Despite all strangeness of work, she agreed almost without fluctuation.
Laurent did not know that professor Kern before accepting her, directed about it careful references.
Two weeks it worked for the Core. Its duties were simple. She had to watch throughout day the devices supporting head life. At night it was replaced by John.
Professor Kern explained to her as it is necessary to handle cranes at cylinders. Having pointed to the big cylinder from which there was a thick tube to a head throat, Kern most strictly forbade it to open the cylinder crane.
– If to turn the crane, the head will be immediately killed. Somehow I will explain you all power supply system of the head and purpose of this cylinder. So far to you the nobility is enough how to handle devices.
The Core, however, did not hurry with the promised explanations.
The small thermometer was deeply inserted into one of nostrils of the head. In certain hours it was necessary to take out it and to write down temperature. Thermometers and manometers supplied also cylinders. Laurent watched temperature of liquids and pressure in cylinders. Well adjusted devices did not bring trouble, operating with a clockwork accuracy. Special sensitivity the device put to a head temple noted a pulsation, mechanically drawing a curve. In a day the tape was replaced. Contents of cylinders were replenished in the absence of Laurent, before her arrival.
Mari gradually got used to the head and even became friends with it.
When Laurent was included in the morning into laboratory with the cheeks which turned pink from walking and fresh air, the head poorly smiled to it and her eyelids shivered as a sign of a greeting.
The head could not speak. But between it and Laurent conditional language, though very limited was established soon. Lowering by the head meant a century «yes», a raising upward – «no». A little also silently moving lips helped.
– How you feel today? – asked Laurent.
The head smiled «suggestion of a smile» and lowered eyelids: «Well, I thank».
– How spent night?
Same mimicry.
Asking questions, Laurent quickly fulfilled morning duties. Checked devices, temperature, pulse. Made log entries. Then with the greatest care washed water with alcohol the person of the head by means of a soft sponge, wiped hygroscopic cotton wool auricles. Removed the cotton wool scrap which hung on eyelashes. Washed out eyes, ears, a nose, a mouth – special tubes were for this purpose entered into a mouth and a nose. Put hair in order.
Her hands quickly and dexterously touched the head. On a face of the head there was an expression of content.
– Today wonderful day – Laurent said. – Blue-blue sky. Clean frosty air. And there is a wish to breathe all breast. You look how the sun brightly shines, absolutely as in spring.
Corners of lips of professor Douel sadly fell. Eyes with melancholy looked in a window and stopped on Laurent.
It reddened from slight disappointment on itself. With an instinct of the sensitive woman Laurent avoided to speak about everything that was unattainable for the head and could remind of poverty of its physical existence once again.
Mari felt some maternal pity to the head, as to the helpless, offended by the nature child.
– Well – with, let’s be engaged! – hasty told Laurent to correct a mistake.
In the mornings, before arrival of professor Kern, the head was engaged in reading. Laurent brought lots of the last medical magazines and books and showed them to the head. The head looked through. On the necessary article moved with eyebrows. Laurent put the magazine on a lectern, and the head plunged into reading. Laurent got used, watching head eyes, to guess what line the head reads, and in time to turn pages.
When it was necessary to make a mark in fields, the head did a sign, and Laurent ran a finger over lines, watching eyes of the head and noting a pencil line on fields.
For what the head forced to do marks in fields, Laurent did not understand, by means of their poor mimic language did not hope to receive an explanation and therefore did not ask.
But once, passing through an office of professor Kern in his absence, it uvidat on a desk magazines with the marks made by it according to the indication of the head. And on the sheet of paper the hand of professor Kern rewrote noted places. It set thinking Laurent.
Having remembered it now, Mari did not keep from a question. Perhaps, the head will manage to answer somehow.
– Tell why we note some places in scientific articles?
On a face of professor Douel expression of displeasure and impatience appeared. The head expressively looked at Laurent, then at the crane from which there was a tube to a head throat, and two times raised eyebrows. It meant a request. Laurent understood that the head wants that opened this forbidden crane. Already not for the first time the head addressed to it with such request. But Laurent explained desire of the head in own way: the head, obviously, wants to finish the desolate existence. And Laurent did not decide to open the forbidden crane. She did not want to be guilty in head death, was afraid also of responsibility, was afraid to lose the place.
– No, no – with fear answered Laurent a head request. – If I open this crane, you will die. I do not want, I cannot, I do not dare to kill you.
From impatience and awareness of powerlessness on the person of the head there passed the spasm.
Three times it vigorously raised eyelids and eyes up…
«No, no, no. I will not die!» – so understood Laurent. It fluctuated.
The head began to move silently lips, and Laurent seemed that bays try to tell: «Open. Open. I beg!.»
Curiosity Laurent was excited to extreme degree. She felt that here some secret disappears.
In the opinion of the head the boundless melancholy shone. Eyes asked, begged, demanded. It seemed, all force of a human thought, all tension of will concentrated in this look.
Laurent decided.
Her heart strongly fought, the hand shivered when it carefully slightly opened the crane.
Immediately from a throat of the head hissing was heard. Laurent heard the weak, deaf, cracked voice jingling and hissing as the spoiled record player:
– I thank… you…
The forbidden crane passed the air compressed in the cylinder. Passing through a head throat, air set throat sheaves in motion, and the head had an opportunity to speak. Muscles of a throat and a sheaf could not work already normally: air with hissing passed through a throat and when the head did not speak. And the section of nervous trunks in a neck broke normal muscle work of vocal chords and gave to a voice of the deaf, the jingling timbre.
The person of the head expressed satisfaction.
But at this moment steps from an office and a sound of the opened lock were heard (the door of laboratory was always closed by a key from an office). Laurent hardly managed to close the crane. Hissing in a throat of the head stopped.
Professor Kern entered.
THE HEAD STARTED TALKING
Since Laurent revealed a secret of the forbidden