slowed down with the answer, then answered quietly, but is firm:
– I will inform.
The core stamped a leg.
– U-at, the stubborn little girl! And so what I will tell you. You sit down to my desk now… Be not afraid, I am not going neither to smother yet, nor to poison you. Well, you sit down.
Laurent bewildered looked at it, thought and changed a chair at a desk.
– Eventually, you are necessary to me. If I kill you now, I should employ the assistant or the deputy. I am not guaranteed that on your place there will be no blackmailer who, having revealed a secret of the head of Douel, will not begin to exhaust from me money as a result nevertheless to inform on me. I, at least, know you… So, write. «Dear mummy – or how you call the mother there? – the condition of patients whom I look after demands my permanent presence in the house of professor Kern…»
– You want to imprison me? To detain in your house? – indignantly asked Laurent, without beginning to write.
– That’s it, my virtuous assistant.
– I will not begin to write such letter – resolutely declared Laurent.
– There is enough! – suddenly the Core so shouted that in hours the spring hooted. – Understand that I have no other exit. Be not, at last, silly.
– I will not remain with you and I will not write this letter!
– Ah, so! Well. You can go wherever one wishes. But, before you will leave from here, you will be a witness to how I will take away life from Douel’s head and I will dissolve this head in chemical solution. Go and shout then worldwide that you saw at me Douel’s head. Nobody will believe you. Will laugh at you. But take care! I will not leave your denunciation without punishment. Idemte!
Core Laurent grabbed by a hand and entailed to a door. It was too weak physically to show resistance to this rough impact.
The core unlocked a door, quickly passed through Thomas and Brike’s room and entered the room where there was a head of professor Douel.
Douel’s head bewildered looked at this unexpected visit. And the Core, without paying attention to the head, quickly approached devices and sharply turned the crane from the cylinder giving blood.
Head eyes not knowingly, but quietly turned towards the crane, then the head looked on the Core and confused Laurent. The air crane was not open, and the head could not speak. She only moved lips, and Laurent, got used to a head mimicry, understood: it was the mute question: «End?»
Then the head eyes directed on Laurent began as though to grow dull, and at the same time eyelids widely revealed, eyeballs were made buldge out, and the person began to twitch convulsively. The head endured suffocation torments.
Laurent hysterical shouted. Then, being unsteady, approached the Core, caught his hand and, almost fainting, started talking by the voice which is interrupted, squeezed spazmy:
– Open, open the crane rather… I agree to everything!
With hardly noticeable smile the Core opened the crane. The vivifying stream began to flow on a tube in Douel’s head. Convulsive twitchings of the person stopped, eyes accepted normal expression, the look brightened up. The dying-away life returned to Douel’s head. Also consciousness because Douel looked on Laurent with expression of bewilderment and as though even at disappointments again returned. Laurent was unsteady for nervousness.
– Allow you to offer a hand – gallantly told the Core, and strange couple was removed.
When Laurent took seat at a table again, the Core indifferently told:
– So on what we stopped? Yes … «The condition of patients demands my constant – or not, write: permanent stay in the house of professor Kern. Professor Kern was so kind that provided in my order the beautiful room with a window in a garden. Besides, as my working day increased, professor Kern trebled my salary».
Laurent reproachfully looked on the Core.
– It is not a lie – he told. – Need forces me to imprison you, but I have to reward something you. I really increase to you a salary. Write further: «Leaving here fine and though there is a lot of work, but I feel perfectly. To me do not come: professor receives nobody. But do not miss, I will write you…» So. Well and from yourself add still some tendernesses which you usually write that the letter did not excite any suspicions.
And, already as though having forgotten about Laurent, the Core began to reflect aloud:
– Long so, of course, cannot proceed. But, I hope, I long also will not detain you. Our work comes to the end, and then… That is I wanted to tell that the head is short-lived. And when it will finish the existence… Well that there, you know everything. Easier to say, when we will terminate work with Douel, also existence of the head of Douel will terminate. From the head there will be no ashes left even, and then you will be able to return to the dear mother. You will not be dangerous to me any more. And once again: keep in mind if you take in head to stir, I have witnesses who in case of need will swear that mortal remains of professor Douel together with the head, legs and other professorial attributes are burned by me after anatomic opening in a crematorium. For these cases a crematorium – very convenient thing.
The core called. John entered.
– John, you will take away mademoiselle Loran to the white room fronting in a garden. Mademoiselle Loran moves to my house as now a lot of work is necessary. Ask at mademoiselle that it is necessary for it to settle more conveniently, and get all necessary. You can order from my name by phone in shops. I will pay bills. Do not forget to order a lunch for mademoiselle.
And, having taken the leave, the Core left.
John carried out Laurent to the room allocated to it.
The core did not lie: the room was really very good – light, spacious and comfortably arranged. The huge window left in a garden. But the most gloomy prison could not guide at Laurent bigger melancholy, than this cheerful, elegant room. As tyazhelobolny, reached Laurent a window and looked in a garden.
«The second floor… it is high… you will not escape from here…» – she thought. Yes if could escape, would not escape as its flight would be equivalent to a sentence for Douel’s head.
Laurent in exhaustion fell by a couch and was lost in heavy thought. It could not define, what is the time was in this state.
– To eat it is given – she as in the sleep heard John’s voice and raised tired eyelids.
– I thank you, I am not hungry, clear the table.
The well-trained servant implicitly executed an order and left.
And it was soaked into the thoughts again. When in a window of the opposite house fires flashed, she felt such loneliness that decided to visit immediately the heads. Especially she wanted to see Douel’s head.
Unexpected visit Laurent extremely pleased Brike’s head.
– At
