– It so does not become soon.
Brike continued to stir, but the Core already departed from her and addressed Thomas:
– How are you, friend?
Thomas did not hear professor’s conversation with Brike. Occupied with the thoughts, he gloomy looked on the Core and answered nothing.
Since professor Kern promised Brike to give a new body, her mood abruptly changed. Infernal nightmares did not pursue it any more. She did not think of existence beyond the grave any more. All her thoughts were absorbed by cares of the forthcoming new mortal life. Looking in a mirror, she worried that her face became thin, and skin got a yellowish shade. It exhausted Laurent, forcing to twist itself hair, to do a hair and to direct a make-up at the person.
– Professor, really I will remain such thin and yellow? – with concern she asked the Core.
– You will become more beautiful, than were – it calmed her.
– No, paints you will not help here, it is self-deception – she said after departure of professor. – Mademoiselle Loran, we will do cold washings and massage. Eyes and from a nose to lips at me had new wrinkles. I think if it is good to mass, they will be destroyed. One my friend… Ah yes, I also forgot you to ask whether you found gray to silk on a dress? Gray color very much goes to me. And fashionable magazines brought? Perfectly! What a pity that else it is impossible to do fittings. I do not know what I will have a body. It is good that it got higher than growth, with narrow hips… Develop the magazine.
And it went deep into the mysteries of beauty of dresses. Laurent did not forget about the head of professor Douel. She still looked after the head and in the mornings was engaged in reading, but on a talk there was no time left, and Laurent about much wanted to talk over with Douel. She more and more overtired and was nervous. Brike’s head haunted it minutes. Sometimes Laurent interrupted reading and was forced to run on Brike’s shout only to correct the gone-down ringlet or to answer whether there was Laurent in linen shop.
– But you do not know the sizes of your body – constraining irritation, Laurent said, hastily corrected a ringlet on Brike’s head and hurried to Douel’s head.
The thought of production of courageous operation took the Core.
Kern strenuously worked, being prepared for this difficult operation. He was for a long time locked from-headed professor Douel and talked to her. At all desire could not do without Douel Kern’s council. Douel pointed to him to a number of difficulties of which Kern did not think and which could affect the result of experience, advised to do several preliminary animal experiments and directed these experiences. And – such is there was force of intelligence of Douel – he extremely became interested in the forthcoming experience. Douel’s head as though even freshened up. His thought worked with extraordinary clarity.
The core was happy and dissatisfied with so broad help of Douel. The further work moved, the Core was convinced more that without Douel it would not cope with it.
And it needed to amuse the vanity only with the fact that implementation of this new experience will be made by it.
– You the worthy successor of the late professor Douel – Douel’s head with hardly noticeable ironical smile somehow told him. – Ah, if I could take more active part in this work!
It was not either a request, or a hint. Douel’s head too well knew that the Core will not want, will not decide to give it a new body.
The core frowned, but pretended that it did not hear this exclamation.
So, experiences with animals were crowned with success – he told. – I operated two dogs. Having beheaded them, sewed the head of one to a trunk another. Both are well, seams on a neck grow together.
– Food? – the head asked.
– Still artificial. Through a mouth I give only disinfecting solution with iodine. But I will pass to normal food soon.
In several days the Core announced:
– Dogs eat normally. Bandagings are removed, and, I think, in a day or two they will be able to run.
– Wait for about a week – the head advised. – Young dogs do the sharp movements by the head, and seams can disperse. Do not force. – «You will manage to reap monasteries» – the head wanted to add, but kept. – And one more: you keep dogs in different rooms. Together they will lift fuss and can damage to themselves.
At last day when professor Kern with a solemn air entered into the room of the head of Douel a dog with the black head and a white trunk came. The dog, probably, felt well. Her eyes were live, she cheerfully wagged a tail. Having seen the head of professor Douel, the dog suddenly tousled wool, grumbled and began a bark by a wild voice. The extraordinary show, probably, struck and frightened her.
– Spend a dog about the room – the head told.
The core walked about the room, leading a dog. Nothing escaped the swept together, sharp-sighted eye of Douel.
– And it that? – Douel asked. – The dog drops to a hind left leg a little. And voice not as it should be.
The core was confused.
– The dog limped also before operation – he told – the leg is overcome.
