The Mind-­Twisters Affair - Stratton Thomas (книга читать онлайн бесплатно без регистрации TXT) 📗

Napoleon took the receiver. "Mr. Kilian? My name is Napoleon Solo. I wonder if you could answer a few questions about Dr. Armden?"

There was a quiet chuckle from the other end of the line. "If you guarantee you aren't recruiting for another company. If you are, you'll have to contact our personnel department. We aren't allowed to give out information directly."

"In a manner of speaking, I suppose I am. I represent U.N.C.L.E. and we had hoped to get Dr. Armden's services as a consultant in a certain matter. He agreed to come to New York, but then left us at the Fort Wayne airport yesterday. We'd like to know why he changed his mind so suddenly."

"Oh, you're the ones. I couldn't tell you why he changed his mind; he called me yesterday afternoon and said he was going, and then this morning he showed up here, ready to go to work on his latest project. I will say, though," the voice took on a formal tone, "that I quite surprised when he informed me that he was with you. He has spoken of U.N.C.L.E. recently, not at all favorably."

"Has Dr. Armden been acting normally today? His wife said he was acting rather strangely last night."

"You've spoken to Mrs. Armden, then?"

"Only indirectly, but -"

"I'm afraid that's all the information I can give you." Kilian's voice became even more formal. "When I see Richard, I'll tell him you were here. Now let me speak with the guard again."

Napoleon frowned slightly and obediently handed the phone to the guard, who listened silently for several seconds and hung up with a crisp "Yes, sir."

"I have the feeling we're about to be ordered out," Napoleon remarked to Illya as he watched the guard turn toward them.

"Ah, the two spies again! How nice to see you." Sascha Curtis bustled around his desk and held out his hand. "What can I do for you today?"

"We have a new problem for you," Napoleon informed him. "If you can spare the time from your survey."

"Certainly. I don't have another class for an hour. What sort of problem did you have in mind?"

"Dr. Armden," Napoleon informed him. "Yesterday he decided to visit Dr. Morthley in New York. We got him as far as the Fort Wayne airport, where he disappeared. Somehow, he got back here to Midford 1ast night. His wife said he was acting strangely."

"Strangely? How?"

"He walked in the door last night and went to bed with hardly a word. Then this morning he was up earlier than usual and off to Falco almost an hour early. Apparently he simply ignored her questions."

Curtis looked thoughtful. "Very interesting. That, plus the apparent personality change, points to some type of schizophrenia."

"Would a split personality really explain all his actions?" Napoleon asked.

"It might. Secondary personalities are often not fully developed and seem very dull when compared with the primary personality. However, only the most spectacular schizophrenics develop true split personalities. Most simply have a fixed delusion on some subject."

"Such as thinking U.N.C.L.E. is an international Communist plot?" Illya inquired.

"That could well be one aspect," Curtis said. "There would almost certainly be others, though."

"He's decided that charities are either useless or criminal," Napoleon offered.

Curtis nodded. "Any radical change from his former personality could be a part of it. I don't know what his previous feelings were about charities, but judging from your description, his present feelings are a bit extreme."

Illya frowned. "But schizophrenia isn't contagious."

"I had always assumed it was not. But, then, until yesterday I always assumed that stories of entire towns suffering personality changes were nonsense. Now..." Curtis shrugged. "We'll see what the survey has to say about it. Incidentally, I've been talking to a few of the faculty since Saturday. It isn't Gaspar and his memo that are anti-U.N.C.L.E. Half a dozen of the instructors practically had apoplexy at the mention of U.N.C.L.E. I told them a year ago that swilling all that pop and coffee would rot their brains as well as their stomachs - that was when they put those infernal vending machines in the Student Union. But nobody listens to a psychologist. Anyway, there is also a small but vocal group of students who have been orating against U.N.C.L.E. and international plots in general. Oddly, these aren't the type of students who usually go in for this sort of thing. Not an intellectual - genuine or phony - in the lot. In fact, a good many of them were attending summer school this year to make up courses they flunked last spring."

"And the most outspoken U.N.C.L.E. critics off campus are two of the most capable and intelligent men in town: Armden and Bennett," Illya said.

"A very interesting problem," Curtis said happily. "I wonder if the source - if there is a source - is in the University or the town. Or is it common to both? A most stimulating problem."

Neither agent had the heart to mention their experiences in Fort Wayne. If Curtis had thought the problem was that widespread, he would go into such a transport of ecstasy that not even his rose hip extract could save him. Instead, they turned his attention back to Dr. Armden.

"I'd love to speak to him," said Curtis. "Do you think you could arrange it?"

"Nothing easier," Napoleon assured him. "Meet us at his house this evening. We'll check with his wife ahead of time, but I'm sure she'd like to have you see him. She seems quite concerned for his sanity."

"Fine, fine." Curtis rubbed his hands together briskly. He glanced at his wrist watch. "Now you'll have to excuse me; my first class should be back with the results of their first day's questioning any minute now." He bounced around his desk and drew a cylindrical container from one of the drawers. "Would you care for some Bulgarian yoghurt?" he asked as he removed the lid. "I believe it's chocolate-peach today." He sniffed the aroma from the open container. "Delicious!"

Both agents maintained expressions of cordiality until they closed Curtis's door behind them. They kept respectfully silent and tried to think kind thoughts as they walked toward their car. By use of stern self-control, Illya even managed to avoid being sick on the campus lawn.

The front door opened and Mrs. Armden appeared to greet them. They introduced Professor Curtis. Napoleon asked if Dr. Armden had improved any since morning.

Mrs. Armden looked a little grim. "He at least answers direct questions now. At the moment, he's just sitting there staring at the TV set. At a program he never watches."

The three men followed her to the living room. Armden sat on a couch, blankly watching the TV set. He didn't look up as they entered the room.

"Richard, we have visitors," Mrs. Armden said hesitantly.

Armden continued to stare at the TV screen for several seconds, then turned slowly to face them. Recognition was similarly delayed. "Mr. Solo and Mr. Kuryakin," he said, speaking slowly and distinctly. "I should apologize for yesterday; even an U.N.C.L.E. agent deserves common courtesy. I simply realized I was wasting my time and decided to return."

"This is Professor Curtis, from the university," Mrs. Armden said.

Armden rose and extended his hand deliberately to Curtis. "I remember you. You were at the plant last summer for a day or two."

"I remember you quite well, too, Dr. Armden. We compared notes on our work for U.N.C.L.E." Curtis was watching Armden intently.