Donovans Brain

DONOVANS BRAIN
The power of the brain was

unlimited! It could will the
hands of another to do murder!
Copyright lOii hy
Popular Publioations,
Inc.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED
By Cyrf- SJodmak
A brain thai functmned (autside Us

body-Hi gruesome but perfect triumph
of science = <, <, and a heartless scientist.
Except for one thing . <> o the brain he
played with was geared to play a deadly
game of chess.with the helpless vninds
of men!
September 13th.
T ODAY a Mexican • organ grinder

passed through Washington Junc-
tion. He carried a smail Capuchin
monkey which looked like a wizened old
inan. The animal was sick, dying of ad-
vanced tuberculosis. Its moth-eaten fur
was tawny olive, greasy, and full of hair-
less patches. .
I offered three dollars for the monkey,
and the Mexican was eager to sell. Tuttle,
the drugstore owner, wanted to keep me
from buying it, but he was afraid to in-
terfere lest I stop patronizing his place,
and make my purchases in Konapah or
Phoenix.
I wrapped the flea-ridden Capuchin In
my coat and carried it home. It shivered
in spite of the burning heat, but when I
held it closer, it bit me.
The animal trembled with fear as we
entered my laboratory. I chained it to
the leg of the work table, then washed my
wound thoroughly with disinfectant. After
sM'ii^j^y
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
56 FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES
that, I fed the creature some raw eggs, him from starving. There is not very much
and talked to it. It calmed down—till I business around here for a country doc-
tried to pet it. Then it bit me again. tor. The few white people go to the hos-
Franklin, my handyman, brought me a pital in Phoenix when they are ill. The
cardboard box which he had half-filled Indians only call a white doctor when
with hemp. The hemp would smother the all the mystic charms have failed and the
fleas, he explained. My monkey nimbly patient Is dying.
hopped Into the box and hid there. When Schratt once had the makings of a
I paid it no further attention It soon fell Pasteur or a Robert Koch. Half-drowned
asleep. 1 studied its almost hairless face, in cheap tequila now, he has lost the abil-
its head covered with short fur that re- ity to concentrate. But still sometimes a
sembled the cowl of a Capuchin monk. The flash of genius illuminates the twilight of
animal was breathing with difficulty and his consciousness. Afraid of that lightning-
I was afraid it might not live through the flash of vision, he deliberately withdraws
night. into the haze of his slowly simmering life.
If he could forbid me to do what I am
September 14th. doing, he would. But forgotten wishes and
The monkey was still alive this morning dreams sometimes echo in the ruins of his
and screamed hysterically when I tried to wretched life. His antagonism to me and
grab it. But after I fed it bananas and raw my work is pure manifestation of his re-
egg again, it let me pet its head a moment. gret that he has betrayed his own genius.
I had to make it trust me completely. Fear Sitting in a deep chair near the fire-
causes an excess secretion of adrenalin, place, he smoked his pipe nervously. How
resulting in an abnormal condition of the he can stand the desert heat in that thick
blood stream. This would throw off' my old coat he brought from Europe forty
observations. years ago I will never know. Maybe it is
This afternoon, the Capuchin put its the only one he hasi
long arms around my chest and pressed I am quite sure that each time he leaves
its face against my shoulder, in perfect me he takes an oath never to see me again.
confidence. I stroked it slowly, and it ut-. But every few days my telephone rings and
tered small whimpers of content. I tried its his hoarse, tired voice asks for me—or his
pulse, which was way above normal. aged Ford stops, boiling, in front of my
When it began to sleep in my arms, I house.
stabbed it between the occipital bone and I had dissected the monkey's carcass.
the first cervical vertebra. It died instant- The lungs were infected with tuberculosis,
ly. which had also attacked the kidneys. But
the brain was in good shape. To preserve
September 15th. it, I placed it in an artificial respirator.
At three o'clock this afternoon, Dr. I fixed rubber arteries to the vertebral
Sch'ratt came from Konapah to visit me. arid internal carotid arteries of the brain
Though I often do not see him for weeks at and the blood substance, forced by a small
a time, we communicate freely by phone pump, streamed through the Circle of
and letter. He is very Interested in my Willis to supply the brain. It flowed out
work, but, as he watches my experiments, through the corresponding veins on both
he cannot hide his misgivings. He does sides and passed through glass tubes which
not conceal his satisfaction when he sees I had irradiated with ultra-violet.
me failing in an experiment. His soul is The strength and frequency of the in-
torn between a scientific compulsion finitesimal electric charges the brain was
(which is also mine), and a pusillanimous producing were easy to measure. The
reaction against what he calls "invading electro-encephalograms marked their slow,
God's own hemisphere." trembling curves on the paper strip which
Schratt has lived in Konapah for more ing 1 continuously fiowed from the wave-record-
than thirty years. The heat has dried up machine.
his energies. He has become superstitious Schratt lifted his thick brown" fingers
as the Indians of his district. If his medi- and touched the glass in which the brain
cal ethics permitted, he would prescribe was floating. Immediately, disturbed, the
snake charms and powdered toads for his brain waves altered, rose and fell with
patients. ever-increasing rapidity. The detached
He is official physician for the emer- organ was reacting to an external stimu-
gency landing field at Konapah and the lus!
small sum^paid him by the airline keeps "It feels—it thinks!" Schratt said. When
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 57
he turned around I saw the spark in his voice: "Do me a favor, Patrick! Shut off
eyes I had eagerly expected. the pump. Let that poor thing in there
But Schratt sat down heavily. As he die!" .^
thought of what he had seen, he grew pale
under the coarse, brownish skin that loose- September 16th.
ly covered his drink-sodden face. After midnight the deflections of the
"You're the godfather of this phenome- encephalograph ceased, and the monkey's
non," I said to cheer him up, in spite of my brain died. , ' .
knowing he could not be flattered. The telephone in the living-room • rang
"I don't want any part of anything you at three in the morning, while I was still
are doing, Patrick," he answered. "You— working in the laboratory. I heard the bell,
with your mechanistic physiology—reduce shrill faintly again and again. Janice had
life to physical chemistry! This brain may gone to bed hours ago, after bringing me
still be able to feel pain, it may suffer, some-supper on a tray. -
though' bodyless, eyeless and deprived of Obviously she had taken a sleeping
any organ to express its, feeling. It may draught, or the bell's persistent ringing
be writhing in agony!" " would have wakened her. Franklin, who
"We know that the brain itself is in- slept in the cottage in the back, would
sensitive," 1 answered quietly.' To please never get up.
him I added: "At least we believe we know •When I finally took down the receiver,
that!" I heard Ranger White's excited voice. A
"You have put it in a nutshell," Schratt plane had crashed near his station.
answered. I perceived that he was trem- "I can't reach Konapah!" 'White shouted
bling. The success of my experiment had as if he had to talk to me across the dis-
unnerved him. "Yoji believe and acknow- tance without the help of a telephone.
ledge only what you are able to observe ' "Old Doc Schratt is drunk again. . . ."
and measure. You recklessly push through He , began to swear, out of control of
to your discoveries with no thought of the himself—a jnan alone in a blockhouse on
consequences." top of a mountain, eight- hard miles from
"I only try to cultivate living tissues out- the nearest dwelling, and a crashed plane
side the body," I patiently answered. "You close to him.
must agree in spite of your abhorrence of .He had tried Schratt for ten minutes be-
everything concerned in the progress of fore he switched the call to me. He had
science, that my experiment is a big step only^ two lines to choose from—Schratt's
forward. You told me the fragility of > and 'mine. The telephone operator leaves
nervous substance is too great to be studied these connections open all night in case
in the living state. But I have done it!" ' of emergencies.
