"Robert A. Heinlein - Lost Legacy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

consciousness that can’t be explained in terms of physiology and
mechanics is about as welcome as a Saint Bernard in a telephone
booth.”

The telephone signal glowed red back of the attendant’s counter.
He switched off the newscast and answered the call. “Hello . . .
Yes, ma’am, he is. I’ll call him. Telephone for you, Doctuh Coburn.”

“Switch it over here.” Cobum turned the telephone panel at the
table around so that it faced him; as he did so it lighted up with the
face of a young woman. He picked up the handset. “What is it? ...
What’s that? How long ago did it happen? . . . Who made the
diagnosis? . . . Read that over again . . . Let me see the chart.” He
inspected its image reflected in the panel, then added, “Very well.
I’ll be right over. Prepare the patient for operating.” He switched off
the instrument and turned to Huxley. “Got to go, Phil—emergency.”

“What sort?”

“It’ll interest you. Trephining. Maybe some cerebral excision. Car
accident. Come along and watch it, if you have time.” He was
putting on his slicker as he spoke. He turned and swung out the
west door with a long, loose-limbed stride. Huxley grabbed his own
raincoat and hurried to catch up with him.



3
“How come,” he asked as he came abreast, “they had to search for
you?”

“Left my pocketphone in my other suit,” Coburn returned briefly.
“On purpose—I wanted a little peace and quiet. No luck.”

They worked north and west through the arcades and passages
that connected the Union with the Science group, ignoring the
moving walkways as being too slow. But when they came to the
conveyor subway under Third Avenue opposite the Pottenger
Medical School, they found it flooded, its machinery stalled, and
were forced to detour west to the Fairfax Avenue conveyor.
Cobum cursed impartially the engineers and the planning
commission for the fact that spring brings torrential rains to
Southern California, Chamber of Commerce or no.

They got rid of their wet clothes in the Physicians’ Room and
moved on to the gowning room for surgery. An orderly helped
Huxley into white trousers and cotton shoe covers, and they
moved to the next room to scrub. Coburn invited Huxley to scrub
also in order that he might watch the operation close up. For three
minutes by the little sand glass they scrubbed away with strong