– Approximately it is not visible to deformation, and I can probe, alas. You could not find couple of healthy dogs? – with doubt in a voice the head asked. – I think, with me it is possible to be quite frank, dear colleague. Likely, long pottered with revival operation and too detained «a mortal pause» of a stop of warm activity and breath, and it as you have to know from my experiences, quite often leads to disorder of functions of nervous system. But calm down, such phenomena can disappear. Try only that your Brike did not limp on both legs.
The core was enraged, but tried not to give a sign. He learned in the head of former professor Douel – direct, exacting and self-confident.
«Shockingly! – the Core thought. – This hissing as the punctured tire, the head continues to teach me and to scoff at my mistakes, and I am forced, precisely the school student, to listen to its lectures… The turn of the crane, and spirit will take off from this rotten pumpkin…» However instead the Core, nothing without giving the mood, with attention listened to some more councils.
– I thank for your instructions – told the Core and, having nodded, left the room. Behind doors it became cheerful again. «No – the Core consoled itself – work is carried out perfectly. It is not so easy to please Douel. The dropping leg and a wild voice of a dog – trifles as compared it is made».
Passing through the room where Brike’s head was located, he stopped and, showing on a dog, told:
– Mademoiselle Brike, your desire will be granted soon. You see this doggie? It as well as you, was the head without body, and, look, she lives and runs indifferently.
– I am not a doggie – Brike’s head with insult answered.
– But same necessary experience. If the doggie in a new body recovered, then also you will recover.
– I do not understand at what here the doggie – stubborn went on Brike. – I do not care about a doggie. You tell better when I am recovered. Instead of it is recovering rather me, you potter with some dogs.
The core hopelessly waved a hand and, continuing to smile cheerfully, told:
– Now soon. It is only necessary to find a suitable corpse… that is a body, and you will be in a full form, as they say.
Having taken away a dog, the Core returned with centimeter in hands and carefully measured a circle of a neck of the head of Brike.
– Thirty six centimeters – he told.
– My God, really I so lost weight? – Brike’s head exclaimed. – At me was thirty eight. And I carry the size of shoes…
But the Core, without listening to it, quickly left to itself. He did not manage to take seat at the table in an office as at a door were knocked.
– Enter.
The door opened. Entered Laurent. She tried to keep quietly, but her face was with emotion.
DEFECT AND VIRTUE
– What is the matter? something happened To the heads? – asked the Core, raising the head from papers.
– Is not present… but I wanted to talk to you, mister professor.
The core leaned back on a chair back.
– I listen to you, mademoiselle Loran.
– Tell, you seriously assume to give to Brike’s head a body or only console it?
– Absolutely seriously.
– And you hope for success of this operation?
– Quite. You saw a dog?
– And you do not assume… to put Thomas on legs? – from far away began Laurent.
– Why would be not present? He already asked me about it. Not all at once.
– And Douel … – Laurent suddenly exorcized quickly and with emotion: – Of course, everyone has the right for life, for normal human life, both Thomas, and Brike. But you, certainly, understand that the value of the head of professor Douel is much higher, than your other heads… And if you want to return to Thomas and Brike’s normal existence, then, it is how more important to return the head of professor Douel to the same normal life.
The core frowned. All expression of his face became alerted and rigid.
– Professor Douel, is more faithful – his professorial head, found the beautiful defender in your person – he told, ironically smiling. – But in such defender, perhaps, there is no need also, and you in vain get excited and worry. Certainly, I thought also of revival of the head of Douel.
– But why you will not begin experience with it?
– Yes just because Douel’s head is more expensive thousands of other human heads. I began with a dog before allocating with a body Brike’s head. Brike’s head is so more expensive than the head of a dog as far as Douel’s head is more expensive than Brike’s head.
– Human life and dogs is incomparable, professor…
– As well as Douel and Brike’s heads. You have no anything else to tell?
– Nothing, mister professor – Laurent answered, going to a door.
– In that case, mademoiselle, I have to you some questions. Wait, mademoiselle.
Laurent stopped at a door, interrogatively looking on the Core.
– I ask you, approach a table, sit down.
Laurent with vague alarm fell to a deep chair. The person Kerna did not promise anything good. Kern leaned back on a back of a chair and long Laurent searchingly looked in the face until it lowered them. Then he quickly rose in all the high growth, strong rested fists against a table, inclined the head to Laurent and asked quietly and impressively:
– Tell, you did not launch the air crane of the head of Douel in action? You did not talk to him?