I calmed White down and promised
TOUCHED the glass which contained speedy help.
the Capuchin's brain, and the encepha- Finally I got Schratt on the phone. He
lograph at once registered the reaction of could hardly talk or even understand what
the irritated tissues. I was telling him. I repeated the informa-
I watched Schratt closely. I wanted to_ tion again and again.
have from him again that admixture of "I can't get up there!" he whined when
genius which fertilized my researches. But my words had penetrated his tequila-
Schratt's expression was blank and remote. fogged brain. "I" can!t. I'm an old man.
"You're synthetic and concise," he fin- I can't sit on a horse for hours. I've got a
ally said unhappily. "There's no human bad heart!"
emotion left in you. Your passion for ob- He was deadly afraid of losing his job,
servation and your mathematical precision but the alcohol had paralyzed him.
have killed it, Patrick. Your intelligence "Ail right, I'll take over for you," I said.
is crippled by a profound inability to un- "Meet me a,t my house tonight."
derstand life. I, am convinced that life "At your house tonight, Patrick," he
is a synthesis of love and hatred, ambi- •repeated plaintively. "Thanks, Patrick."
tion and aimlessness, .vanity and kindness.. To wake Franklin from his sleep was a
When you carl manufacture kindness in job. I ordered him to call the neighbors
a test tube, I'll be back." and to get me some help. Then I went back
He walked slowly and forlornly to the to the laboratory and packed my bag with
door, as always when he had made up his all the instruments and medication I would
mind to break with me. But in the door- need. When I looked up, Janice stood in
way he turned and added in a trembling the door.
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She had put on her morning gown and It looked as if the pilot had misjudged the
with thin fingers was trying to fasten the height of the mountain.
belt at her'waist. Her eyes were tired and- "It,caught fire,, but I got out," 'White
dull. She had drugged herself. I saw that said and pointed at a still smoldering
at once. patch where the blackened gas tank had
She ^ n n o t bear the climate, the heat burst, inside out.
of,the parched desert, the sudden sand- "I hope they're still alive." White had'
storms, the stale water that is pumped done an efficient job in spite of his shock.
through miles of hot pipelines. She was He had carried the two survivors into
withering away slowly, desiccating. I had the shade under a tree. One was a young '
told her often enough to leave Washington, man, the other an older man whose face
Juilction. She should live in New England,' seemed familiar. Both were still, breath-
where she was born. But she will not leave ing. The young one had his eyes open, but
me. he did not see me. He was semi-conscious
"Emergency?" she asked, pulling herself and his teeth were embedded in his lower
together, battling .the drug. - lip. A trickle of blood was running.down
I told her about the plane and White's his chin. ; .
call. , ' I gave him a shot of morphine and
"Let me go with you," she aslced, but her turned to the other man: This one had
tongue was thick. "I can h e l p . . . . " compouiid. fractures of both legs. 'White
She was- suddenly awake, restless. I had twisted a tourniquet above each of the
knew she only wanted,to be with me, close man's knees to keep him from bleeding to
to me, and the crash was a pretext. death. -
"No," I said,, "you're not fit for the trip.
UTTLE and Phillips approached, but
Go to bed." , • c ' "
I realized'I had not talked to her for. T stopped a few.yards from the injured
weeks. Her shadow was always behind me. . men. I did not, see Matthews, the third
—my food in my room at the^ righi mo- man. He had told me, on the way tip he
ment, the house ^cleaned noiselessly,' and could not stand the sight of blood.
she never bothere'd me with questions. She Tuttle said. "There's two more guys
was waiting for me to call her but I had over there, but they are dead!"
forgotten her shadowy existerice.' I turned in the indicated direction and
The men arrived with the horses arid . saw a propeller buried in the ground, with
mules. We went up the mountain trail.'' a part of the motor still attached to it.
""Their hekds are off." Phillips' voice was
September 16th. so low I could.not understand him at first.
Our horses had climbed for three hours' 'White had found four bodies. The plane,
when- we came to 'White's ranger station. though powerful, was too small tO' have
It is a blockhouse of hea^vy timbers and a carried more.
tower from which the observer has a'wide, I ordered 'White and Phillips to take the
view over the mountains. White's job is to older man to the blockhouse. I examined
keep a lookout for fires and see that the the young man where he lay. His chest
batteries for the revolving lights are jwas crushed and both arms broken. I told
charged properly. The beacons are land- Tuttle to cut four straight branches from
marks for planes flying to the north and .the tree. ^
west. •The man was conscious but could ivot
•White is a man of about fifty. He lives talk. The morphine had lessened his pain,
with only; his dog in this lonely place. To he was perspiring profusely. His pulse was ,
him even the few inhabitiants of Washing- close to a hundred and ten. ,
ton Junction are an unbearable crowd. "Take it easy, try to doze off;" I told him.
Now, for the first time, I found him want- "Don't fight. You'll be allj:ight."
ing to see someone, anyone. His weather- - He seemed to understand. and tried to
browned face looked livid. ' answer. But the drug was already taking
"Glad you came," he said, helping me- effect, closing his eyes.. ', .
from my horse. I moved, his arms, carefully across his
As he led me to the plane, he added: chest, and padding with bandages the four
"It's a goddam mess!" branches Tuttle had brought me, I laid
There was not much left of the ship. them against both sides of the humerus
"The impact of the crash had disintegrated and tied them securely at wrist and elbow.
the wings, cabin and fuselage. Pieces of I gave the man a second injection to keep
the plane were scattered over a wide area. him asleep until we got him to the hos-
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 59
pltal and ordered Tuttle to take him down the most rigid asepsis and this dusty kitch-
to Washington Junction where he would en for an operating theater hardly gave
meet the ambulance. the man on the table a sporting chance.
