"The Planners by Kate Wilhelm" - читать интересную книгу автора (1969)

it and went back to the others."
They could see the spreading pool of water. It was muddy,
uninviting looking. At eleven-ten it was generally known
within the compound that the water supply had failed. Some
of the old chimps tried the fountain; Adam tried it several
times. He hit it with a stick and tried it again. Then he sat
on his haunches and stared at it. One of the young chimps
whimpered pitiably. He wasn't thirsty yet, merely puzzled and
perhaps frightened. Adam scowled at him. The chimp cowered
behind Hortense, who bared her fangs at Adam. He waved
menacingly at her, and she began picking fleas from her
offspring. When he whimpered again, she cuffed him. The
young chimp looked from her to Adam, stuck his forefinger
in his mouth and ambled away. Adam continued to stare at
the useless fountain. An hour passed. At last Adam rose and
wandered nonchalantly toward the drying stream. Here and
there a shrinking pool of muddy water steamed in the sun.
The other chimps followed Adam. He followed the stream
through the compound toward the wall that was its source.
When he came to the pool he squatted again. One of the
young chimps circled the pool cautiously, reached down and
touched the dirty water, drew back, reached for it again, and
then drank. Several of the others drank also. Adam continued
to squat. At twelve-forty Adam moved again. Grunting and
gesturing to several younger males, he approached the tree-
trunk. With much noise and meaningless gestures, they shifted
the trunk. They strained, shifted it again. The water was
released and poured over the heaving chimps. Two of them
dropped the trunk and ran. Adam and the other two held.
The two returned.
They were still working when Darin had to leave, to keep
his appointment with Mrs. Driscoll and Sonny. They arrived
at one-ten. Kelly had left the syringe with the new formula in
Darin's small refrigerator. He injected Sonny, took his sample,
and started the tests. Sometimes Sonny cooperated to the
extent of lifting one of the articles from the table and throw-
ing it. Today he cleaned the table within ten minutes. Darin
put a piece of candy in his hand; Sonny threw it from him.
Patiently Darin put another piece in the boy's hand. He
managed to keep the eighth piece in the clenched hand long
enough to guide the hand to Sonny's mouth. When it was
gone, Sonny opened his mouth for more. His hands lay idly
on the table. He didn't seem to relate the hands to the candy
with the pleasant taste. Darin tried to guide a second to his
mouth, but Sonny refused to hold a piece a second time.
When the hour was over and Sonny was showing definite
signs of fatigue, Mrs. Driscoll clutched Darin's hands in hers.
Tears stood in her eyes. "You actually got him to feed him-
self a little bit," she said brokenly. "God bless you, Dr. Darin.
God bless you!" She kissed his hand and turned away as the