"Barry Longyear - Dark Corners" - читать интересную книгу автора (Longyear Barry)

“You used the past tense, doctor.”

“Oh.” Dr. Raeder nodded, his expression quite wooden. “He was reported dead in October of
‘Sixty-nine. The story was that he attacked some other patients and in the process of subduing him, he
was accidentally killed.” Raeder held out a photocopy of a newspaper clipping. The headline read:
“Three killed, eleven mauled at Pescadero.”

Janos Raeder dropped the clipping back into the file. “Westlake’s body was cremated before anyone
could get a look at it. The two patients and the guard who were killed, however, looked as through they
had been savaged by timber wolves.” He looked up at nothing in particular. “They were all cremated, as
well.” He faced Lyle. “It might be very interesting to find out what happened to all of the patients who
survived. The belief among most lycanthropics is that a virus in the saliva is what transmits the disease.”
Dr. Raeder tapped the glossy and said, “In any event, this is one of the most well documented modern
cases of lycanthropic hysteria that exists.”

Lyle gestured at the photo with his hand. “Look at that increase in body mass, doctor. All that has to
come from somewhere, doesn’t it? What’d he do, snack on an ox while they took the snapshots?”

Dr. Raeder looked up from the file and fixed Lyle with his eyes. “Here is a theory for you to consider: the
quantum field is a universe-wide matrix of energy and information. We are all parts of this matrix and you
cannot alter any part of it without altering every other part in some manner. Changing or reinforcing a
thought pattern is just such an alteration. The upshot of this is that if you believe strongly enough, your
body will use every power available to it within the field to fulfill that belief. Energy convertible into mass
can be drawn from the field. Are you familiar with the works of Deepak Chopra?”

“No.”

“In just one of his works,Ageless Body, Timeless Mind , he shows how one’s intentions can affect the
quantum field such that an individual can increase or even reverse aging. Imagine the physiological
changes—”

“Is this the guy who was on Oprah Winfrey some time back? I’m supposed to take pop science
seriously?”

“No. As a scientist, Lyle, I expect you to investigate first, and only then form your conclusions.”

“Sorry.”

Janos Raeder brushed away the apology and the question with a wave of his hand. “It doesn’t matter.
Look, Lyle, there are the miracle cures from terminal diseases you mentioned, and the stigmata, what you
called those freaks squirting blood from their palms. Think about the very real cases of stigmata we have
on record. These cases are similar to lycanthropy in that they involve actual hysterical alteration of fluids
and tissues simply on the basis of a very intense belief.” He tapped the print once more. “And this. It is a
very real, very painful, and quite debilitating condition. It can’t be cured, as far as we know, but it can be
arrested much like compulsive gambling or alcoholism.”

Lyle clasped his hands over his belly and slumped down in his chair. “I’m familiar with the cases. In fact,
I’m pretty familiar with all of the literature on hysteria, and I’ve never run across anything like
werewolves.”