Laurent felt that her finger-tips grew cold. Thoughts a whirlwind began to spin in her head. The anger which excited in it the Core bubbled and was ready to break outside.
«To tell or not to tell it the truth?» – fluctuated Laurent. Oh, what pleasure to say directly to this person the word «murderer», but such open attack could spoil everything.
Laurent did not believe that the Core will give to Douel’s head a new body. She already knew too much to trust such opportunity. And she dreamed only of one: to discredit the Core which appropriated Douel fruits of labor in the opinion of society and to solve its crime. She knew that the Core will not stop before anything, and, declaring itself his open enemy, she endangered the life. But not the instinct of self-preservation stopped it. She did not want to die before the crime of the Core is not solved. And for this purpose it was necessary to lie. But conscience, all her education did not allow to lie to it. Never before in life she lied and now endured awful nervousness.
The core kept the eyes glued from her face.
– Do not lie – he told derisively – do not burden the conscience a lie sin. You talked to the head, do not open, I know it. John overheard everything…
Laurent, having inclined the head, was silent.
– It is only interesting to me to know about what you talked to the head?
Laurent felt how the rushed-back blood flowed to cheeks. She raised the head and looked fool in the face the Core.
– About everything.
– So – told the Core, without removing hands from a table. – So I also thought. About everything.
There came the pause. Laurent looked down down again and sat with a type of the person waiting for a sentence now.
The core suddenly quickly went to a door and locked it. Walked several times on a soft carpet of an office, having stuffed up hands for a back. Then silently approached Laurent and asked:
– And what you think to undertake, the lovely girl? To prosecute a blood-thirsty monster – the Core? To defame his name? To expose its crime? Douel, probably, asked you about it?
– No, no – having forgotten all the fear, hotly started talking Laurent – I assure you that the head of professor Douel is absolutely deprived of feeling of revenge. Oh, it is noble soul! He even… dissuaded me. This is not what you, it is impossible to judge by himself! – already with a call it finished, having sparkled eyes.
The core grinned and again walked on an office.
– So, so, perfectly. Means, you after all had exposing intentions and if not the head of Douel, then professor Kern would already be imprisoned. If virtue cannot triumph, then, at least, defect has to be punished. So all virtuous novels which you read, isn’t that so, the lovely girl terminated?
– And defect will be punished! – she exclaimed, already almost losing will over the feelings.
– Oh yes of course, there, in heaven. – The core looked at the ceiling revetted with large checkers from a black oak. – But here, on the earth and to you it will be known, naive creation, triumphs defect, and only defect! And virtue… Virtue costs with a cap in hand, begging for pennies at defect, or sticks out there – the Core specified towards the room where there was Douel’s head – as the carrion crows frightened, reflecting on caducity of all terrestrial.
And, having approached Laurent closely, it, having lowered a voice, told:
– You know, as you, and I can burn Douel’s head in a literal sense to ashes, and any soul does not learn about it.
– I know that you are ready for anything…
– Crime? And it is very good that you know it. – The core walked about the room again and by already usual voice continued to speak, as if arguing aloud: – However what you will order to do with you, the beautiful avenger? You, unfortunately, from that breed of people who do not stop before anything and for the sake of the truth are ready to accept a crown of martyrdom. You fragile, nervous, impressionable, but will not intimidate you. To kill you? Today, now? I will manage to cover up murder tracks, but nevertheless it is necessary to tinker with it. And my time is expensive. To bribe you? It is more difficult, than to intimidate you… Well, you say what to do to me with you?
– Leave everything as was… I did not inform on you still.
– Also you will not inform?
Laurent slowed down with the answer, then answered quietly, but is firm:
– I will inform.
The core stamped a leg.
– U-at, the stubborn little girl! And so what I will tell you. You sit down to my desk now… Be not afraid, I am not going neither to smother yet, nor to poison you. Well, you sit down.
Laurent bewildered looked at it, thought and changed a chair at a desk.
– Eventually, you are necessary to me. If I kill you now, I should employ the assistant or the deputy. I am not guaranteed that on your place there will be no blackmailer who, having revealed a secret of the head of Douel, will not begin to exhaust from me money as a result nevertheless to inform on me. I, at least, know you… So, write. «Dear mummy – or how you call the mother there? – the condition of patients whom I look after demands my permanent presence in the house of professor Kern…»