按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ash your little girl。 She'll e at you with everything she has。 She won't waste time trying to make you feel guilty。 Denise believes in a frontal attack。 She'll hammer you right into the ground。 You know I'm right； Babette。〃
About five minutes passed。 She lay there； staring into the ceiling。
〃Just let me tell it in my own way；〃 she said in a small voice。
〃Would you like a liqueur？〃
〃No； thank you。〃
〃Take your time；〃 I said。 〃We've got all night。 If there's anything you want or need； just say so。 You have only to ask。 I'll be right here for as long as it takes。〃
Another moment passed。
〃I don't know exactly when it started。 Maybe a year and a half ago。 I thought I was going through a phase； some kind of watermark period in my life。〃
〃Landmark；〃 I said。 〃Or watershed。〃
〃A kind of settling…in…period； I thought。 Middle age。 Something like that。 The condition would go away and I'd forget all about it。 But it didn't go away。 I began to think it never would。〃
〃What condition？〃
〃Never mind that for now。〃
〃You've been depressed lately。 I've never seen you like this。 This is the whole point of Babette。 She's a joyous person。 She doesn't succumb to gloom or self…pity。〃
〃Let me tell it； Jack。〃
〃All right。〃
〃You know how I am。 I think everything is correctible。 Given the right attitude and the proper effort； a person can change a harmful condition by reducing it to its simplest parts。 You can make lists； invent categories； devise charts and graphs。 This is how I am able to teach my students how to stand； sit and walk； even though I know you think these subjects are too obvious and nebulous and generalized to be reduced to ponent parts。 I'm not a very ingenious person but I know how to break things down； how to separate and classify。 We can analyze posture； we can analyze eating； drinking and even breathing。 How else do you understand the world； is my way of looking at it。〃
〃I'm right here；〃 I said。 〃If there's anything you want or need； only say the word。〃
〃When I realized this condition was not about to go away； I set out to understand it better by reducing it to its parts。 First I had to find out if it had any parts。 I went to libraries and bookstores； read magazines and technical journals； watched cable TV； made lists and diagrams； made multicolored charts； made phone calls to technical writers and scientists； talked to a Sikh holy man in Iron City and even studied the occult； hiding the books in the attic so you and Denise wouldn't find them and wonder what was going on。〃
〃All this without my knowing。 The whole point of Babette is that she speaks to me； she reveals and confides。〃
〃This is not a story about your disappointment at my silence。 The theme of this story is my pain and my attempts to end it。〃
〃I'll make some hot chocolate。 Would you like that？〃
〃Stay。 This is a crucial part。 All this energy； this research； study and concealment； but I was getting nowhere。 The condition would not yield。 It hung over my life； gave me no rest。 Then one day I was reading to Mr。 Treadwell from the National Examiner。 An ad caught my eye。 Never mind exactly what it said。 Volunteers wanted for secret research。 This is all you have to know。〃
〃I thought it was my former wives who practiced guile。 Sweet deceivers。 Tense； breathy； high…cheekboned； bilingual。〃
〃I answered the ad and was interviewed by a small firm doing research in psychobiology。 Do you know what that is？〃
〃No。〃
〃Do you know how plex the human brain is？〃
〃I have some idea。〃
〃No； you don't。 Let's call the pany Gray Research； although that's not the true name。 Let's call my contact Mr。 Gray。 Mr。 Gray is a posite。 I was eventually in touch with three or four or more people at the firm。〃
〃One of those long low pale brick buildings with electrified fencing and low…profile shrubbery。〃
〃I never saw their headquarters。 Never mind why。 The point is I took test after test。 Emotional； psychological； motor response； brain activity。 Mr。 Gray said there were three finalists and I was one of them。〃
〃Finalists for what？〃
〃We were to be test subjects in the development of a super experimental and top secret drug； code…name Dylar； that he'd been working on for years。 He'd found a Dylar receptor in the human brain and was putting the finishing touches on the tablet itself。 But he also told me there were dangers in running tests on a human。 I could die。 I could live but my brain could die。 The left side of my brain cquld die but the right side could live。 This would mean that the left side of my body would live but the right side would die。 There were many grim specters。 I could walk sideways but not forward。 I could not distinguish words from things； so that if someone said 'speeding bullet；' I would fall to the floor and take cover。 Mr。 Gray wanted me to know the risks。 There were releases and other documents for me to sign。 The firm had lawyers； priests。〃
〃They let you go ahead； a human test animal。〃
〃No； they didn't。 They said it was way too risky—legally； ethically and so forth。 They went to work designing puter molecules and puter brains。 I refused to accept this。 I'd e so far； e so close。 I want you to try to understand what happened next。 If I'm going to tell you the story at all； I have to include this aspect of it； this grubby little corner of the human heart。 You say Babette reveals and confides。〃
〃This is the point of Babette。〃
〃Good。 I will reveal and confide。 Mr。 Gray and I made a private arrangement。 Forget the priests； the lawyers； the psychobiologists。 We would conduct the experiments on our own。 I would be cured of my condition； he would be acclaimed for a wonderful medical breakthrough。〃
〃What's so grubby about this？〃
〃It involved an indiscretion。 This was the only way I could get Mr。 Gray to let me use the drug。 It was my last resort； my last hope。 First I'd offered him my mind。 Now I offered my body。〃
I felt a sensation of warmth creeping up my back and radiating outward across my shoulders。 Babette looked straight up。 I was propped on an elbow； facing her； studying her features。 When I spoke finally i