Марсианские хроники
August 1999: The Earth Men
"Ihearit.Auditoryfantasy."Hedrewabreath."Ismellit.Olfactoryhallucination,inducedbysensualtelepathy."Hekissedtheship."Itasteit.Labialfantasy!"
Heshookthecaptain’shand."MayIcongratulateyou?Youareapsychoticgenius!Youhavedoneamostcompletejob!Thetaskofprojectingyourpsychoticimagelifeintothemindofanotherviatelepathyandkeepingthehallucinationsfrombecomingsensuallyweakerisalmostimpossible.ThosepeopleintheHouseusuallyconcentrateonvisualsor,atthemost,visualsandauditoryfantasiescombined.Youhavebalancedthewholeconglomeration!Yourinsanityisbeautifullycomplete!"
"Myinsanity."Thecaptainwaspale.
"Yes,yes,whatalovelyinsanity.Metal,rubber,gravitizers,foods,clothing,fuel,weapons,ladders,nuts,bolts,spoons.TenthousandseparateitemsIcheckedonyourvessel.NeverhaveIseensuchacomplexity.Therewereevenshadowsunderthebunksandundereverything!Suchconcentrationofwill!Andeverything,nomatterhoworwhentested,hadasmell,asolidity,ataste,asound!Letmeembraceyou!"
Hestoodbackatlast."I’llwritethisintomygreatestmonograph!I’llspeakofitattheMartianAcademynextmonth!Lookatyou!Why,you’veevenchangedyoureyecolorfromyellowtoblue,yourskintopinkfrombrown.Andthoseclothes,andyourhandshavingfivefingersinsteadofsix!Biologicalmetamorphosisthroughpsychologicalimbalance!Andyourthreefriends.—"
Hetookoutalittlegun."Incurable,ofcourse.
