Mood Indigo by Boris Vian

Author:Boris Vian
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Profile
Published: 1999-09-05T04:00:00+00:00

34

Nicholas went to open the door. The doctor was standing on the step.

‘I’m the doctor,’ he said.

‘Smashing,’ said Nicholas. ‘If you would be good enough to follow me …’

He lured him along behind him.

‘There,’ he said when they were in the kitchen, ‘taste that and tell me what you think.’

A peculiarly coloured brew, verging towards Caucasian purple and bladder green with a slight bias towards chrome blue was fizzing in a vitrified receptacle of silicon, soda and lime-juice.

‘What is it?’ asked the doctor.

‘A beverage …’ said Nicholas.

‘I know that …’ said the doctor, ‘but what does it do?’

‘It picks you up,’ said Nicholas.

The doctor picked up the glass, passed it under his nose, smelled it, gave a broad grin, inhaled deeply, tasted it, then swallowed it down and held his stomach in both hands, letting his little black bag drop.

‘Does it work?’ said Nicholas.

‘Wow! … It certainly does,’ said the doctor. ‘It could massacre an army … Are you a vet?’

‘No,’ said Nicholas, ‘just a cook … Well then, so it works, does it?’

‘It’s not bad,’ said the doctor. ‘I feel like a boy again …’

‘Come and see the patient,’ said Nicholas, ‘now that you’ve been disinfected.’

The doctor set off, but in the wrong direction.

He was far from being master of his movements.

‘Ho, hum!’ said Nicholas. ‘Well now! … I hope you’ll be fit enough to examine the patient …’

‘Of course,’ said the doctor. ‘But I’d like to have a second opinion, so I’ve asked Gnawknuckle to come along too …’

‘Good,’ said Nicholas. ‘In that case, come this way.’

He opened the door leading to the fire escape.

‘Go down three floors and turn right. Just go straight in and you’ll be there …’

‘OK,’ said the doctor …

He started on his way down and suddenly stopped.

‘But where will I be?’

‘Why, there! …’ said Nicholas.

‘Oh! Good! …’ said the doctor.

Nicholas closed the door. Colin came in.

‘What was all that?’ he asked.

‘A doctor. He seemed stupid, so I’ve got rid of him.’

‘But we need one,’ said Colin.

‘Of course,’ said Nicholas. ‘Gnawknuckle’s on his way.’

‘That’s better,’ said Colin.

A bell tinkled again.

‘Don’t bother,’ said Colin. ‘I’ll go.’

In the corridor the mouse ran up his leg and perched on his right shoulder. He hurried and opened the door for the professor.

‘Good evening!’ said the latter.

He was all dressed in black, except for a blinding yellow shirt.

‘Physiologically,’ he declared, ‘black over a yellow background provides the maximum contrast. I might add that it doesn’t tire the eyes, either; and it also prevents the wearer being run over in heavy traffic.’

‘Indeed,’ said Colin, nodding his approval.

Professor Gnawknuckle must have been about fifty. The inches round his waist were exactly the same as his age. He was very fussy about ensuring that neither should exceed the other. He had a clean-shaven face with a little pointed beard and non-committal specs.

‘Would you like to come with me?’ said Colin.

‘I’m not sure,’ said the professor. ‘I’m thinking about it …’

He thought about it and went.

‘Who is it that’s ill?’

‘Chloe,’ said Colin.

‘Ah!’ said the professor, ‘that reminds me of a tune …’

‘Yes,’ said Colin.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.