Strong Medicine by Arthur Hailey

Author:Arthur Hailey
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780440183662
Publisher: New York : Dell Pub. Co., 1986, c1984.
Published: 1998-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

It was not until late afternoon, during her second day at Harlow, that Celia was able to have her talk with Dr. Sastri. In between that and her session the previous day with Nigel Bentley, she talked with others at the institute who were consistently cheerful and optimistic in their views about the Harlow research scene. Yet still Celia had a sense of something being held back, an instinct that those she had met were being less than forthright with her. Rao Sastri proved to be a handsome, dark-skinned, articulate and fast-speaking young man, still in his twenties. Celia knew he had a Ph.D. And a brilliant scholastic record, and both Martin and Bentley had assured her the institute was fortunate in having him. Sastri and Celia met in an annex to the plant cafeteria, a small room normally used by senior staff for working lunches. After shaking hands with Sastri, and before they sat down, Celia closed the door for privacy. She said, "I believe you know who I am.”

"Indeed, Mrs. Jordan. My colleague Peat-Smith has spoken of you frequently, and kindly. At this time I am honored to meet you.”

Sastri's speech was cultured and precise, with a Pakistani lilt. He also smiled frequently, though at times switching off the smile with a trace of nervousness. "I am happy to meet you also," Celia said, "and wish to discuss with you the progress of research here.”

"It is wonderful! Truly marvelous! A jolly good show all around.”

"Yes," Celia acknowledged, "others have told me the same. But before we go on I would like to make clear that I am here on behalf of Mr. Hawthorne, the president of Felding-Roth, and exercising his authority.”

:'Oh, dear! My goodness! I wonder what is coming now.”

'What is coming, Dr. Sastri, is that I am asking you--ordering you, in fact-to be totally frank with me, holding back nothing, including any doubts you have, and which so far you may have kept entirely to yourself.”

"All this is damned awkward," Sastri said.”Also not entirely fair, as I pointed out to Bentley when he informed me of this line you would be taking. I do, after all, have an obligation to Peat-Smith, who is a decent chap.”

"You have an even bigger obligation to Felding-Roth," Celia told him sharply, "because the company pays your salary-a good one -and is entitled to your honest professional opinions in return.”

"I say, Mrs. Jordan! You don't mess about, do you?" The young Pakistani's tone mixed shock and awe. "Messing about-as you eloquently put it, Dr. Sastri-takes time, which I don't have a lot of, since I'm returning to America tomorrow. So please tell me exactly where, in your opinion, our institute research is, and where it's going.”

Sastri raised both hands in a submissive gesture, and sighed.”Very well. The research is not very far along. And, in my humble opinion and that of others in this project, it is going nowhere.”

"Explain those opinions.”

"In more than two years, all that has been achieved is to confirm a theory that there are brain DNA changes during aging.

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