Tuttle called Phillips and they tied the For a minute I considered not operating at
unconscious man on a stretcher. I went all and letting fate decide.
back to the house without waiting for I stepped closer to the man and studied
them to leave. his face. These features were somehow
White had placed the old man on a table. familiar; the thin, colorless mouth, the
He was beginning to stir and groan as I high cheek bones, the short «nose, the
loosened the tourniquets from around his prominent forehead. Even the scar which
legs, which were swelling rapidly. ran from the left ear to the tip of the
"They will have to be amputated," I said chin seemed known to me.
to White, "or he will die in a few hours." White had cut the man's coat from him
White turned his livid face toward me and thrown it on a chair. I took the wal-
and nodded. He grinned in an effort to let from the breast pocket. Blood had
control himself, but I was afraid he would soaked it and glued the sheaf of big bills
never stick it through. together. The man carried a fortune with
Now I regretted not having brought him! The wallet was old and worn and
Janice. Matthews, the grocer, the only stamped with the initials W.H.D. Warren
other helper I had still with me, was out- Horace Donovan!
side being sick. He had never seen broken Now that I knew who he was I had to
bones and-mangled bodies before. I talked save his life. This man was too important.
to him, but he was no help. In a few hours dozens of specialists would
I gave White a bromide to calm him be poking their noses into tills case and if
down. He became very efficient, carried out I did not get him down alive I would be
all my orders with speed and precision. accused of negligence. I had to make a
But he could not stop talking. I let him clean job of it.
talk, for It seemed to relieve him. He kept I did not tell White who the man on his
explaining Just what had' happened. kitchen table was. If I had, he would have
He had heard the ship cruising overhead been too awed and excited to help me.
soon after midnight. It seemed to have After cutting away Donovan's trousers
lost its bearings. The beacons were all in and underwear, I injected a spinal anes-
working order, but the clouds were unusu- thetic between the third and fourth lum-
ally thick. White was at a loss to know bar vertebrae. If the man became con-
what plane it was. The commercial from scious now, he would feel no pain.
Los Angeles had already passed, and no His respirations were irregular, and I
other information had come from Kona- lowered his head by having White place a
pah. couple of books under the back legs of the
White talked in a staccato voice while table. The blood pressure was falling
he gathered fresh bed linen and white alarmingly. I gave Donovan a half c.c. of
shirts from a drawer. He fired the kitchen 1-1000 adrenalin intravenously. The pres-
stove and put water on to heat, efficient sure rose again. I began the.amputation
but mechanical. I scrubbed the kitchen and finished it in less than an hour.
table with green soap, which he fortunate- I was obliged to cut through the femur,
ly had in the house. because the femur bones had suffered mul-
A!Vhite's voice while he moved quietly tiple fractures and the arteries were sev-
about, was feverish. He had lived at the ered. A steady stream of arterial blood
station eight years. There had never been gushed. forth as soon as the tourniquets
an accident or Irregularity. Once a few were loosened. His toes were ice cold and
trout fishermen stole gasoline from one of clammy. Nobody could have saved Dono-
the beacons for their stove. That is a fed- van's legs. And all the time I was operat-
eral offense, but White had not bothered ing I was aware of the futility of my en-
reporting it. deavor.
He felt strangely responsible and ob- . The sun stood high when we tied him to
sessed by the idea that he might be ac- the stretcher to take him down the trail.
cused of negligence. He tried to drown his We fastened the litter between two horses,
guilt in a torrent of explanations. lowering the rear to carry the body in a
He took it as a personal misfortune that fairly level position. The tedious descent
the crash had occurred near his station. began.
The water was boiling and I sterilized I left White behind. Matthews had re-
the instruments. Infection can follow even covered from the shock and seemed
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
ashamed of his weakness and desertion. pected such an elaborate layout. None of
He wanted to malce good now and wallced them knew my name or anything about
beside the stretcher, letting me ride the me. But people who live In the desert are
horse. not very curious or talkative. I lived se-
Every few minutes we had to stop to cludedly. Nobody asked what I was doing.
take Donovan's piilse. It was around one I sent the men away, then changed to
hundred forty and very weak. I gave him a clean shirt which Janice had left in the
one c.c. of 1-1000 adrenalin intravenously. laboratory. I found iced coffee on my desk
When we were two hours on our way, and some food. She was silently waiting
Donovan stopped breathing. I had to pull In her room for me to call her. The acci-
his tongue forward and administer some dent had interrupted-the monotonous rou-
oxygen which I carried with me in a small tine of our days and she was hoping I
steel flask. He needed an intravenous in- would want to talk to her.
jection of coramine, but I did not have it. I examined the dying man. His pulse
I had not slept for two days and I could was rapid and his heartsounds so weak I
feel I was close to the end of my resis- could hardly hear them with my stetho-
tance. A few times the trail blurred before scope.
my eyes. I had to hold tight to the neck I called Janice.
of the horse. "Where is Schratt?" I asked. I could see
she had not slept, waiting for me.
HE sun seemed to stand still in the sky "He took the other man to Phoenix," she
T and the heat became unbearable as we answered.
trailed down the pass. Once the horses "Call up the hospital and tell him to get
shied, but .Matthews caught the reins in over here right away. Then come and help
time to keep them from bolting. A rattle- me."
snake was sunning itself across the path. She ran out of the room to obey my
While I held the excited horses, Matthews order.
killed it with a club. Then he threw the I had to come to a decision. I had to
crushed body as far as he could, but the make up my mind now. At once! Before
dead snake caught in the branches of a it was too late. I did not feel exhausted
nearby tree and we had a bad time leading any more. The opportunity was unprece-
the horses past. This was torture, climb- dented. Too tremendous. This man was
ing downhill with a dying man strung dying but his brain was still alive. It was
between the horses. an extraordinary brain, the dome large
When we finally heard voices hailing us, and of perfect shape, the skull broad, the
we stopped at once and sat down, ex- forehead wide.
hausted. I tested its reactions with the encephalo-
Four men came up the trail to meet us. graph. It showed strong delta deflections.
Schratt had phoned to Phoenix and the An animal's brain has weak reactions
hospital had sent an ambulance. But and very little resistance. An animal gives
Schratt had declined the assistance of a up when it is going to die. The brain Is
doctor from Phoenix. It was his job to a minor organ of its body, less important
take care of these injured. He was stick- than the weapons of defense. But the man
ing to his job, and I was doing it! on my table had exercised his brain all his
life, trained it, strengthened it.
Phoenix was still unaware that the plane Here was the perfect specimen a scien-
which had crashed was Warren Horace tist might wish for!
Donovan's. Otherwise all the ethics of the
medical profession would not have kept If only Schratt were here. . . .
the hospital from sending every available Donovan's skull was .nearly' hairless.
specialist up the mountain to save W. H. That made it easier. He was in a coma, it
Donovan's life! was not necessary to use an anesthetic.
I switched on the sterilizer and put in
September 17th. a surgical scalpel andca Gigli saw.
Just before we got to Washington Junc- When the instruments were ready, I,
tion, Donovan reached a crisis. His strong' picked out the scalpel and made a semi-
heart had delayed the coma, but it was too circular incision in the skin just above the
late now to send him on to Phoenix. He right ear, continuing the incision around
could not have arrived alive. the back of the head to the upper surface
I had him carried into my laboratory of the" left ear. I pulled the scalpel for-
and put on the operating table. The men ward until it completely exposed the top
looked around curiously. They had not ex- of the calvarlum. There was very little
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DONOVAN'S BRAIN 61
bleeding from the surfaces I had exposed. her to help me. I did not want witnesses!
