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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] into the hall. "Tell me, Oelefse: You say that you're a soldier now. A soldier in the Society. What were you before-before. . ." The older man didn't hesitate. "Before my family was taken from me? Before my former life was destroyed? I was a physicist, young Cody. I worked much of the year in Switzerland, at the CERN supercollider facility in Bern. There are a number of physicists in the Society. We are always arguing with the biologists among us. One of the great questions that consumes us is whether the Interlopers are composed of waves or particles, or a combination thereof." "What's the prevailing opinion?" They were ap-proaching the front door. "That it does not matter," Oelefse told him, "so long as they can be made to die." For the first time in many weeks, Cody allowed him-self a small surge of hope. "Then they can be killed. By laughing at them?" "Laughter is a means of defense, not attack. It can drive them away, but sustaining honest, effective laugh-ter long enough to kill even a small Interloper is nearly impossible." 164 lion lean fester 165 "I guess the safest people in the world would be pro-fessional comedians." Before opening the door, Cody armed the in-house alarm system. His visitor watched with interest. "On the contrary, there are many such who suffer from the attentions of Those Who Abide. Professional come-dians are among the most unhappy, morose, melancholy inhabitants of the planet. Where do you think professional humor comes from, anyway? From a lifetime of fighting off the effects of Interlopers. Funny is painful, my young friend." "Then there are other ways to kill them. You indicated as much." Oelefse patted his jacket. Was that a bulge where an inside pocket might be? "No, it is not a gun." He grinned at the archaeologist. "The Interlopers are patterns of oth-erworldliness. Generating and projecting the right elec-tromagnetic field can play havoc with such patterns. It depends on the Interloper. The atrix is not a panacea, but long years of development have gone into its manufac-ture." He wagged a finger at Cody. "Solid-state physics, advanced chip masking technology, even the development of smaller and smaller batteries have made such devices possible. Those Who Abide fear them, and their im-provement. Is it any wonder they strive to thrust the world into another crisis, whether through disease or politics? For example, you cannot imagine how many important people are presently afflicted in India and Pakistan." "How can you prevent adverse events from taking place halfway around the world?" "The Society has operatives everywhere. Sometimes we are successful, such as in Peru and Ecuador. Some-times we are too late, as in the Congo. We fight on be-cause we must. Mankind has come too far, reached too lofty a height, to collapse under the weight of another great plague or war. Science abets our work, but knowl-edge is our armor." Page 78 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Cody hesitated with one hand on the door handle. "If you have a device that can kill Those Who Abide, why not mass-manufacture it, hand thousands of them out to a Society-inspired army, and kill every last Interloper?" "It is not so easy, my friend. The atria and its com-panion devices are not easy to use. Teaching others how to calibrate one takes time. And they are not always ef-fective." His expression darkened. "There is some con-cern that the Interlopers may have the power of rapid mutation that is found in insects and smaller creatures: the ability to evolve defenses against new forms of at-tack, as has happened over the years with malaria and other diseases. Employ the atrix too much and too often, for example, and the risk is run of rendering Those Who Abide immune to its effects. We must move carefully. "For now, our principal concerns are further research, preserving civilization-and helping your wife." A broad smile creased his face. "They say that the last shall be first. Excuse me." Stepping in front of Cody, the old man took the han-dle and opened the door very slightly. As he stood peer-ing out, Cody wondered at his caution. "If you're looking for Interlopers, I check the neigh-borhood every morning. Except for the ones that are res-ident in the stones of that artificial waterfall you saw on your way in, this area is clean." "Is it?" Oelefse did not look up from his examination. "You bet," Cody assured him. "They can't move around on their own. They need-" A sudden thought made him hesitate. "Is that what you're looking for?" "My young friend, I have already told you how they have influenced the course of human history to its detri- 166 lit ment by afflicting important players throughout time. What makes you think anything has changed? Ah!" Cody was instantly on guard. "What-what is it?" Oelefse stepped aside. "See for yourself. The far street, around the comer. A white sedan of domestic manufac-ture. There are two men sitting in the front, both wear-ing dark suits." The archaeologist located the car and noted its occu-pants. "Infected?" His guest nodded. "How can you be certain?" "What fools wear dark suits in the desert in late sum-mer?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |