99 Classic Science-Fiction Short Stories. Айзек Азимов

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ and the public by trying to invent some new combination of sound, has any one ever tried to increase the range of human hearing? Why, man, how much do you really see and hear and taste and feel? Only so much as our eyes, ears, tongue and fingers can perceive? And how much do they perceive? Only what is in their limited range of vision. One might as well say that, because you cannot perceive by the sense the electric wave that summons the trans-Atlantic liner to its sinking sister ship, it does not exist. There are sounds too fine for the ear to hear—the chirp of the minute insect—too low, like the throb of the organ. The ear is not tuned to receive the rapid vibrations of the insect voice or the slow vibrations of the organ's lowest notes. Sound is motion and comes to us in waves, like light and heat. The capacity of the eye and ear to respond to the vibrations of these waves determines our capacity to see and hear. A violinist can break a gas globe with a certain note, because the glass responds to the vibrations of the note, which it cannot do to a lower tone. So with color. The retinas of our eyes can absorb the visible colors of the spectrum—violet, blue, green, orange, yellow, red—but there are shades on either end of the color scale that our eyes cannot see, but could be made to see—yes, easily! The new man will hear sweeter notes than mortal ear has ever heard before, see fairer visions than have been vouchsafed to poets and dreamers, experience sensations beyond the imagination of Mohammed's paradise!"

      Thrilled in spite of myself by his enthusiasm I leaned forward and broke in upon him.

      "How will you do this?" I cried. "How will you break into this new world of sight. and sense? How do you know that such things are?"

      "How!" he echoed rhapsodically. "Science has already demonstrated them. The X ray, the radium ray—these are accomplished facts of science. All we need is the eye to which they are visible. Increase in some way the power, the intensity, the range, capacity—what you will—of the senses, and a new world surrounds us. Intensify the power of the eye to receive and respond to increased vibrations of light, and man will see a myriad new forms and colors I've given you quite a scientific lecture," he concluded in a relaxed tone. "Shall we go back to the study?"

      I began to fear that in his enthusiasm he had wandered so far from the subject. which I had most at heart that he would not return to it.

      "What interests me," I remarked as we rose from the table, "is this telepathy business. Can anybody read another's thoughts, or is it a peculiar gift?"

      "Generally speaking, it is something which is given to only a few," he replied. Then, noticing the disappointed expression on my face, he added with a laugh: "But if you intensified all a man's perceptive faculties no doubt you would, at the same time, give him a telepathic capacity of some sort—perhaps to an extraordinary degree. Patients in a hypnotic state readily see the infra-red and the ultra-violet–"

      "Eh?" said I. "What is that? Infra-red–"

      "Yes," he answered as we threw ourselves into the stuffed easy chairs by the fire in his library. "The infrared is the red just outside the visible red of the spectrum. It is the red given off by rays whose vibrations are not taken in by the retina, just as at the other or upper end of the spectrum there is the ultra-violet, a violet imperceptible to the ordinary eye. Some few people can see it. But no one in the normal state can see the infra-red."

      "Well," I remarked with an excited laugh, "the first fellow who gets keyed up to that sort of thing will have a rum time of it."

      "He will be as a god," answered Migraine, "knowing not only good and evil, but all the secrets of a now invisible world." He looked at me steadfastly.

      My heart took to beating in a queer, jumping way, and just at that moment a dog howled, a strange, unearthly howl, in the room just above my head. There was something so absolutely unearthly in it that I paled and the perspiration broke out upon my forehead.

      "That infernal beast!" growled Migraine. "I have to lock him up indoors because the neighbors make such a fuss if he barks in the night."

      It occurred to me that I was a fool to have a thing like that throw me into a blue funk, and I took a fresh cigar and began to wonder how I could induce Migraine to give me a few points on mind-reading. I resolved to lead the conversation gently back to our original topic, the one which so vitally interested me as a matter of business. If only I could know just what Harriman was going to–

      "Look here," said I, "if you can tell just what these big fellows in Wall street are going to do, why do you ever come downtown at all? Why not sit here comfortably and do the whole trick on the telephone?"

      "The reason is simple enough." replied Migraine. "You see, the range—or trajectory, so to speak—of my telepathic power is limited. Your office happens to be situated very near to those of the two men whom I have mentioned. At any greater distance my mental sight might be so dim as to be ineffective. That. is why I selected your own admirable banking-house instead of that of some other—if you will pardon me—equally distinguished firm."

      Instantly it came over me what a ripping thing it would be—so convenient, as it were—just to sit on that same lounge in Buck's office and play the market just as the doctor did, for a dead-sure thing. Why, it was exasperating that a fellow who knew nothing about the values of stock or the various influences that affect the market should be able to wander in there and do as he chose. It maddened me to be put at such a disadvantage by this medicine man, particularly as he was one who didn't really care beans about making money at all.

      "Look here," I exclaimed, sitting bolt upright, "why don't you try this intensifying business on me?"

      "How do you mean?" he asked.

      "Why, tune up my eyes and ears and all that—make me see things—infra-red and what not?"

      "Oh, nonsense!" he retorted.

      "Seriously," I protested.

      "Do you mean that you are willing to offer yourself as a subject for scientific experiment?" he inquired with a superior air.

      "Why not?" I replied, but my breath came a little fast. I remember the onyx clock began striking ten just at that moment.

      Doctor Migraine did not instantly reply, but puffed his cigar with exasperating deliberation for a moment.

      "The consequences–might be disagreeable," he said slowly.

      "I'll chance that," I urged him confidently. "How would you do it?"

      "Hypnotism, partly."

      "I'll bet you couldn't hypnotize me!" I taunted him in my eagerness to have the thing tried. "I don't believe you could hypnotize a stockbroker."

      Migraine laughed.

      "I've seen such things done," he muttered. "Now, see here, Bilson," he added, changing his tone, "if you are willing to absolve me from any responsibility in the matter and give me your signature to that effect I'm willing to try. But, mind you, it's entirely against my advice! Such things are infernally dangerous and, at best, are apt to be deucedly unpleasant."

      "That's all right, old man," I replied, seeing visions of myself cornering the market in United States Steel Common. "Don't you worry. Your Uncle Silas is quite able to take care of himself."

      Doctor Migraine went over to a little desk and scribbled something on a sheet of notepaper.

      "Sign this first," said he, handing it to me.

      This is to certify that the treatment received by me at the hands of Doctor Adrian Migraine is entirely at my urgent request and against his express advice. I regard the same as necessary for my health and entirely absolve СКАЧАТЬ