Taking the Gigli saw, I made an incision "Put on those gloves and a smock," I
in the bony, vault completely around the said to Schratt, while I loosened the fron-
skull. To leave the brain uninjured, I was . tal gyrus^ with a blunt dissector, feeling
very careful not to cut through the dura- my way not to injure the eyes.
mater. I then lifted oft the entire top of
the cranial vault in toto. - • CHRATT impulsively hid his face in his
The glistening surface of the duramater
was still warm to my finger's touch.
S hands and stood motionless for sec-
^ onds. When he uncovered his face again,
I made the same semi-circular incision his expression had changed. He had known
in the duramater that I had in the outer what I was going to do as soon as he en-
skin. tered the laboratory. I was violating his
I pulled the dura forward and there lay' creed and ethics, but he did not refuse to
exposed—Donovan's brain! help me, though I had no power to coerce
Donovan's breathing stopped. White as- him. "
phyxis due to cardiac failure began. There The potential frustrated Pasteur had
was no time to apply stimulants. That broken through and Schratt's vocation was
would have taken precious minutes. I had stronger than his conscience. I knew that
to open his brain while he was still, alive. afterwards he would have pangs of re-
I made that mistake before with-the Capu- morse,'fits of repentance he would try to
chin, and I could not take any risk now. drown in tequila. He knew it too but he
I heard Janice at the phone talking to helped me.
Phoenix. Schratt was on his way back. He stepped over to the table and puUied
She repeated the information loudly so I on the gloves. Without waiting to put on
could' hear. a smock, he grabbed the knife. His hands,
/ If Schratt's Ford- didn't break dovsrn! heavy and coarse-fingered, became subtle.
-B Janice came in. She stopped, seeing me He worked with great speed.
at work over the body. "I'll have to cut here," he muttered, and
"Come here," I ordered gruffly. I wanted as I nodded'he severed the medulla oblon-
to give her no • time to think. She had gata.
studied medicine to. please me and have I took blood serum from the heater,
the chance to be closer to me. Concen- aflBxed the rubber tube to the rotary pump,
tra,ted, cool, precise even in emergencies, and turned on the ultra-violet lights.
she was an ideal nurse. But, like Schratt, "Ready?" Schratt asked.
she deeply resented the work I was doing, I nodded, took a steaming towel from
for it took me away from her and she was the sterilizer, and held it over the brain
jealous. I was married to my apparatus which Schratt was lifting out of the lower
and scalpels. cranium. He carried it over to the glass
"The Gigli saw! Quick!" I "said. I bowl and submerged it in the serum, fas-
stretched out my hand without looking at tened the rubber tubes to the vertebral
her. She hesitated, standing there in the and internal- carotid arteries and set the
doorway. Then I heard her move. She pump in motion.
stepped close behind my shoulder and "Better hurry," Schratt said, pulling off
passed me the instrument. I pressed the, his gloves. "They may come for the body
Gigli saw to the occipital bone. I was so any minute." His face suddenly looked
concentrated on my work I did not hear gray and shriveled. He nodded toward the
Schratt enter. body.
Finally I felt someone., watching me. "Better get him in shape. Stuff some
Schratt was standing two yards behind . cotton in the skull or the eyes might fall
me, staring. His face twisting,-he battled in."
with himself, undecided whether to run I filled the skull cavity with cotton ban- •
away or come to my assistance, but finally dages and replaced the cranium, taping it
he overcame the shock of seeing me steal vsdth adhesive. I pulled the scalp back over
a man's brain. the calvarium, then I bandaged the head
I lifted up the cranium, severed it by carefully and had foresight enough to soak
cutting the medulla oblongata just above a few drops of Donovan's blood "into the
the foramen magnum. bandages as if a wound from the accident
"We would like to be alone, Janice," I had bled through.
said. I eagerly turned to see if the brain was
She left at once, relieved to go, I felt, still alive but Schratt stopped me.
and for a second I regretted having called "We have done all we can," he said.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
"Let's get the body out of here. You "Death due to bleeding and shock fol-
wouldn't want them to see that?" He in- lowing amputation of. both legs," I read.
dicated the brain with a jerky movement "They can. see for themselves it's true
of his head. "If we get the body out into what I wrote down."
the sun, it will decompose fast. I don't He spoke swaggeringly Jto hide his un-
want an autopsy." easiness and walked over to the door. "I'll
Excitement, had fuddled my judgment, see that Phoenix collects it."
and I submitted to Schratt. But he did not He put on his big hat and walked away
seem to enjoy his new authority. without glancing at me or saying goodbye.
For years Schratt had been inhibited in He.Tvas walking out on me again. o
my presence. I knew that. He had lost his
own ambition and drive, and he envied me FE STOPPED outside for a moment to
my persistence ~in> carrying through the talk to Janice. They have a curious
researches. 'But now, though he had the conspiracy I have never bothered to in-
upper hand at last, he did not take advan- trude on and I. was not interested now in
tage of me. Cowardly he walked out on what they were saying to each other, but
his opportunity to revenge himself for the I went into my bedroom and called her.
humiliations I had involuntarily? inflicted Janice entered at once. . .
upon him through all these years. "You ought to sleep a little." She .
We put Donovan's body on a stretcher, dropped the suggestion casually. For the
covered it with a sheet, and carried it out- first time in years she was telling, me what
side. The heat would do fast work. We to do. She was tapping hesitantly at the '
returned to the laboratory, and proceeded door to my consciousness, timidly trying
to wash up. to remind me of her. -,
, "Write the death certificate .before the "The ambulance from' Phoenix will ca}l
•ambulance . gets here," .1 told Schratt for; the body. If anyone calls, don't disturb \
calmly. " •me .whoever it is." I sank on the bed. I ^-
He did not answer and I divined remorse really • needed • some sleep.
had started to affect him. Everi as I turned toward the wall, I
Now he must register his crime in black could feel sleep blacking out my mind.
and white, set down evidence that could
send him to jail at any time. He was not . September 18th.
afraid of the prison.so much, but he .had I woke at a very early morning hour.
lost his last shred of self-respect. There was food near the bed, where Janice
"Sorry. I would write it myself, but I'm had left it in a thermos to keep warm^ I
not the coroner. Besides it was your duty ate hastily and went" back to the labora-
to take care of the victims of the crash." tory. I heard Janice nioving in her room,
"I'm being blackmailed," he'said with a but she did not leave it.
wan smile, but I knew he meant it. He Through the garden window I could see
was dangerous. He might' give us both that' the body had been taken away. On
away in one of his fits of pathological my desk lay the evening paper and a mes-
depression. sage. The hospital at Phoenix had phoned
'Want a drink?'.'_J asked. for me to come over and report to the
He. looked up, astonished, read my coroner. Since Schratt was the coroner in
thoughts and shook his head. the case; I tossed the paper into' the waste-
"You don't have to get me drunk for me basket.
to write the certificate," he muttered, The Phoenix Herald had a big headline:
.walking over to the desk. "What's the Tycoon Dies. W. H. Donovan Killed in Plane
man's name?" Crash in Snake Mountains.
