Цветы для Элджернона

           "SomethingIate.I’llletyoucloseupnow."

           AsIheadedtowardsthedoor,hisvoicecalledaftermesharply."Hey,waitaminute!"Hiseyesmetminewithsus­picion."Whatareyoutryingtopull?"

           "Idon’tunderstand."

           Hishandwasout,rubbinghisthumbandforefingertogether."Youowemethree-fifty."

           IapologizedasIpaidhim,butIcouldseethathedidn’tbelieveit.Igavehimfive,toldhimtokeepthechange,andhurriedoutofhisbarbershopwithoutlookingback.

           June21

           I’veaddedtimesequencesofincreasingcomplexitytothethree-dimensionalmaze,andAlgernonlearnsthemeasily.Thereisnoneedtomotivatehimwithfoodorwater.Heappearstolearnforthesakeofsolvingtheproblem—successappearstobeitsownreward.

           But,asBurtpointedoutattheconvention,hisbehav­ioriserratic.Sometimesafter,orevenduringarun,hewillrage,throwhimselfagainstthewallsofthemaze,orcurlupandrefusetoworkatall.Frustration?Orsomethingdeeper?

           5:30P.M.

           ThatcrazyFaycameinthroughthefirees­capethisafternoonwithafemalewhitemouse—abouthalfAlgernon’ssize—tokeephimcompany,shesaid,ontheselonelysummernights.ShequicklyovercameallmyobjectionsandconvincedmethatitwoulddoAlgernongoodtohavecompanionship.AfterIassuredmyselfthatlittle"Minnie"wasofsoundhealthandgoodmoralchar­acter,Iagreed.Iwascurioustoseewhathewoulddowhenconfrontedwithafemale.ButoncewehadputMinnieintoAlgernonscage,Faygrabbedmyarmandpulledmeoutoftheroom.