

— It is the adult? Where it is now?

— Yes, adult. It with you or is a little more senior than nearly one years. Graduated from university. Now has to be in England, at the aunt on mother. No, it is better not to have dreams. But me — the head continued, having kept silent — torment not only dreams. In reality I am tormented by false feelings. Strangely enough, sometimes it seems to me that I feel the body. I suddenly will want to sigh a full breast, to stretch, straighten widely hands as it is done by the sat-up person. And sometimes I feel gouty left leg pain. Isn’t that so, ridiculously? Though as to the doctor it has to be clear to you. Pain is so real that I involuntarily look down down and, of course, through glass I see under myself empty space, stone plates of a floor… From time to time it seems to me that now the suffocation attack will begin, and then I am almost happy with the «posthumous existence» saving me at least from asthma… All this purely reflex activity of the brain cages connected once with body life…

— Awfully!. — did not keep Laurent.

— Yes, it is awful… Strange, during lifetime it seemed to me that I lived one brainwork. I, the right, somehow did not notice the body, all shipped in scientific occupations. And, having only lost a body, I felt what I lost. Now, more than ever for all my life, I think of smells of flowers, fragrant hay somewhere on the fringe of the forest, of distant walks on foot, noise of a sea surf… I did not lose sense of smell, touch and other feelings, but I am cut off from all variety of the world of feelings. The smell of hay is good in the field when it is connected with one thousand other feelings: and with a wood smell, and with beauty of the burning-down dawn, and with songs of forest birds. Artificial smells could not replace to me natural. A smell of perfume «Rose» instead of a flower? It would also satisfy me a little as hungry began to smell paste without paste. Having lost a body, I lost the world — all immense, wonderful world of things which I did not notice, of things which can be taken, to touch, and at the same time to feel the body, myself. Oh, I willingly would give my chimerical existence for one joy to feel weight of a simple cobble-stone in the hand! If you knew what pleasure is given me by a sponge touch when you wash to me a face in the mornings. Touch is the only opportunity for me to feel in the world of real things… Everything that I can make itself, it to touch with a tip of my language edge of my dried-up lips.

That evening Laurent was home disseminated and excited. The old woman mother, as usual, prepared for her tea with cold appetizer, but Mari did not touch sandwiches, hastily drank a glass to tea with a lemon and rose to go to the room. Attentive eyes of mother stopped on her.

— You are upset with something, Mari? — the old woman asked. — Perhaps, troubles on service?

— No, nothing, mother, was simply tired and the head hurts… I will lay down a bit earlier, and everything will pass.

Mother did not detain her, sighed and, having remained one, thought.

Since Mari arrived on service, it very much changed. Became nervous, closed. Mother and the daughter were always great friends. Between them there were no secrets. And now the secret appeared. The old woman Laurent felt that her daughter hides something. Mari answered questions of mother of service very briefly and vaguely.

— Professor Kern has a clinic for especially interesting patients in the medical relation at home. And I look after them.

— What it is patients?

— Different. There are very hard cases … — Mari frowned and transferred a conversation to other subjects.

The old woman was not satisfied by these answers. And she began even to inquire the party, but she managed to learn nothing except that it was already known from the daughter.

«Whether it is in love in the Core, and, perhaps, hopelessly, without answer from its party?.» — the old woman thought. But right there disproved herself: her daughter would not hide from her the feeling. And then, unless Mari not pretty? And Core bachelor. And if only Mari loved it, then, of course, and the Core would not resist. Not to find other such Mari in the whole world. No, here something else… And the old woman long could not fall asleep, turning on highly shaken up feather-beds.

Also Mari did not sleep. Having turned off light that her mother thought that she already sleeps, Mari sat on a bed with widely opened eyes. She remembered each word of the head and tried to imagine herself on its place: quietly concerned language of the lips, the sky, teeth and thought: «All this that the head can do. It is possible to bite lips, a language tip. It is possible to move with eyebrows. To move eyes. To close, open them. Mouth and eyes. It is more than any movement. No, still it is possible to move a little with skin on a forehead. More than anything…»

Mari closed and opened eyes and did grimaces. Oh, if at this moment mother looked at her! The old woman would decide that her daughter went crazy.