When I told him he'paled. ^ ' 1 put the paper into a drawer of niy desk
"W. H. Donovan," he repeated and.sat and turned to Donovan's brain.
down trembling. I waited for him to re- The pump was faithfully supplying blood
cover. "We have stolen Donovan's brain!" to the main artery and the ultra-violet
He laughed suddenly, turned to the desk, lights shone through the glass tubes in .
picked up a pen and took a blank coroner's which the serum circulated.
report from his pocket. I wheeled the table with the encephalo-
"I had better leave the name off," he gT^ph close to the vessel which contained
said. "I just-hope the heat melts that car- the brain and fastened the five electrodes
cass away before every doctor in the coun- to the cortical tissue. One near the right
try comes poking his nose into it." ear, two high on the forehead, one above
He wrote and passed the paper to me. each eye cavity.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 63
The brain of any living creature lias an It annoyed me to feel her watching me
electric beat that is conducted by neurons, out of the corner of her eye.
not by blood vessels or connecting tissue. I made up my mind to clear all the
All cells show varying degrees of mechan- accumulated issues between us as soon as
ical, thermal, electrical and chemical ac- possible. I resented her intensity which
tivity. Interfered with my work. I had to end
I switched on the current that drove the this household disharmony.
small motor, which, in turn, drew out a When we arrived In town, Janice decided
white paper strip an inch per second at a to stay in the car. I did not ask why she
frequency of sixty cycles. A pen scratched suddenly changed her mind or why she
a faint line on the moving paper. I ampli- had ridden with me at all,
fied the Infinitesimally small currents the , I went into the hospital.
brain was sending until their power was At the entrance a thin shabby-looking
great enough to move the pen. man with a camera took pictures of me
On the paper strip the activity of Dono- and I did not like it.
van's thought processes showed in exact, The nurse at the reception desk sent me
equal curves. The curves repeated them- straight up to Dr. Higgins, the superin-
selves; the brain was at rest, not really tendent.
thinking now. The pen drew smooth alpha In Higgins' waiting-room sat Schratt,
curves, concise as breathing. dilapidated and looking greenish. I nod-
•vl tested the occipital lead. The deflec- ded at him, but his shifting eyes registered
51s were continuous, 10 cycles per sec- no recognition. As I was waJklng over to
Ji, with very low seven-to-eight cycles speak to him, Higgins opened a door and
(• second waves. called me Inside.
touched the glEiss and at once the Webster, a manager of the airline, was
ha waves disappeared. The brain in the with him. Webster did not wait for formal-'
lass was aware that I was standing there! Itles. "Dr. Cory," he said, "Schratt tells me
Delta waves appeared on the moving you led the emergency party to the ranger
î strijp, a sure Indication that the brain was station."
emotionally disturbed. "Yes," I replied. "It was the obvious
It seemed fatigued, however, and sud- thing to do. If Dr. Schratt had had to
denly It fell asleep again. I saw the re- form a rescue party in Konopah, he would
peating pattern reappear. The brain slept have arrived much later."
deeply, its strength exhausted by the grave "As I understand it, you are not a prac-
operation. ticing physician in this district?" Higgins
I watched Its depthless slumber while spoke sharply, but I was prepared for the
the pattern of this sleep, drawn by a pen question.
on white paper, slipped through my fin- "I am a medical doctor, Dr. Higgins." I
gers. spoke as sharply as he. "In an emergency
I watched for hours. I knew I had suc- every physician has his duty to perform."
ceeded. I turned to Webster. He nodded per-
Donovan's brain would live though his functorily as if I had ordered him to affirm
body had died. my statement.
Webster was uneasy. The man who had
September 19th. died was too Important to be disposed of
The hospital in Phoenix phoned three with just an ordinary report.
times asking me to come over and answer
some questions about Donovan's death.
Janice told them I was too busy now and
would see them later.
E VERY newspaper in the country wUI
blow up this incident. Webster's activ-
ities the night of the disaster will be dis-
Schratt called too. Janice took the phone cussed In detail.
Into her room and had a long conversa- Donovan could not have been saved if
tion with him. Generally she dislikes talk- aU the specialists of the Mayo clinic had
ing at length, so I anticipated that the been waiting at the spot of the accident,
situation In Phoenix was becoming in- and Higgins seemed to know it. ,But Web-
volved. ster was to blame that an old crackpot
When the hospital called for the fourth doctor was in charge the night of the dis-
time, I decided to go before they became aster and an unknown physician under-
suspicious. took a major operation on one of the rich-
Janice wanted to ride Into town with est men In America.
me. She sat silent and tense In the car. It was to my advantage that Webster
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
urgently wished to hush up the facts and life and it may only arouse controversy."
have the incident closed as quickly as pos- He was putting it plainly to Higgins that
sible. But Higgins, on the warpath, was he wanted the incident closed, but Higgins
out for blood. He called Schratt in. Ignored the plea.
Schratt was shaky on his feet. He looked "The report did not mention a head in-
far from presentable as the physician for Jury," Higgins continued stubbornly.
an emergency airfield. Webster gazed at "You found the ribs are broken, too,"
him with misgivings and Higgins turned I answered', quietly, knowing what he was
away as if disgusted by Schratt's demoral- up to. "Do you want that stated also? Are
ized appearance. you trying to charge me with negligence?
He said hurriedly, "Please follow me!" Just what is the complaint? I did all I
I walked beside Webster with Higgins in could do."
front. Ignored and left to trail behind, Higgins pondered. He sensed Schratt's
Schratt grew increasingly desperate. mounting panic, but he did not know what
Schratt is so unpredictable. I was,afraid caused it, and that made him uncertain.
he might blurt out the truth In a fit of "Let's go," Webster urged. "I'm feeling
repentance. He had tried to drown his con- a little weak. I'm not accustomed to. . . ,"
science in alcohol, but like most heavy He opened the door of the morgue and
drinkers he got no relief, only a still more inhaled deeply, as if trying to keep from
desperate feeling of remorse. fainting.
I slowed down a little for Schratt to We left. I felt cold sweat on my-fore-
catch up with me. His steps were falter- head and did not raise my head for "fear
ing, but I was afraid to touch him for fear of betraying myself. We went back to Hig
i
he would imagine I meant to help him gins' office.
walk straight. Even such a small gesture "You'd better change physicians, Mr.
might have provoked a display of nerves. Webster." Higgins had to slaughter somi
Higgins was leading us to the morgue. scapegoat. "Dr. Schratt has clearly neg-
At the door, Schratt in a brave effort of lected his duty. It was up to him to go at
self-control, pulled himself together and once to the scene of the disaster, not to
straightened his shoulders. send anyone else. But, as I understand it,
Only the one body covered with a sheet Dr. Schratt was incapacitated."
lay in the small tiled room. I knew the Schratt lifted his flabby, bloated face.
corpse was Donovan's for the linen caved He looked crushed.
