Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 5
Forhouse-fliesarehouse-flies,andIwasaman,withaman’sbrain;andmybrainwastrainedandactive,stuffedwithcultureandscience,andalwaysgearedtoahightensionofeagernesstodo.Andtherewasnothingtodo,andmythoughtsranabominablyoninvainspeculations.Therewasmypentoseandmethyl-pentosedeterminationingrapesandwinestowhichIhaddevotedmylastsummervacationattheAstiVineyards.Ihadallbutcompletedtheseriesofexperiments.Wasanybodyelsegoingonwithit,Iwondered;andifso,withwhatsuccess?
Yousee,theworldwasdeadtome.Nonewsofitfilteredin.Thehistoryofsciencewasmakingfast,andIwasinterestedinathousandsubjects.Why,therewasmytheoryofthehydrolysisofcaseinbytrypsin,whichProfessorWaltershadbeencarryingoutinhislaboratory.Also,ProfessorSchleimerhadsimilarlybeencollaboratingwithmeinthedetectionofphytosterolinmixturesofanimalandvegetablefats.Theworksurelywasgoingon,butwithwhatresults?TheverythoughtofallthisactivityjustbeyondtheprisonwallsandinwhichIcouldtakenopart,ofwhichIwasnevereventohear,wasmaddening.AndinthemeantimeIlaythereonmycellfloorandplayedgameswithhouse-flies.
Andyetallwasnotsilenceinsolitary.EarlyinmyconfinementIusedtohear,atirregularintervals,faint,lowtappings.FromfartherawayIalsoheardfainterandlowertappings.Continuallythesetappingswereinterruptedbythesnarlingoftheguard.