Then suddenly Mari began to be enough the shoulders, knees, hands, ironed itself up to a breast, started fingers in a thick hair and whispered:

— My God! As I am happy! As much I have! What I am rich! And I did not know, did not feel it!

The fatigue of a young body prevailed. Mari’s eyes were involuntarily closed. And then she saw Douel’s head. The head looked at it attentively and mournfully. The head broke from the little table and flew by air. Mari ran ahead of the head. The core as a kite, rushed on the head. Twisting corridors… Hard doors… Mari hurried to open them, but doors did not give in, and the Core made up for the head, the head whistled, hissed already near an ear… Mari felt that she chokes. Heart beats in a breast, its speeded-up blows painfully respond in all body. The cold shiver runs on a back… It opens all new and new doors… Oh, what horror!.

— Mari! Mari! What is with you? Yes wake up, Mari! You groan…

It is not a dream any more. Mother costs at a headboard and with alarm irons her hair.

— Anything, mother. I just saw a nasty dream.

— You too often began to see nasty dreams, my child…

The old woman leaves sighing, and Mari some more time lies with open eyes and strongly fragile heart.

— However my nerves become utterly worthless — she quietly whispers and this time fills up with sound sleep.

DEATH OR MURDER?

Once, glancing before going to bed over medical magazines, Laurent read article of professor Kern about new scientific research. In this article Core referred to works of other scientists in the same area. All these excerpts were taken from scientific magazines and books and in accuracy coincided with those which Laurent according to the indication of the head emphasized during their morning occupations.

The next day, as soon as an opportunity to talk to the head was presented, Laurent asked:

— What professor Kern in laboratory in my absence is engaged in?

After some fluctuation the head answered:

— We with it continue scientific works.

— Means, and you do all these marks for it? But you know that he publishes your work on its own behalf?

— I guessed.

— But it is shocking! How you allow it?

— What can I do?

— If you cannot, then I will be able to make! — angrily Laurent exclaimed.

— More quietly… In vain… Would be ridiculously in my family way to have claims for copyright. Money? On what they to me? Glory? What can the glory give me?. And then… if all this opens, work will not be finished.

And in that it was finished, I am interested. To admit, I want to see results of my works.

Laurent thought.

— Yes, such person as Kern, is capable of everything — she quietly spoke. — Professor Kern spoke to me when I arrived to him on service that you died of an incurable disease and bequeathed the body for scientific works. It is true?

— It is difficult for me to speak about it. I can be mistaken. It, however, but, can be… not all the truth. We worked together with it on revival of the human bodies taken from a fresh corpse. The core was my assistant. At that time I set as an ultimate goal of my works revival of the head of the person cut from a body. I finished all preparatory work. We already recovered the heads of animals, but decided not to disclose our progress until we do not manage to recover and show the human head. Before this last experience which success I did not doubt I transferred to the Core the manuscript with all scientific work done by me for preparation for printing. At the same time we worked on other scientific problem which was also close to permission. At this time to me there was an awful attack of asthma — one of diseases against which I as the scientist tried to win. Between me and it there was an old fight. All question was in time: which of us the first will come out the winner? I knew that the victory can remain on its party. And I really bequeathed the body for anatomic works, though did not expect that exactly my head will be recovered. And so… during this last attack the Core was about me and provided me medical care. It vsprysnut to me adrenaline. Can be… the dose was too big or maybe asthma made the business.

— And then?

