冷光实验室引发争议.pdfVIP

LetThereBeLight

RobertA.Heinlein

ARCHIBALDDOUGLAS,Sc.D.,Ph.D.,B.S.,readthetelegramwithunconcealedannoyance.

“ARRIVINGCITYLATETODAYSTOPDESIRECONFERENCECOLDLIGHTYOUR

LABORATORYTENPM(signed)DR.M.LMARTIN”

Hewas,washe?Hedid,didhe?Whatdidhethinkthislabwas;ahotel?AnddidMartinthinkthat

histimewasatthedisposalofanyJoeDoakeswhohadthepriceofatelegram?Hehadframedinhis

mindanurbanelydiscouragingreplywhenhenoticedthatthemessagehadbeenfiledatamid-western

airport.Verywell,lethimarrive.Douglashadnointentionofmeetinghim.

Neverthes,hisnaturalcuriositycausedhimtotakedownhiscopyofWho’sWhoinScienceand

lookuptheoffender.Thereitwas:Martin,M.L.,bio-chemistandecologist,P.D.Q.,X.Y.Z.,N.R.A.,

C.I.O.—enoughdegreesforsixmen.Hmmm...—DirectorGuggenheimOrinocoFaunaSurvey,Author;

Co-LateralSymbiosisoftheBollWeevil,andsoon,throughthreeinchesoffineprintTheoldboy

seemedtobeaheavyweight.

AlittlelaterDouglassurveyedhimselfinthemirrorofthelaboratorywashroom.Hetookoffadirty

laboratorysmock,removedacombfromhisvestpocket,andputacarefulpolishonhissleekblackhair.

Anelaboratelytailoredcheckedjacket,asnap-brimhatandhewasreadyforthestreet.Hefingeredthe

palescarthatstenciledthedarkskinofonecheek.Notbad,hethought,inspiteofthescar.Ifitweren’t

forthebrokennosehewouldlookO.K.

Therestaurantwherehedinedalonewasonlypartlyfilled.Itwouldn’tbecomelivelyuntilafterthe

theatreswereout,butDouglasapprecIatedthehotswingbandandthegoodfood.Towardtheendof

hismeal,ayoungwomanwalkedpasthistableandsatdown,facinghim,onetableaway.Hesizedhe