"Better than you can imagine. But let me tell you what you're up
against. I can at least do that for you, Mr. Parry."
"Thanks. Don't you suppose you could call me Amos now?"
"Sure, Amos. First of all, you were right about that pig trying to
imitate the cat. He couldn't do much because he only had a pig's brain
to work with." He stopped and grinned, evidently at Amos' expression.
"I'll try to explain. What is an animal? Physically, I mean?"
Amos shook his head. "You've got the floor."
"All right. An animal is a colony of cells. Different kinds of cells
form organs and do different things for the colony, but each cell has
a life of its own, too. When it dies a new one of the same kind takes
over. But what regulates the colony? What maintains the pattern?"
Amos waited.
"Part of it's automatic replacement, cell for cell. But beyond that
there's a control; and it's the unconscious mind." He paused and
studied Amos. "You think I'm theorizing. I'm not. That drug broke down
some barriers, and I see all this as you see your own fingers moving."
Amos remembered the mention of hallucinations.
* * * * *
Barnes grinned again. "Let's say it's only one per cent awake and
walled off from the conscious mind. What would happen if something
removed the wall and woke up the other ninety-nine per cent?"
Remembering the pig, it was impossible not to feel a cold seed of
belief. Amos dreaded what was coming next; clearly, it would be a
demonstration.
Barnes held out his hand, palm up. In a few seconds a pink spot
appeared. It turned red, oozed dismayingly, and became a small pool
of blood. Barnes let it stay for a moment, then wiped it off with a
handkerchief. There was no more bleeding. "That's something I can do
fast," he said. "I opened the pores, directed blood to them, then
closed them again. Amos, do you believe in werewolves?"
Amos wanted to jump up and shout, "No! You're insane!" but he could
only sit staring.
"I could move that thumb around to the other side of my hand," Barnes
said thoughtfully. "I'm still exploring, but I don't think even the
bone would take too long. You'll notice I don't need glasses any more."
The buzzer buzzed. Amos jumped, and from habit answered. "Bill Detrick
and that customer are here, Mr. Parry," came Alice Grant's voice.
"I--ask them to wait," he managed.
His mind was a muddle; he needed time. "You--Frank--will you stay for a
few days?"
"Sure. I'm in no hurry now. And while you're thinking, let me give you
a few hints. No more cripples or disease. No ugly people, unless they
choose to be. And no law."
"No--law?"
"How would you police such a world? A man could change his face at
will, or his fingerprints. Even his teeth. Probably he could do things
I can't imagine yet."
The buzzer went again, with Mrs. Grant's subtle urgency. Amos ignored
it, yet he hardly knew when Frank left the room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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