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The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 94 из 164Psychiatric dope for psychotics. Illegal. A twitch has to release himself somehow, revert back to the primitive. He identifies with a particular kind of animal . . . gorilla, grizzly, brood bull, wolf . . . Takes the dope and turns into the animal he admires. Forrest was queer for snakes, seems as if.»
«How do you know all this?»
«Told you I've been studying . . . preparing for 'Vorga.' This is one of the things I learned. Show you something else I've learned, if you're not chicken-livered. How to bring a twitch out of Analogue.»
Foyle opened another pocket in his battle overalls and got to work on Forrest. Robin watched for a moment, then uttered a horrified cry, turned and walked to the edge of the water. She stood, staring blindly at the surf and the stars, until the mewling and the twisting ceased and Foyle called to her.
«You can come back now.»
Robin returned to find a shattered creature seated upright on the beach gazing at Foyle with dull, sober eyes.
«You're Forrest?»
«Who the hell are you?»
«You're Ben Forrest, leading spaceman. Formerly aboard the Presteign 'Vorga.'»
Forrest cried out in terror.
«You were aboard the 'Vorga' on September 16, 2436.»
The man sobbed and shook his head.
«On September sixteen you passed a wreck. Out near the asteroid belt. Wreck of the 'Nomad,' your sister ship. She signaled for help. 'Vorga' passed her by. Left her to drift and die. Why did 'Vorga' pass her by?»
Forrest began to scream hysterically.
«Who gave the order to pass her by?»
«Jesus, no! No! No!»
«The records are all gone from the Bo'ness amp; Uig files. Someone got to them before me. Who was that? Who was aboard 'Vorga'? Who shipped with you? I want officers and crew. Who was in command?»
«No,» Forrest screamed. «No!»
Foyle held a sheaf of bank notes before the hysterical man's face. «I'll pay for the information. Fifty thousand. Analogue for the rest of your life. Who gave the order to let me die, Forrest? Who?»
The man smote the bank notes from Foyle's hand, leaped up and ran down the beach. Foyle tackled him at the edge of the surf. Forrest fell headlong, his face in the water. Foyle held him there.
«Who commanded 'Vorga,' Forrest? Who gave the order?»
«You're drowning him!» Robin cried.
«Let him suffer a little. Water's easier than vacuum. I suffered for six months. Who gave the order, Forrest?»
The man bubbled and choked. Foyle lifted his head out of the water.
«How do you know all this?»
«Told you I've been studying . . . preparing for 'Vorga.' This is one of the things I learned. Show you something else I've learned, if you're not chicken-livered. How to bring a twitch out of Analogue.»
Foyle opened another pocket in his battle overalls and got to work on Forrest. Robin watched for a moment, then uttered a horrified cry, turned and walked to the edge of the water. She stood, staring blindly at the surf and the stars, until the mewling and the twisting ceased and Foyle called to her.
«You can come back now.»
Robin returned to find a shattered creature seated upright on the beach gazing at Foyle with dull, sober eyes.
«You're Forrest?»
«Who the hell are you?»
«You're Ben Forrest, leading spaceman. Formerly aboard the Presteign 'Vorga.'»
Forrest cried out in terror.
«You were aboard the 'Vorga' on September 16, 2436.»
The man sobbed and shook his head.
«On September sixteen you passed a wreck. Out near the asteroid belt. Wreck of the 'Nomad,' your sister ship. She signaled for help. 'Vorga' passed her by. Left her to drift and die. Why did 'Vorga' pass her by?»
Forrest began to scream hysterically.
«Who gave the order to pass her by?»
«Jesus, no! No! No!»
«The records are all gone from the Bo'ness amp; Uig files. Someone got to them before me. Who was that? Who was aboard 'Vorga'? Who shipped with you? I want officers and crew. Who was in command?»
«No,» Forrest screamed. «No!»
Foyle held a sheaf of bank notes before the hysterical man's face. «I'll pay for the information. Fifty thousand. Analogue for the rest of your life. Who gave the order to let me die, Forrest? Who?»
The man smote the bank notes from Foyle's hand, leaped up and ran down the beach. Foyle tackled him at the edge of the surf. Forrest fell headlong, his face in the water. Foyle held him there.
«Who commanded 'Vorga,' Forrest? Who gave the order?»
«You're drowning him!» Robin cried.
«Let him suffer a little. Water's easier than vacuum. I suffered for six months. Who gave the order, Forrest?»
The man bubbled and choked. Foyle lifted his head out of the water.