In at the foot of the bier where a man's "I'm obliged to dismiss you," Webster
legs would ordinarily have been. said to him hurriedly, glad to have found
Higgins uncovered the body and we all a way to satisfy Higgins. "Sorry, Dr.
stared at Donovan's decaying face. 1 felt Schratt."
a chill creeping up my spine. The band- Webster looked at me Inquisitively and
ages around the head had been tampered added, "Since I must have a physician in
with. residence near the emergency field, per-
Schratt, too, observed that they were haps Dr. Cory could take over these
wound differently. He stepped back, but duties."
his expression did not change. He always He looked at Higgins for approval, but
accepts misfortune fatalistically. I was in a mood to put both men in their
"Dr. Schratt states in the death certifi- places.
cate that Mr. Donovan died following am- "I'm not interested," I said, gruffly and
putation of both legs. You did not, by any walked to the door.
chance, bring those extremities back with Higgins followed . me. His attitude
you, Dr. Cory?" Higgins inquired. changed at once.when he saw I could not
"If you doubt the necessity for the oper- be bullied.
ation, you had better- exhume the legs. "Dr. Cory I" His tone was conciliatory.
You'll find them buried at the ranger sta- "I'm sorry. You see I had to investi-
tion," I said coldly, resenting the insinu- gate. . . . "
ation. I looked at him coldly.
Webster, who wanted least of all a fur- "Donovan's family are here. At the De
ther medical Inquiry, quickly interrupted. Anza. Please do me a favor. Go and see
"If Donovan had died instantly, we them. They are anxious to talk to you."
would have been spared these fruitless "All right," 1 answered, grabbing my hat,
post-mortems." He turned to the door. "I and left without saying goodbye to any-
t h l n t there is no use discussing the case one.
further. It won't bring Donovan back to I still felt uneasy. Higgins had acted
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 65
strangely. Did he know I had removed looks. She greeted me and sat down, fold-
Donovan's brain? ing her hands in her lap in a graceful,
Who had looked beneath - Donovain's unnatural pose.
bandages? I knew women like this well from my
I heard steps behind me. It was Schratt, years at the hospital. They are eroto-
who passed without looking up, as if I were maniacs, only happy as long as they are
responsible for his misfortune. sure of a man's adoration.
I left the. hospital and walked straight Her nose, short and turned up, showed
across the market place to the De Anza a slight thickening of the lesser alar car-
Hotel. I passed my car and Janice was tilage, a sure sign that-it had been worked
not in it. on by.a plastic surgeon. ,
When I asked for Mr. Donovan, the room I remembered her story. She had been
clerk treated me as if I were a millionaire a stout, plain girl with a hooked nose, had
too. married three times in quick succession
A bellboy took me all the way up to the and always big brutal men. After the third
fourth floor. He confided in an awed voice unhappy marriage, which ended in a scan-
that the management had closed-all the dal, she had her nose remodeled and
rooms on that floor except the suite occu- changed her character completely.
pied by Howard Donovan and his' sister She dieted away forty pounds and when
Chloe Barton. she found she had become handsome, she
The way he spoke Chloe Barton's name enwrapped herself in a- new aura as in a
told me she was good-looking. " cloak, became elusive with her friends,
It was her brother who received me, a egocentric to the point of mental unbal-
man of forty-five, heavily built and tall, ance. She gave up -her promiscuousness
with the same skull conformation as his and concentrated on herself in a quiet,
father's. He stood back of the writing desk, narcissistic, way.
rustled through papers a moment as if he "We wanted to thank you for making
were looking for something, then sudden- my poor father's death easier."
ly, straight into my face he said. "I'm Chloe Barton spoke as if she had studied
glad you came, Dr. Cory." the sentence. Not a muscle.in her face
Howard Donovan continued to scrutinize twitched. The transparent skin remained
nie embarrassingly, as if I were here for pale. "We want to know what he said be-
a cross-examination and he were the pro- fore he died. What message he left for
secuting attorney. His money had given his children."
him an exaggerated conception of his own Howard Donovan had stepped behind the
importance and a fine contempt for other desk again and was watching me intently.
people. He ignored my resentment. The. light from the window fell hard on
On his desk lay his father's worn, blood- my face while he was in semi-darkness.
stained wallet, an old-fashioned watch, Cbloe's lips were curved in a frozen smUe.
and the small notebook that had been I could not make out what they expected
found on Donovan, Senior. to hear, but it seemed of great importance
Howard Donovan spoke almost without to them.
moving his lips, as if he were miserly even "I must disappoint you," I said. "I don't
with words. remember."
"I wanted to thank you. Dr. Cory," he . Mrs. Barton seemed shocked by my.
said slowly as if the words had been torn words and turned to Howard Donovan.
from his mouth. "I'm sure you did every- "I wish he could remember," the girl
thing for my father- that could be done!" said, as if it was up to Inward to make
I was tempted not to answer in the af- me do it.
firmative, just to study his reaction. When Howard nodlied and said to,me, "It's ex-
I said nothing, he moved his hulk nimbly tremely important to us. Just try to re-
across the thick carpet toward a door. member a few words,"
"I want you to meet my sister," he mut- They stared at me again as if to read
tered. He stopped at the door, turned to-" some secret they thought I was hiding. I
wai;d me with his hand on the knob, then could only shrug my shoulders!
knocked rather softly and called his sis- "Listen, Dr. Cory," Howard Donovan in-
ter's name. sisted, "we'll make it worth your while."
He seemed to think I was purposely hold-
C HLOE BARTON entered. She was a ing something back. With a quick ges-
dark-haired girl with white teeth and ture, he snatched up the bloodstained wal-
straight shoulders, very conscious of her let as if to give it -to me.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
M FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES
"I can't tell you anything." I was an- It was asleep, the encephalograph
noyed. "Your father was unconscious all showed.
the time. Anything he did say didn't Silently I went to work, connected the
make sense." amplifier with the relay and connected
"Are you sure?" Howard asked sharply. an -electric bulb on the circuit.
The scene, was embarrassing. (T. I switched on the current and watched
"Quite sure!" I took my hat. "Follow- the lamp.
ing extreme loss of blood no one can talk Producing alpha frequencies, the brain
coherently." was at rest.
I walked toward the door, but Chloe . I tapped at the vessel in which the or-
called after me. gan was suspended and at once it became
"We want to pay you for trying to save aware of the disturbance. The encephalo-
my father's life." graph registered delta waves, the alpha
"No charge," I answered, and walked out. cycles were blocked out, the relay cut in
Their behavior was very mysterious. on the current and lighted the bulb!
