"Raymond Z. Gallun - Dawn of the Demigods Or, People Minus X" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gallun Raymond Z)

And in some of its forms less dependent on a fluid base such as water. No,
it's not consistently the same substance, or combination. Like the flesh we
know, vitaplasm is in constant change. Here and now it's just an amorphous
mass, crudely molded. An unshaped building material. But, like star ships, it
belongs to the future. Here it's an undeveloped principle, another phase of
our advancing science everywhere. You could call it the clay of the superman,
Eddie. I want you to remember all this. Because I may be back from where I'm
going to try to go. Or I might get in touch sometime. We might need each
other's help."
Young Ed Dukas listened with intense interest. Perhaps his deepest
drive was toward the shadowy splendor of times yet to come. They seemed a part
of his growing self. They must become real! And he must take part in their
fulfillment. Grief or hardship could not stop him. Therein he and Mitchell
Prell traveled the same road.
"You didn't invent vitaplasm, Uncle Mitch," he stated. "No one could
have -- alone."
His sullenly serious gaze lingered on the mask. It was warm to his
touch. It even recoiled a little.
Mitchell Prell shook his head and chortled. "No, Nipper. You know that
research is now far too complex for that. I helped a little. Lots of men did.
Maybe I've added something to what is known. I've got to give my data to
specialists here before I leave."
Eddie thought of a man he'd sometimes seen on television. No bigger
than Uncle Mitch. And plain looking. But great. Dr. Schaeffer in his
underground laboratory in the City.




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 "You aren't going to try to reach a star, are you?" young Ed asked.
Uncle Mitch shook his head. "No. I won't wander so far off." He
laughed. "But in a way I'll be going farther, I suppose. Though don't imagine
that I mean time or hyper-dimensional travel. It's something simpler. But it's
to a place where no one can journey exactly as a human being. I can't tell you
much more. Because I don't want other people to try to dig too much out of
you. But I want to look at things from a new angle. And from very close up,
you might say. Maybe I'm trying to hide from danger, Eddie. Some. But the
bigger reason is that I want to go on learning and exploring. Maybe my being a
small man means something, too."
Mitchell Prell ended with another light laugh. He put the mask in his
pocket and snapped a large suitcase shut. When he spoke again it was on a
slightly different tack -- "You probably won't see me for a while, Eddie.
About your father, words just aren't any good at all. Maybe I'll ache over his
end even harder than you. If anybody asks you questions about me, tell all you
know. Don't try to hide anything for my sake. They'll pry it out of you
anyway. And they'll only know what I want them to know.
"Your mother may get a letter in a few days asking you both to report
to the City. If that letter comes, see that she conforms to its request. It
will also mean that I've delivered the results of my experiments with