Carlson and the surgeon passed in an office. The surgeon sat down for some chemical analysis now. Gilbert frowned.
– Eventually, all this makes the depressing impression. I was right, insisting on giving to public only an awakening show. This funeral will discourage at anything to subject themselves to anabiosis. It is good still that this idler Mere brought a comic note in this funeral chorus.
– You are right and are not right, Gilbert – Carlson answered. – The picture turned out gloomy, it is right. But the crowd has to see everything from beginning to end, otherwise she will not believe! At our «pokoynichok» control watch is established. They are open for a review day and night at any time. And if we lost at a funeral, then twice we will win on revival. I am occupied by another: operation of injection is quite unpleasant and difficult. For mass freezing of people it is unusable. But wrote me that professor Wagner found more simplified way of the necessary change of blood by inhalation of special vapors.
– Devil take it! I suspected it! – suddenly the surgeon exclaimed, lifting a test tube with some liquid.
– In what business, the doctor?
– And the matter is that all our experience and life of professor Lesley hung by a thread. As you remember, at injection of chemical solution I paid attention that liquid became muddy. It should not have been at all. I personally made liquid in the conditions of absolute sterility. Now I wanted to establish the liquid turbidity reasons.
– And what you found? – Gilbert asked.
– Presence of hydrocianic acid.
– Poison!
– One of the strongest. Kills instantly, and from it there is no rescue.
– But how it got there?
– In it all question!
– This is Arthur Lesley. Inconsolable nephew of the astronomer. You remember, Gilbert, his request and then threat? What villain! And watch what sincere regret played!
– When he was able to do it? It seems, it did not approach close devices…
– Yes – the surgeon thoughtfully spoke – it is possible that here others are involved. Perhaps, sister of mercy?.
– It is necessary to let know polices! This crime! – the indignant Gilbert exclaimed.
– By no means! – Carlson objected. – It will only damage to us, especially among workers on whom we finally count. And eventually, what the police can make? Whom can we accuse? Arthur Lesley, interested person? But we have no proofs that he is involved in a crime.
– Perhaps, you are right – Gilbert thoughtfully spoke. – But, in any case, we should be very careful.
IV. RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD
There passed month. Day of «resurrection of the dead» came. The public worried. There were disputes whether it will be possible to return to life shipped in anabiosis.
At night on the eve of revival the surgeon in the presence of Gilbert and Carlson examined Lesley and Mere. They lay as the corpses, cold, lifeless.
The surgeon knocked with the doctor’s hammer on the frozen lips of the poet, and blows were accurately carried on the empty hall as though the hammer struck a piece of a tree. Eyelashes became covered with hoarfrost from heat which left a body.
At survey of a body of the astronomer the trained eye of the surgeon noticed on a naked hand a small hillock under skin. At top of a hillock hardly noticeable speck as though from a prick, and below – the frozen drop of some liquid was seen.
The surgeon disapprovingly shook the head. Having scratched out a lancet the frozen drop, the surgeon carefully carried this piece of ice in an office and there subjected it to the chemical analysis. Carlson and Gilbert watched closely work of the surgeon.
– Well?
– The same! Again hydrocianic acid! Despite all our precautions, Arthur Lesley, apparently, managed to inject in some way under skin of the adored uncle several drops of lethal poison!
Gilbert and Carlson were depressed.
– Everything died! – in despair Gilbert spoke. – Eduard Lesley will not wake up more. Our business is hopelessly compromised.
Carlson raged.
– Under its court, the villain! Now and I see that this criminal should be transferred to justice hands, at least scandal also damaged to us!
The surgeon, having propped up the head a hand, thought of something.
– Wait, maybe, still it is lost nothing! – at last he started talking. – Do not forget that poison was injected under skin of absolutely frozen body in which all vital processes are suspended. Absorption could not be. In the absence of blood circulation poison could not be carried and by birth. If poisonous liquid was heated, then it could get in a small amount under skin which under the influence of heat became more elastic. But further liquid could not get. You can judge by the drop which acted in the place of a prick that the criminal did not manage to enter a significant amount.
– But and one drop it is enough to poison the person?
– Quite right. However we can remove this drop very quietly, having cut out it with a meat piece.
– Really you think that the person can remain live after poison was in his body, perhaps, two-three weeks?
– And why is also not present? It is only necessary to cut out more deeply that there is no drop left in a body! To warm a body, at least partially, risky. It is necessary to make original «cold» operation.
And, having taken the hammer and the tool reminding a chisel the surgeon went to a corpse and began to cut down a hillock, working as the sculptor over a marble statue. Skin and muscles small frozen splinters of drop on a box bottom. Soon in a hand small deepening was formed.
– Well, apparently, it is enough!
Splinters carefully swept away. Deepening was greased with iodine which immediately froze.
Behind a window traffic began. The house had already a turn of expecting.
Doors opened, and the hall was filled with public.
Exactly at twelve in the afternoon removed glass covers of boxes, and the surgeon began to increase slowly temperature, looking at the thermometer.
– Eighteen… ten… five it is below zero. Zero!. One… two… five… is above zero!. – Pause. Hoarfrost on eyelashes of Mere melted and as teardrops, filled corners of eyes.
The first moved Mere. Tension in the hall reached the highest degree. And among the come silence of Mere suddenly loudly sneezed. It discharged crowd tension, and it hooted as a beehive. Мерэ rose, took seat in the glass box, yawned and looked at crowd with osolovely eyes.
– Good morning! – someone playfully welcomed it from crowd.
