О дивный новый мир

           ThreecharminggirlsfromtheBureauofPropagandabySyntheticVoicewaylaidhimashesteppedoutofthelift.

           "Oh,Helmholtz,darling,docomeandhaveapicnicsupperwithusonExmoor."Theyclungroundhimimploringly.

           Heshookhishead,hepushedhiswaythroughthem."No,no."

           "We’renotinvitinganyotherman."

           ButHelmholtzremainedunshakenevenbythisdelightfulpromise."No,"herepeated,"I’mbusy."Andheheldresolutelyonhiscourse.Thegirlstrailedafterhim.ItwasnottillhehadactuallyclimbedintoBernard’splaneandslammedthedoorthattheygaveuppursuit.Notwithoutreproaches.

           "Thesewomen!"hesaid,asthemachineroseintotheair."Thesewomen!"Andheshookhishead,hefrowned."Tooawful,"Bernardhypocriticallyagreed,wishing,ashespokethewords,thathecouldhaveasmanygirlsasHelmholtzdid,andwithaslittletrouble.Hewasseizedwithasuddenurgentneedtoboast."I’mtakingLeninaCrownetoNewMexicowithme,"hesaidinatoneascasualashecouldmakeit.

           "Areyou?"saidHelmholtz,withatotalabsenceofinterest.Thenafteralittlepause,"Thislastweekortwo,"hewenton,"I’vebeencuttingallmycommitteesandallmygirls.Youcan’timaginewhatahullabaloothey’vebeenmakingaboutitattheCollege.Still,it’sbeenworthit,Ithink.Theeffects..."Hehesitated."Well,they’reodd,they’reveryodd."

           Aphysicalshortcomingcouldproduceakindofmentalexcess.Theprocess,itseemed,wasreversible.