The Bridge to Azrael by John Brunner

Author:John Brunner [Brunner, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sci Fi Short Story
Publisher: Amazing Stories
Published: 1964-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

VIII

For a long time after she came into her office for the new day's work, Alida sat staring at the vast window overlooking the polyplanet sector of the city. When perhaps ten minutes had gone by, she gave a sudden bitter chuckle and crossed the room to the multiprinter unit.

She fed a sheet of black paper into it. Then she set the controls for maximum type-size and tapped out seven words on the keys. The machine hummed for a moment; then it delivered the paper with the words printed in large red letters.

She took the paper and walked to the window, where she pasted it up in the exact middle of the main pane. Then she went back to her desk and sat staring at it.

It read: WHY IS A MOUSE WHEN IT SPINS? After a while the answer didn't seem funny any more. She turned her mind effortfully to her work.

A few minutes before ten, when Hans Demetrios was due to arrive, it occurred to her to call the hospital where they had taken Thorkild. She waited, wondering why it had suddenly become important to her to know how he was.

The secretary putting the call through came back to report that Dr. Lorenzo wasn't available on a solido circuit at the moment and to ask what she wanted done.

"Get me a sound line," Alida sighed. She stared at the black oblong sign on the window. Shortly, a voice rang out from the speaker in her desk.

"Supervisor Marquis," it said. "Lorenzo here. In view of Director Thorkild's status I've taken personal charge of his case. I'm afraid I have no reassurance for you right now."

"How… no reassurance?"

"I'd have to use jargon to make myself clear. Call it a major personality failure, if you like."

"True to what?" Alida felt suddenly cold, and reached out to turn the heating to full with the manual over-ride.

"I shouldn't commit myself," Lorenzo said. "We're looking for the cause now. It'll take several days."

"You'll keep me in touch? Director Thorkild and I work in close association; things are bound to be difficult without him."

"I understand," Lorenzo said.

When she had broken the connection, Alida told her secretary to get her a newsfax. It was brought in less than a minute. She scanned it closely, barely hearing the secretary say that Hans Demetrios had arrived, giving an answer only because the words echoed in her memory afterwards.

News: the investigation ordered into the death of Jacob Chen, advanced programer, was in preparation. Crowds in the polyplanet sector to see the preacher Rungley. Delegate from new planet Azrael hospitalized after snake-bite. Statement by Rungley explaining Long's sickness by lack of faith in… in whatever Rungley had faith in. The enzyme S-hematinase, presumably. Statement by Koriot Angoss of Riger's. Negotiations for an Ipewell Bridge to proceed as scheduled. Those for an Azrael Bridge tentatively postponed pending the result of the inquiry into the death of Jacob Chen.

"But he can't do that!" Alida said aloud, reaching for the call-switch on the desk. In mid-movement she froze.

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