The Thinking Machine Affair - Bernard Joel (читаем книги онлайн .txt) 📗

"Arrangements have been made to fly the body tomorrow morning to Vienna, on the scheduled eight o'clock plane. I've booked a seat on it and will report from Vienna."

Channel D closed, and Alexander Waverly sat back in his chair.

CHAPTER FOUR

"DEAR DADDY––COME AT ONCE!"

THE Chief Organizing Officer at THRUSH'S European Center E made no attempt to conceal his anger. He ranted at the Chief of the Special Tasks Department for having given Vlasta Novak too much of the odorless gas.

"Almost twelve hours have elapsed since she was brought here and there's no hope of her regaining consciousness for hours yet!" he bellowed.

"How could anyone anticipate that she'd pass out so completely?" the Special Tasks Chief retorted, trying to justify his action.

"You know the strength of the gas, and you also know that once a person loses consciousness the supply must be stopped and fresh air allowed in to prevent over-doping!"

"How often must I repeat that we were unable to comply with the directions for the application of the gas?" the Special Tasks boss demanded. "I intercepted her at the Research Institute, told the story about her father's accident and offered to drive her to him. She was stunned but boarded the car. I was afraid she might turn awkward if I drove in the opposite direction to her father's villa, so I propelled a good whiff of the gas into the coupe to knock her out quickly."

"That's all well and good, but as soon as she'd passed out you should have opened the rear windows," countered the Chief Organizing Officer. "It only means pulling a lever."

"I've already told you that the electric window action wasn't working," the Special Tasks boss grunted. "And I also told you I couldn't risk stopping and opening the windows manually with the streets so full of people. Stopping, leaving the car and opening rear windows would have centered attention on me and the unconscious girl and might have endangered the whole operation. It's one of those unfortunate things, but the doctor should have brought her round long ago."

"The doctor made it perfectly clear that if he tried to revive her by drastic measures these could have fatal consequences. He should know—he's familiar with the effects of this gas, after all."

"Then there's nothing we can do but wait until she wakes. She can't sleep till doomsday."

"No, but time is precious. You know we need to get the Professor and his apparatus here as quickly as possible; and to do that without fuss and bother we need the assistance of his daughter."

At this moment the communication buzzer sounded. When the closed circuit television set was switched on, the Monitoring Officer appeared on the screen, to say:

"I've just received a message from New York, sir. It's short but satisfactory. Shall I send the tape to your office?"

"Play it back for me," the Chief Organizing Officer grunted.

A moment later the tape announced:

"Operation successful. Body claimed and arrangements for home burial made. Shall advise you after landing and European clearance."

"That's all, sir," the Monitoring Officer said.

"Thank you. Let me have the tape for filing."

"Very well, sir."

"Excellent news," the Chief of the Special Tasks Department exclaimed jubilantly. "This means 'Operation U.N.C.L.E. Headquarters' was carried out successfully and everything is set for the destruction of U.N.C.L.E."

"Yes, everything is ready for action, yet this Novak woman snores away merrily and delays our grabbing her father." The Chief Organizing Officer sighed at the dismal thought.

The Medical Officer had watched Vlasta from the moment she had been brought to THRUSH European Center E, and now he noted that the gas was beginning to lose its grip on her brain. "If these signs are not misleading, she should regain full consciousness fairly soon," he assured the Chief Organizing Officer through the telecomm.

"I'd better come round to the Medical Room to be there when she revives."

"I wouldn't advise it," the Medical Officer replied. "This gas has a peculiar effect on the brain. If anyone regaining consciousness is subjected to a shock of any sort there's a danger of complete insanity. That would knock your plans sideways."

"What do you suggest?"

"Leave her alone and let her come round gradually and undisturbed. Once she's her normal self, there's no danger of insanity and it's safe for you to see her."

"You mean you want to leave her to herself?"

"Yes, she must be left alone at first if the danger of possible shock is to be prevented."

"How will we know when she's ready for persuasion?"

"Oh, I'll be watching her continuously on the television screen in my office. Why not join me and watch her progress too?"

"I'll be with you presently," the Chief Organizing Officer replied.

Vlasta slowly came to. She felt terribly tired, her eyelids too heavy to open, with headache and dizziness upsetting her. As the effects of the gas diminished, her brain began to function normally and the tiredness and other symptoms slowly left her, until she drifted into a light, refreshing slumber.

"It won't be long now," said the Medical Officer, watching her on the television screen. "This light sleep will only last a short while, and then when she wakes she'll be normal."

Within half an hour, Vlasta opened her eyes, yawned and stretched. She sat up, looked around, and tried to puzzle out where she was.

"I'd better go in," the Chief Organizing Officer suggested.

"Not yet; there's still the possibility of shock," the Medical Officer warned him. "I'll see her first and condition her mind to her surroundings. It won't take long before you can step in."

He slipped into a doctor's white coat and entered the adjoining Medical Room.

"Oh, good," he said as he opened the door. "I'm happy to see you well again."

"What's happened to me, doctor?" Vlasta enquired.

"Don't you know?"

"Well, I remember having been told about father's accident as I left the Research Institute, and I remember boarding a car to be taken to him. Then I felt a choking sensation and wanted to wind down the window to let in some fresh air. I couldn't open the window because my arm and hand seemed useless—and that's the last thing I know. I must have lost consciousness."

"You did, Miss Novak," the doctor confirmed. "Fortunately the driver noticed your alarming condition in the driving mirror and brought you here. You arrived in time and the stomach pump and oxygen equipment saved you."

"What was the matter?"

"Food poisoning, Miss Novak, acute food poisoning. But that's over and done with now and you're back to normal."

"Acute food poisoning?" Vlasta exclaimed, surprised. "That doesn't make sense. How could I have got food poisoning? I had breakfast and lunch at the Research Institute and it tasted all right."

"One can't always judge from the taste of food whether it's all right or not, and apart from that, some people react worse to poisoning than others." The doctor sounded plausible.

"You ought to know," she succumbed.

"Yes."

"How is my father?"

"Oh, fine, fine. He's longing to see you as soon as possible—indeed, as soon as you want him to come."

"But he had an accident. Surely it's I who should go and see him?"