The Synthetic Man by Theodore Sturgeon

Author:Theodore Sturgeon
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fiction - Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Published: 2011-01-08T06:00:00+00:00

“Good-by.” It was the velvet this time, used with care, used to show her that his gentleness was a virtuosity, an overlay. She turned to the door, opened it. She stopped and looked back over her shoulder. “May I leave you my address, just in case, some day, you — ”

“You may not,” he said. He turned his back on her and sat down. He heard the door close.

He closed his eyes, and his arched, slit nostrils expanded until they were round holes.

Humans, humans, and their complex, useless, unimportant machinations. There was no mystery about humans; no puzzle. Everything human could be brought to light by asking simply, “What does it gain you?” … What could humans know of a life-form to which the idea of gain was alien? What could a human say of his crystal-kin, the living jewels which could communicate with each other and did not dare to, which could co-operate with each other and scorned to?

And what — he let himself smile — what would humans do when they had to fight the alien? When they were up against an enemy which would make an advance and then scorn to consolidate it — and then make a different kind of advance, in a different way, in another place?

He sank into an esoteric reverie, marshaling his crystallines against teeming, stupid mankind; losing, in his thoughts, the pointless perturbations of a girl in a search for a child long missing, for some petty gainful reason of her own.

“Hey — Maneater.”

” Damn it! What now?”

The door opened diffidently. “Maneater, there’s — ”

“Come in, Havana, and speak up. I don’t like mumblers.”

Havana edged in, after setting his cigar down on the step. “There’s a man outside wants to see you.”

Monetre glowered over his shoulder. “Your hair’s getting gray. What’s left of it. Dye it.”

“Okay, okay. Right away, this afternoon. I’m sorry.” He shifted his feet miserably. “About this man — ”

“I’ve had my quota for today,” said Monetre. “Useless people wanting impossible things of no importance. Did you see that girl go out of here?”

“Yes. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. So did this guy. See, he was waiting to see you.

He asked Johnward where he could find you, and — ”

“I think I’ll fire Johnward. He’s an advance man, not an usher. What business has he, bringing people to annoy me?”

“I guess he thought you ought to see this one. A big-shot,” said Havana timidly. “So when he got your trailer, he asked me were you busy. I told him yes, you were talking to someone.

He said he’d wait. About then the door opens, and that girl comes out. She puts a hand on the side and turns back to say something to you, and this guy, this big-shot, he blows a fuse.

No kidding, Maneater, I never seen anything like it. He grabs my shoulder. I’ll have a bruise there for a week. He says, ‘It’s her! It’s her!’ and I says ‘Who?’ and he says, ‘She mustn’t

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