Цветы для Элджернона
PROGRESS REPORT 13
Wedidn’tfinditinanyoftheothermice,butthennoneoftheothersachievedashighalevelofintelligencenormaintaineditforaslongasAlgernonhas."
Irealizedimmediatelythatthisinformationhadbeenwithheldfromme.Isuspectedthereason,andIwasannoyed,butthatwasnothingtotheangerIfeltwhentheybroughtoutthefilms.
Ihadneverknownthatmyearlyperformancesandtestsinthelaboratorywerefilmed.ThereIwas,atthetablebesideBurt,confusedandopen-mouthedasItriedtorunthemazewiththeelectricstylus.EachtimeIreceivedashock,myexpressionchangedtoanabsurdwide-eyedstare,andthenthatfoolishsmileagain.Eachtimeithappenedtheaudienceroared.Raceafterrace,itwasrepeated,andeachtimetheyfounditfunnierthanbefore.
Itoldmyselftheywerenotgawkingcuriosityseekers,butscientistshereinsearchofknowledge.Theycouldn’thelpfindingthesepicturesfunny—butstill,asBurtcaughtthespiritandmadeamusingcommentsonthefilms,Iwasovercomewithasenseofmischief.ItwouldbeevenfunniertoseeAlgernonescapefromhiscage,andtoseeallthesepeoplescatteringandcrawlingaroundontheirhandsandkneestryingtoretrieveasmall,white,scurryinggenius.
ButIcontrolledmyself,andbythetimeStrausstookthepodiumtheimpulsehadpassed.
