Chapter 18 Chapter Eighteen

"Sit down, my lady," said Mr. Aristides. He waved his paw-like hands, and Hilary sat on the other sofa opposite him as if in a dream.He chuckled softly. He said: "Surprised, this is beyond your expectation?" Hillary said: "No, it's nothing, I didn't think of it at all..." She has calmed down. Hillary's meeting with Aristides shattered the detached fantasy she had been living for weeks.Only now did she know that everything she saw earlier here was an illusion, because all of this was just an artificial deception, and Mr. Dean's eloquent speech was not real, he was just a puppet for display.The truth is that in this oriental-style secret room, there is a little old man sitting here, smiling quietly.Since Mr. Aristides was the center of everything here, everything made sense—everything became a cold, practical, everyday reality.

Hillary said: "Now I get it. It's all yours, isn't it?" "Yes, ma'am." "Where's the dean? Where's the so-called dean?" Mr. Aristides said appreciatively: "He's doing a good job. I pay him well. He used to preside over a conference of evangelists." He smoked and thought for a moment.Hilary was also thoughtful. "You have 'Turkish music' next to you, madam, and if you don't like it, there are other sweets." Then after another silence, he continued: "Madam, I'm a philanthropist. You know, I'm rich, Is one of the few richest men in the world today, probably the first. My wealth makes me feel obliged to work for the benefit of mankind. In this far away place, I have built a leprosy hospital and concentrated a large number of There are several types of leprosy that can be cured, and others have not been cured so far, but we have been working and achieving results. Leprosy is not very contagious. For example, Smallpox, measles, typhoid, plague, etc. are much less contagious. However, if you say 'leprosy' to someone, they will tremble with fear and stay away. This fear is traditional, and it is found in the Bible It has been described and has been handed down to this day. This fear of leprosy prompted me to build this hospital."

"Is that why you built this place?" "Yes, we also study cancer here, we study the treatment of lung diseases, we study viruses. Also, we study biological warfare. Of course, everyone knows that we study it exclusively against it, so we keep it secret. We do everything humane, The scientific work that people can accept, all this adds to my honor. Famous physicians, surgeons, and chemical researchers often come here to observe, just like this group of guests today. This building is specially designed , part of which is completely sealed off and cannot be seen even from above. The most secret laboratory is in a tunnel in the rock. Anyway, no one dares to suspect me." He smiled and said: "You know, I am rich. "

Hillary asked, "Why are you so desperate to disrupt?" "Ma'am, I am not eager to cause damage, and you have wronged me by saying so." "But, well, well, ... I simply don't understand." "I'm a businessman," said Aristides, "and I'm a collector. It's hard to be rich. That's what I want to do. I've collected quite a few things in my lifetime. I've collected famous paintings. Is the best in Europe; and many kinds of pottery; I am famous for my stamp collection. When I have enough of one thing, I change another. I am old, madam, and I have not much to collect, So in the end I set out to collect wisdom."

"Wisdom?" Hilary asked. He nodded slightly. "Yes, this is one of the most interesting collections of all. Ma'am, I will gradually collect here the brightest brains in the world. It is the young people I have brought here, promising young people." , accomplished young people. One day, when the weary nations of the world wake up, they will find that their scientists are aging, and those young bright minds: doctors, chemists, physicists and I have surgeons. If they want a scientist or an orthopedic surgeon or a biologist, they have to come to me and pay a premium!"

"You mean..." Hilary sat forward and glared at him. "You mean it's a big financial deal?" Aristides nodded again. "Yes," he said, "of course, otherwise it wouldn't make sense, would it?" Hillary sighed deeply and said, "Yeah, that's exactly how I feel." "You know, in the end," Aristides said apologetically, "it's my profession. I'm a financier." "You mean that you are completely non-political in this regard, that you don't want to conquer the world..." He shook his hand to retort: ​​"I don't want to be God. I am a religious person. Wanting to be God is an occupational disease of dictators. I haven't contracted this disease so far." He thought for a while and then said : "There may be such an idea in the future, but not yet."

"How did you get these people here?" I bought them, ma'am.Like other commodities, it is bought on the free market.Sometimes I buy with money.It is more about influencing with thought.Young people are dreamers, they have ideals and beliefs.And some violators of the law are bought with a sense of security. " "It clarifies things. I mean, it clears up the confusion that I was having all the way here," Hillary said. "Oh, did that confuse you on the trip?" "Yes. There are differences of opinion. Andy Peters, the American, seems to be a total leftist. Eriksson is a crazy worshiper of Superman. Needham is a most arrogant and pagan fascist Dr. Barron..." She hesitated.