..Obviously, they were afraid the old man I stared at the miracle and sat down to
had confided in me. I thought of Dono- rejoice. »•
van, but could not recall anything he had The lamp went out again; the brain was
said. •. relaxing. But when I got up, it felt my
. I went to my car and drove off. I wanted movement and the light reappeared.
to get out of this town, fast. Watching so ' Crossing to my desk-to register the time
many faces, listening to so many ,voices, of my (fiscovery, I had another idea. If
. being cross-charged with so many mental the brain had emotions and perceptions, it
currents upset me. was thinking systematically. It was aware
My work, demanded concentration. I was of outside disturbances, certainly, or its
groping in the dark tunnel of science, de- alpha waves, would not have • changed. to '
veloping my sense of touch. Tliese annoy- beta or delta frequencies. Without a doubt
ing disturbances were blinding lights in a precise thought process was going on in -
the darkness that stunned and left nie this eyeless, earless matter. -
bewildered. It might, like a blind man, feel the light
I had to- get hold of myself, calm down, or, like a deaf one,, perceive sound. It
arrest the wildly swinging membrane of might, in its dark mute existence, produce
my powers of concentration.' thoughts of immense clarity and inspira-
- Higgins, Websler, Schratt—I wanted to tion. It might; just because it was cut off
banish them all from my mind, -but they ^rom the distractions of the senses, be able
kept creeping back.- to concentrate all its brain power on
When i had driven a few miles, I real- thoughts of great significance.
ized I, had forgotten Janice. She should I wanted to know; those thoughts! But
have stayed in the car! ' - how could I get in touch with the brain?
Moving along the straight highway and I heard a car stop. It was Schratt bring-,
concentrating on the point of 'the end ing Janice home. I was disturbed, of
where the macadam seemed to lance the" course. The noise of the auto, Janice's
horizon, I suddenly knew how to watch footsteps, the pronounced quiet opening of
and study the brain more attentively. the front door, shoved my thoughts off.
At rest, relaxing, it was sending out ten- their narrow track.
cycle alpha waves. As soon as it reacted
to a stimulus, the alpha frequencies, WAITED till Janice had .gone to her
changed to beta, with twenty fluctuations room, but I could not concentrate again.
per second. ° I left the laboratory and knocked at her '
If I sent the amplified alpha wave door. . .''->
through an alternate circuit which in turn She called to me arid I entered.
was connected with an electric bulb, any/ Janice was sitting on the bed, her face
change of frequency would change^the cir- turned toward me, her hands on her knees,
cuit, and switch on the lamp. her body hunched over as if she were
When the brain was thinking the bulb weighed down in thought. .
would burn' When the bulb was dark tlie "Sorry I had to leave Phoenix without
brain would be at rest. How simple. you," 1 said, to begin this conversation
I drove home as fast as I could, jumped which must clear the issues between us
, out of the car and rushed to the door of once aiid for all.
the laboratory, but entered quietly so as , "Schratt brought me home," she an-
not to disturb the brain. swered soberly.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN
"May I sit down?" I asked. I had not no unkindness, no disregard, could ever
been in her room for months. part her from me. I gave up wearily.
She nodded and went on In the same "All right, let Schratt stay here."
quiet voice. "Schratt lost his Job." She
looked at me as if I could have prevented September 25th.
his misfortune. I have moved my bed into the labora-
"I know. What could I do?" I replied. tory. I want to live as close as possible to
She nodded again, but not In confirma- the object of my experiment.
tion of my words. "You did nothing to I eat alone, never leave the laboratory,
help him." never see Janice and Schratt. From time
For a moment I was stunned. Was this to time I hear Schratt's car arrive or
a rebuke from Janice? leave. Franklin brings my food but,-well-
"Did he say so?" trained, he never distracts me by talking.
"He's desperate," she answered. I ordered him to collect news about
"Like most drunkards, he shows signs Donovan's death and he transmitted my
of Korrsakow's psychosis, if you remember wish to Janice. Now nearly every day he
the symptoms from your lectures. Lessen- brings in newspapers or magazines with
ing of the power of observation,-Inability stories about Donovan. I have read them
to correlate new experiences with the ap- all and feel I know as much about Dono-
perceptive mass, conjectures, retrograde van's life as if we had been intimates.
amnesia. . . ." Between myself a n d . t h e brain in the
Her face was sad. respirator, a very close relationship has
"I've invited him to live with us," she developed. It is not Just dumb, mute mat-
said. "I hope you won't refuse. He can ter, kept alive by a pump, going on exist-
have the room off the back garden, and ing aimlessly. It is a living organ, ductile
he won't disturb you." In its reactions and responsive to stimuli
Her kindness had no limits. She would like a human being.
have filled the house with hoboes if I were After public curiosity at the first briefly
willing. reported news of the crash and its victim
"Now we're stuck with him for the rest had been exhausted, gossip began to re-
of his life! Pretty smart I I have to buy veal sordid details of Donovan's private
his discretion. He knows that he knows life. • ,
too much about my activities and he means The more I read about him, the more
to cash in on it." his character darkens. He, like all the
She did not answer, but she paled and great moneymakers, was unscrupulous to
her mouth grew very white. a criminal degree. Only a limited amount
It was her house. She could do what- of money can be honestly earned. To
ever she liked with it. She paid for all the amass millions in the short course of a
machines and experiments. I was com- life, one must be ruthless and untroubled
pletely dependent on her and she never by a conscience.
said a word about It. She may even never Nobody knows for certain how much
have thought of it. money Donovan made, but he owned the
But I wanted to be free! biggest mail-order house In the world. I t
Janice did not want to fight. Her ex- • sprawled like an octopus over all the states.
pression grew soft as she withdrew into a Donovan was sixty-five when the plane
shell where no rough word and no hard cracked up, no age for a strong man to die.
blow could reach her. She surrendered her He was traveling with his lawyer and two
personality and won, as she always did, by pilots. A few days before his death he
refusing to defend, herself. had turned over the reins of the business
"All right," I said. "Did Schratt tell you to his son. It was a surprise to all of them,
Webster offered me his Job? Maybe I ought his board of directors and his family.
to have taken it. Maybe I will." Why Donovan, a man whose only Incen-
She smiled kindly, understandingly. She tive all his life had been a craving for
knew my work consumed all my time and more and more power, suddenly sloughed
thought. Even the fact of our marriage off his authority,.the papers could not re-
had been dissolved in my work's acid veal. He had undertaken the plane trip to
domination. She knew I could not divert his Miami house without informing his
my strength. family or friends. There has been specula-
Exhausted, I sat there in front of her. I tion about quarrels with his son and
knew I could not order her to leave me. daughter. A paper hinted at a disease, but
She had made up her mind to stay, and nobody knows for sure.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
FAMOUS FANTASTIC' MYSTERIES
I I have become deeply curious about was awake. I was sometimes disheartened,
Donovan's life story. The laws of human for no sign indicated-the brain understood
emotions are unknown, but here I have an what I wanted;
opportunity to penetrate the mysteries of But the brain seemed to-be watching me.
a brain, perhaps discover the factors which The beta'curves were smooth and-precise^
determine its capabilities. as if it concentrated on what I was doing.
Which chemical reaction creates suc- When I stopped tapping, the frequencies
cess? Which one is responsible for our on the paper tape changed.
failures? Which produces happiness— Donovan's brain-might be trying to send/
which misery? a message to met
Donovan's brain may supply the answers.
