"I see," Opperly said, his eyes glittering with interest. "In that
case you haven't read anything about a mutant creature described as a
green cat, that's believed to have super-human parapsychological powers
and to have caused officials to go over to Russia and do all sorts
of other things described as crazy? The public hasn't been told, but
all the higher echelons--scientists, doctors, psychiatrists--have been
getting bulletins on the subject, demanding that they report anything
they know or have heard about a green cat. Even I've been told a
little."
"Can you beat it," Garnett said disgustedly, "something involving esp
and they consult everyone but us." Then he turned to Opperly like a man
waking up. "Do you mean to suggest that this creature is responsible
for the esp results we've been getting?"
Opperly nodded. "I do."
"But how, why?"
Opperly shrugged happily. "I don't know. I've merely been making some
of those far-fetched guesses I've warned my young journalist friends
about." And he smiled at Phil and da Silva.
"Guesses!" Garnett said. "Well, we'll soon find out." And he started
past them toward the front end of the hall, his big feet stirring
dust from the ancient carpet. "We'll have a look at this animal and
see what we think about it. Miss Ames--!" he started to call, and
then suddenly his face went half out of this world again and he
stopped in mid-stride. "She thinks the same," he said so softly and so
astonishedly that even Phil knew he must be esping. "She agrees with
you, Op." The big face seemed to go a little further out of the world.
"In fact, they all do. Practically everybody at the Foundation." The
big face seemed to go out almost all the way, while the voice sank to a
faint murmur. "In fact, you're right."
The door opened at the front end of the hall and a long nosed young
lady in a lab smock stepped out and nodded gently at Garnett. Her brow
smoothed and her eyes half closed, as if she were esping something to
him, then she seemed to notice that there were visitors around. "Would
you care to see this green animal with your outer eyes?" she asked.
"We sure would, Ginny," Garnett told her and started forward again.
Phil wanted to burst out with all his information about Lucky, but da
Silva forestalled him.
"Gentlemen," he said. "Think you understand better I supposed. Sorry
underrate you. Best to tell you now--"
At that moment Lucky ambled out of the door from which Ginny had
emerged. He strode lazily, like a self-confident green god. The long
nosed girl closed the door behind him. Phil felt his spirits splurge
suddenly, happily, familiarly.
Akeley squeezed Phil's upper arm. "It is _he_!"
And almost at the same moment, a voice commanded from behind them,
"Break to either side, everybody."
Phil obeyed the command and so did all the others.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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