Aristides said: "Dr. Barron is here for the money. He's civilized, he's cynical, he has no illusions, but he really loves what he does. There's no end to the money he's asking to further his career. research work." He went on, "Madame, you are a wise man, I saw it immediately in Fez." He chuckled slightly. "Madam, you don't know that I went to Fez to observe you, or I asked someone to bring you to Fez to observe you." Hillary said: "I see." She noticed the eastern wording of the other half of the sentence just now. "I was glad you'd come here. I didn't find anyone smart to talk to here, if you know what I mean." He gestured. "These scientists, biologists, chemists, they're not funny. Maybe they're geniuses at what they do, but it's boring to talk to them," he added, after a moment of reflection. "Their wives are dull, too. We Their families are not encouraged to come here, there is only one reason to allow families to come here."

"what reason?" Aristides said: "There have been isolated instances of people not being able to function normally because they were constantly missing their wives. Your husband Thomas Betterton seems to be an example. Thomas Betterton was famous as a talented young scientist. In the world, but he can only do second-rate ordinary jobs since then, he has disappointed me." "But you don't see, don't there often be cases like this? These people are in prison, and of course they're going to rebel, aren't they? At least in the beginning?" Mr. Aristides agrees.He said: "It's natural and unavoidable, like a bird being caged for the first time, but if the bird is being raised by an aviary expert, give it everything it needs: mate, seeds, water, twigs, and all that it needs in life, then it will forget that it was free."

Hilary shivered and said, "What you say scares me, it scares me." "You'll come to understand a lot of things here, ma'am. I assure you that although these different-minded people come here disillusioned and want to rebel, they will eventually follow the prescribed path." "You can't be that sure," Hillary said. "One can't be absolutely sure about anything in the world. I agree with you, but I'm ninety-five per cent certain on this one." Hilary looked at him with horror."It's horrible," she said. "It's like a syndicate of typists, what you're doing here is a syndicate of think tanks."