— Asphyxia (suffocation), a short agony — and death which for me was only consciousness loss… And then I endured quite strange transitional states. Consciousness very slowly began to come back to me. It seems to me, my consciousness was awakened by acute sense of pain in a neck. Pain gradually calmed down. At that time I did not understand that it means. When we with the Core did experiences of revival of the dog heads cut from a body, we paid attention that dogs feel extremely acute pain after awakening. The head of a dog fought on a dish with such force that sometimes tubes on which nutritious liquid moved dropped out of blood vessels. Then I suggested to anesthetize the place of a cut. That it did not dry up and was not affected by bacteria, the neck of a dog plunged into special solution of Ringen-Lokk-Douel. This solution contains both the nutritious, and antiseptic, and anesthetizing substances. The cut of my neck was also shipped in such liquid. Without this precautionary measure I could die again very quickly after awakening as the heads of dogs in our first experiences died. But, I repeat, at that moment I did not think of all this. Everything was vague as though somebody woke me after strong intoxication when effect of alcohol did not take place yet. But in my brain nevertheless the joyful thought smoldered that if consciousness, though vague, returned to me, then, so I did not die. Without opening eyes yet, I deliberated over strangeness of the last attack. Ordinary attacks of asthma broke at me suddenly. Sometimes intensity of short wind weakened gradually. But I never before fainted after an attack. It was something new. Also the feeling of severe pain in a neck was new. And one more strangeness: it seemed to me that I did not breathe at all, at the same time and did not test suffocation. I tried to sigh, but could not. It is more than that, I lost feeling of the breast. I could not expand a thorax though strenuously as it seemed to me, strained the pectoral muscles. «Something strange — I thought — or I sleep, or I dream…» Hardly I managed to open eyes. Darkness. In ears vague noise. I closed eyes again… You know that when the person dies, bodies of his feelings die away not at the same time. At first the person loses sense of taste, his sight, then hearing dies away then. Apparently, upside-down there was also their restoration. After a while I raised the eyelids again and saw muddy light. As though I fell to water by very deep water. Then the greenish haze began to disperse, and I vaguely distinguished before myself the person Kerna and at the same time uslykhat already quite distinctly his voice: «Recovered? I am very glad you to see again live». By effort of will I forced my consciousness to clear up rather. I looked down and saw directly under a chin a table — at that time this little table was not yet, and there was a simple table, like kitchen, hastily adapted by Kern for experience. Wanted to look back, but could not turn the head. Near this table, is higher than it, the second table — prozektorskiya was located. On this table someone’s beheaded corpse lay. I looked at it, and the corpse seemed to me strange familiar in spite of the fact that it had no head and his thorax was opened. Right there nearby in a glass box someone’s human heart fought… I bewildered looked at Kern. I still could not understand in any way why my head towers over a table and why I do not see the body. Wanted to give a hand, but did not feel it. «What is the matter?.» — I wanted to ask Kern and only silently moved lips. And he looked at me and smiled. «You do not learn? — he asked me, having nodded towards a prozektorsky table. — This your body. Now you forever got rid of asthma». He still could joke!. And I understood everything. I confess, the first minute I wanted to shout, break from a little table, to kill myself and Kern… No, absolutely not so. I knew mind that I had to become angry, shout, be indignant, and at the same time was struck with ice tranquility which owned me. Perhaps, I was also indignant, but somehow looking at myself and at the world from outside. In my mentality there were shifts. I only frowned and… was silent. Whether I could worry as worried earlier if now my heart fought in a glass vessel, and the motor was new heart?

Laurent with horror looked at the head.

— And after that… after that you continue to work with it. If not it, you would win against asthma and were a healthy person now… He is a thief and the murderer, and you help it to rise on glory top. You work for him. He as the parasite, eats your brain activity, it made some accumulator of creative thought of your head and earns on it money and glory. And you!. What does it give you? What your life?. You are deprived of everything. You an unfortunate stump in which, on your grief, still there live desires. The whole world stole from you the Core. Forgive me, but I do not understand you. And really you obediently, resignedly work for him?

The head smiled a sad smile.

— Head revolt? It is effective. What could I make? I am deprived even the last human opportunity: to commit suicide.

— But you could refuse to work with it!

