Парфюмер. История одного убийцы

Chapter 18

           Thisclevermechanismforcoolingthewater,heexplained,wassomethinghehadaddedonlater,sinceoutinthefield,ofcourse,onehadsimplyusedbellowedairforcooling.Andthenheblewonthefire.Slowlythekettlecametoaboil.Andafterawhile,thedistillatestartedtoflowoutofthemoor’shead’sthirdtapintoaFlorentineflaskthatBaldinihadsetbelowit-atfirsthesitantly,dropbydrop,theninathreadlikestream.Itlookedratherunimpressivetobeginwith,likesomethin,murkysoup.Bitbybit,however-especiallyafterthefirstflaskhadbeenreplacedwithasecondandsetasidetosettle-thebrewseparatedintotwodifferentliquids:below,thefloralorherbalfluid;above,athickfloatinglayerofoil.Ifonecarefullypouredoffthefluid-whichhadonlythelightestaroma-throughthelowerspoutoftheFlorentineflask,thepureoilwasleftbehind-theessence,theheavilyscentedprincipleoftheplant.Grenouillewasfascinatedbytheprocess.Ifeveranythinginhislifehadkindledhisenthusiasm—granted,notavisibleenthusiasmbutahiddenone,anexcitementburningwithacoldflame-thenitwasthisprocedureforusingfire,water,steam,andacunningapparatustosnatchthescentedsoulfrommatter.Thatscentedsoul,thatetherealoil,wasinfactthebestthingaboutmatter,theonlyreasonforhisinterestinit.Therestofthestupidstuff-theblossoms,leaves,rind,fruit,color,beauty,vitality,andallthoseotheruselessqualities-wereofnoconcerntohim.Theyweremerehuskandballast,tobedisposedof.

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