"That's right, ma'am, you're absolutely right." "You intend to sell scientists from this organization for a high price one day?" "Yes, on the whole, on that principle, ma'am." "But you can't send out a scientist like you can send out a typist." "why?" "Because once your scientist returns to the free world, he will refuse to work for your buyer, and he will be free." "That's true to a certain extent, so something must be done, can it be said?" "Measures... what do you mean?" "Have you heard of lobotomy?" Hillary frowned and said, "It's brain surgery!" "Yes, originally it was used to treat depression. Madame, I'm not talking to you in medical terms, I'm talking to you in terms we both understand. After the operation, the patient has no suicidal intentions, no guilt. He Be carefree and obey orders." "This won't have a 100% success rate, will it?" "Not in the past, but now there is a lot of progress. I have three surgeons in this area: a Russian, a French, and an Austrian. Through different operations such as brain transplantation and precision manipulation, the patient gradually To become docile and to be controlled, but without affecting his intellect. At last it is possible to make a man whose intellect remains intact, and yet appear so completely docile that he accepts whatever is suggested to him." "This is terrible!" Hilary exclaimed, "It's terrible!" Aristides corrected her gravely: "It will be useful, even beneficial. The patient will be happy and content, with no fears, no longings, and no vexations." Hillary countered: "I don't believe it's going to happen." "My dear madam, please don't be offended if I say that you are not qualified to speak on this subject." "I mean, I don't believe that a contented, controlled animal can do truly intelligent, creative work," Hillary said. Aristides shrugged. "It is possible. You have a good head. There is some truth in what you just said. But time will tell. The experiments are going on." "You mean to use living people as experiments?" "Of course, that's the only way that's practicable." "What kind of people are used for the test?" "There are always people who don't adapt to life here, who don't want to cooperate, and these people are the best guinea pigs," Aristides said. Hilary clutched the sofa cushions tightly.She was terrified of the smiling little old man with the obvious inhumanity on his yellow eyelids.Everything he said was reasonable, logical, and orderly, which deepened her sense of terror.This person is not a lunatic talking nonsense, he is just a person who uses human beings as raw materials for experiments. She asked, "Do you believe in God?" Mr. Aristides raised his eyebrows and said: "Of course I believe in God." He said, as if greatly shocked, "I told you that I am a religious man. God has given me the highest power, money and opportunity." Hillary asked, "Have you read the Bible?" "Of course, ma'am." "You remember what Moses and Aaron said to Pharaoh: Let my people go!" He smiled and said, "Am I then Pharaoh? Are you Moses and Aaron in one? Ma'am, do you mean everyone or just a few when you say let people go?" "I would say let everybody go," Hillary said. He said: "My dear madam, you know very well that it is a waste of time to say so, in other words, are you asking to go out on behalf of your husband?" "He's no use to you," Hillary said. "I'm sure you're feeling it now, too." "Perhaps you are right in saying so, ma'am. Yes, I am rather disappointed in Thomas Betterton. I had hoped that your coming would restore his wits, and he is doubtless wise. His reputation in America is well-deserved, But when you came, it didn't seem to have any effect. Of course, I'm not just relying on my intuition, but from the reports of those who are qualified to know him. Those are the scientists who have been working with him. ’” He shrugged and said, “He’s doing a normal job seriously, and he didn’t do anything more.” "Birds in captivity can't sing," Hillary said. "It's possible that some scientists, in certain circumstances, cannot be creatively gifted, and you should admit that it's a legitimate possibility." "It may be so, I don't deny it." "Then write off Thomas Betterton as one of your failures, and send him back to the outside world!" "It's impossible, ma'am! I'm not going to let the outside world know what's going on here." "You can swear him to secrecy, and he will swear not a word." "He'll make an oath, but he won't keep his word." "He will, and he will obey." "That's what wives say. At this point. We can't trust wives. Of course..." He leaned back in his chair, clenched his yellow fingers into fists, and said, "Of course, he can keep a hostage." , which might keep his mouth shut." "You mean..." "I mean you, ma'am . . . If Thomas Betterton goes, you'll be kept as a hostage. What's the deal? Would you like it?" Hilary stared at him as if seeing something.Mr. Aristides did not know what was going on in her mind.She was in the hospital, sitting next to a dying woman.She listened to Jessop's instructions and memorized the words.Would it not be the best way for her to accomplish her task by keeping Tom Betterton at present, given the chance?For she knew (and Mr. Aristides did not) that no real hostages had actually been left.She herself was nothing to Thomas Betterton.The wife he had loved was dead. She looked up at the little old man on the sofa and said, "I am willing." "Madam, you have courage, loyalty and love, these are noble qualities. As for the others..." He smiled and said, "We will talk about it later." "No, no, no!" said Hilary suddenly, covering her face with her hands, her shoulders trembling. "I can't stand it! I can't stand it! This is so inhuman!" "You must not mind too much, ma'am!" said the old man tenderly and considerately. "It gives me pleasure to talk to you to-night about my resolutions and ambitions. Let me know a man as calm, sober, and sensible as you, But it's interesting how unprepared people react. You're terrified and bruised, but I think it's wise to scare you that way. At first you object to the thought, then you ruminate, and finally it makes you feel This is a law of nature, which seems to be eternal and ordinary." "Absolutely not!" Hillary shouted. "Absolutely not! Absolutely not! Absolutely not!" "Alas!" said Mr. Aristides, "redheads speak with such emotion and rebellion." He recalled: "My second wife was redhead, she was a very beautiful woman, and Love me a lot. Strange? I've always liked redheads. Your hair is so beautiful. You have other qualities I like; your spirit, your courage and you have your own unique perspective." He sighed "Ah! Women as women do not interest me now. Here are two young girls who sometimes please me, but what I need now is a spiritual companion. Believe me, madam, this conversation with you My spirits are lifted." "What if I told my husband all that you have said?" Mr. Aristides smiled nonchalantly and said: "If you say . . . but will you?" "I don't know, oh, I don't know!" He said: "You are a smart man. Some things women shouldn't say. You are tired and in a bad mood. I will come here often in the future, and when the time comes, we can discuss many issues." "Get me out of this place..." Hilary held out her hand to him and said, "Let me go! Get me out of here with you! Please!" He shook his head slightly.His expression was tolerant, but slightly contemptuous.He scolded him, saying, "You're talking like a child again now. How can I let you go? How can I let you tell the world what you see here?" "Would you believe me if I swore not to say a word?" "Of course not," said Mr. Aristides. "I'd be a fool if I believed such things." "I don't want to be here. I don't want to be in this prison. I want to get out." "But you have a husband here. You have come to your husband of your own free will." "But I don't know where I come from, I don't know at all." Mr. Aristides said: "No, you don't know. But I can assure you that this place you have come to is much happier than life behind the Iron Curtain. It has everything you need! Luxury, good climate, entertainment of all kinds..." He stood up and patted her on the shoulder and said, "You will settle down." He said confidently, "Yes, a red-feathered bird in a cage will settle down, within a year or two, You must be very happy." He thought for a moment and then: "Though it may not be so fun!"