— If you want, I passed through it. But my revolt was not caused by the fact that the Core uses my cogitative device. Eventually, what the name of the author matters? It is important that the idea was included into the world and made the business. I revolted only because it was heavy to me to get used to my new existence. I preferred life death… I will tell you one case which happened to me at that time. Somehow I was in laboratory one. Suddenly in a window the big black bug flew. From where it could appear in the center of the enormous city? I do not know. Perhaps, it was delivered by the car which is coming back from a country trip. The bug turned round and round over me and sat down on a glass board of my little table, near me. I mowed an eye and watched this disgusting insect, without having an opportunity to dump it. Pads of a bug slid on glass, and he, rustling with joints, slowly approached my head. I do not know whether you will understand me… I felt always some special fastidiousness, feeling of disgust for such insects. I could never force to touch them a finger. And here I was powerless even before this insignificant enemy. And for it my head was only a convenient springboard for take-off. And it continued to come nearer slowly, rustling with legs. After some efforts it managed to be hooked for beard hair. He long floundered, having got confused in hair, but persistently rose above and above. So it crept on the compressed lips, on the left side of a nose, through the covered left eye until at last, having reached a forehead, fell to glass, and from there to a floor. Empty case. But it made a tremendous impression on me… And when professor Kern came, I refused flatly to continue with him scientific works. I knew that it will not decide to show my head publicly. Without advantage will not begin to hold at itself the head which can be a proof against it. And it will kill me. Such is there was my calculation. Between us fight was started. He resorted to quite cruel measures. Once late at night he entered to me with the electric device, put electrodes to my temples and, without starting up current yet, addressed with the speech. He stood, having crossed hands on a breast, and spoke very tender, soft tone as the real inquisitor. «Dear colleague — began he. — We here one, confidentially, behind thick stone walls. However, if they were more thinly, it does not change business as you cannot shout. You quite within my power. I can cause you the most awful tortures and I will remain unpunished. But why tortures? We are both scientists and we can understand each other. I know, hardly is to you, but in it not my fault. You are necessary to me, and I cannot exempt you from burdensome life, and you are not able to run away from me even to a non-existence. Whether to us business by the world so is better to finish? You will continue our scientific occupations…» I negatively moved eyebrows, and my lips were silently whispered: «Is not present!» — «You very much upset me. Would you like a cigarette? I know that you cannot feel full satisfaction as you have no lungs through which nicotine could be soaked up in blood, but nevertheless familiar feelings…» And he, having taken out two cigarettes from a cigarette case, lit one itself, and inserted another to me into a mouth. With what pleasure I spat out this cigarette! «Well, the colleague — he told by the same polite, unperturbable voice — you force me he let to resort to corrective actions…» And electric current. As though the heated drill penetrated my brain … «How do you feel? — carefully he asked me, precisely the patient’s doctor. — The head hurts? Perhaps, you want to cure it? For this purpose it need to you…» — «Is not present!» — answered my lips. «Very much, it is a pity. It is necessary to strengthen current a little. You very much upset me». And it started up such strong current that it seemed to me, my head ignites. Pain was intolerable. I gritted the teeth. My consciousness was stirred up. As I wanted to lose it! But, unfortunately, did not lose. I only closed eyes and squeezed lips. Kern smoked, starting up me smoke in a face, and continued to roast my head on slow fire. He did not convince me any more. And when I slightly opened an eye, saw that it is enraged by my persistence. «Oh, damn! If your brains were not so necessary to me, I would fry them and today would feed with them the pinscher. Faugh, pighead!» And it inconsiderately broke all wires from my head and was removed. However to me still early was to rejoice. It returned soon and began to let in the solutions feeding my head, the irritating substances which caused in me the most severe painful pains. And when I involuntarily screwed up the face, he asked me: «As, the colleague, you solve? Still not?» I was unshakable. It left even more enraged, showering with me with one thousand damnations. I triumphed a victory. Several days Kern did not appear in laboratory, and any day I expected the deliverer death. For the fifth day it came indifferently, cheerfully whistling a song. Without looking at me, it began to continue work. Day two or three I observed behind it, without taking in it part. But work could not but interest me. And when it, conducting experiments, made several mistakes which could ruin results of all our efforts, I did not restrain and made to it a sign. «Long ago so!» — he spoke with a pleased smile and started up air through my throat. I explained him mistakes and since then I continue to direct work… He outwitted me.