For hours I let the encephalogram run October 2nd.
through my fingers and tried to find a I repeated the Morse signs thousands of
relation between - the form of the pen- times, perfunctorily, sometimes half asleep.
curves and the thoughts they must ex- In my dreams I became an Instrument
press. , myself, .repeating the signs unendingly. As
We know that when the brain Imagines I tapped out the letters of the alphabet
a-tree these curves are different from those over and over again, they would have sunk
when it- thinks of a horse or an automo- Into the memory of a baby. A brain intelli-
bile. An emotional outburst of hatred gent and versatile as Donovan's must
draws different lines from those of pleas- realize there was a pattern to this, must
ure. remember it, even automatically, must de-
It. Is within possibility to And a cpdei: cipher the meaning. ,
which, translates the relation between tiie Again I began!' Listen, Donovan! Can
reading ot the encephalogram and the you understand? Donovan! If you under-
mental Image. If I could find the key, the; stand, think three times of a tree, Dono-
brain could communicate with me; van; Three times: Tree! Tree! Tree!
Z cannot talk to it for it has no organ I watched the encephalogram. The pen-
of- hearing. It cannot see or taste. But moved convulsively and formed a sign, the
without doubt lt< is sensitive to touch. same sign; three times.
When I knock at the glass vessel the brain, The wild delta waves shook the pen-as if
receives the sound waves and reacts. in confusion.
If It tWnlts,, a process I cannot deter- Exhausted, I slumped on my bed, unable ^
mine, only^ assume, I should be able to: tap- to organize my thoughts. Was I< mistaken?'
messages to it. Had' the brain really answered- me? The
•nie problem- is. how to; receive an an- encephalogram had showed the same curve
swer. three times, but did that-prove that Dono-
van had understood?
September 30th-. Theoretical concepts outside the eiq)erl-
For days I have tried to transmit the mental proof are meaningless. I had to>
same phrase to the brain in- Morse, — .. dismiss speculation. I can accept only the
... - . - . - . . . . -. .-. ! proof my instruments supply;
Listen,. Donovan! Listen, Donovan I Again I tried: Think of a tree, three
The encephalograph has reacted, but al- times. Tree, tree, tree.
ways differently, in beta, and delta fre- The-sign appeared, once, twice, again!
quencies. Never the same pattern twice. The same sign!'
It occurred' to me the brain might not Then alpha cycles flowed'into beta fre-
understand the code. Donovan probably quencies, sniooth, repeating. The brain,
knew nothing about telegraphy. A simple exhausted, had fallen asleep.
explanation for my failure 1 I could measure its deep slumber. The.
Though the brain can conceive only deflections became wider. "The brain was
what it has experienced, however,.it might dreaming. The pen on the paper strip
be possible to add to the sum of its knowl- moved wildly; The brain was having- a
edge by tra;inlng. nightmare!
Patiently I began to tap out the Morse
signals against the glass vessel: .— A, October 3rd.
— ...B. The same night, last night, I went outto
Schratt's room behind the garage. I was
i WENT on- indefatigably: for days andi at my wit's end and had to talk to him.
I : nights, whenever I found the bulb-at The brain> had- obeyed my command and
the relay burning to indicate the brain repeated the words £ told. It to think. But
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN
how could I translate its own thoughts, thetic life and kUling the spirit that has
which no doubt were written in the scrawls lifted humanity above the beast. You be-
on the paper strip? I am impatient, afraid lieve only in your test tubes. You are kill-
the brain may die in the midst of my ob- ing faith I I'm glad only a few men like
servations. you exist! Your researches have made
It was three o'clock in the morning. The you more and more rational, until you re-
sky was clear. Freezing cold made the sand fuse to recognize ft single fact that can-
crackle under my feet. not be proven In Wh laboratory, I'm fright-
Without knocking I stepped into ened, Patrick! You're creating a mechani-
Schratt's room. He was deep in sleep, his cal soul that win destroy the world."
mouth open. His face was thinner, but he "Great mathematicians and physiolo-
looked healthy. The bloated skin had gists," I said quietly, "inevitably arrive at
tightened and some color had come into a point where their minds meet something
his coarse cheeks. Janice's saintly Influence beyond human comprehension, something
has deprived him of his liquor, I assume. divine. They can only face it by believing
He suddenly opened his eyes and stared In God. Most scientists become religious
at me as if he thought me a ghost. When I when they reach that stage of research."
spoke his name, he sat up but still stared. Schratt looked at me, astonished. Those
"Come with me," I said. My voice sounded might have been his own words. When he
hoarse. saw I had not spoken with irony, he nodd- •
I must have frightened Schratt, for I ed, but doubtfully, still mistrusting me as
saw fear and suspicion in his eyes. I was a convert to his own philosophy.
looktog into a bottomless pit: he was afraid "However—" I began again at once, as I
I might cut him up to stick him into my saw his suspicion that I had deceived him.
test tubes. He thought me capable of any- "However, to come to this point of sub-
thing for my researches. mission to the great holy unknown, man
"I want to show you something," I said. must first travel through the sphere he Is
The frightened look did not leave his capable of exploring. Somewhere where our
eyes, but he crawled out of bed and pulled Intelligence has its limits the road of re-
on a dirty old bathrobe. search ends. We juggle the Incompre-
"I'm not interested in your experiments, hensible to arrive at the concrete. We use
Patrick." a symbol for the infilnite, dividing con-
He had made up his mind to have no part crete figures with it, adding a plus, a minus
in my work. He was more detached from to it, as if we could visualize the shape of
me now, living in my house, than he had the boundless. We use the infinite to count
been in the days when he stormed out of with, as if it were tangible. But nobody
the laboratory resolving never to see me comprehends its nature. We penetrate re-
again. gions beyond our intelligence and return
"You must help me, Schratt. I can't con- with solutions to our problems. Whom do
tinue without you." we hurt? Not even ourselves! I cannot
That was the most flattering appeal I give up my research because fear prompts
could think of. He was visibly moved, but me not to go on. At the end of the road
drawing the robe closer about his fat body, I am traveling, stands God, who speaks not
he still stubbornly shook his head. in formulas but in monosyllables. I want to
"You know I detest your researches, stand close enough to Him to hear his yes
Patrick. They can't help humanity! All or no!"
they could do is promote unhappiness. Schratt looked through me with a far-
They would take the world back to barbar- away expression.
ism." "Salvation must be earned by deeds, not
"I'm a specialist, and you, too," I replied, by negation," I concluded.
to help him argue himself out of these no- I walked to the door and waited.
tions. "Civilization cannot exist without
specialization."
"I'm not interested in civilization. We T HE moon shone clear as a white sun in
the transparent sky and myriads of
are so ignorant of our souls we take refuge stars filmed the firmament.
in mechanics, physics, chemistry.- We are I had not looked at the sky in years.
losing our consciousness of the human dig- I heard Schratt murmur, and after a
nity that distinguished man -from animal. minute he came out of his room.
You are making the human being a highly He followed me into the laboratory still
specialized stone-age man ruled by ego- doubtful and defensive. "What is it you
tism. YQU are. creating a-mechanical, syn- want me to see?" .
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
70" FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES
"The brain is communicating with me," Wouldn't Donovan, thinking the same
I said. I pointed out how the relay was word, produce the same curve? Comparing
connected. The brain was asleep. It with mine, couldn't I determine Its
I knocked at the glass vessel and the meaning? Why could we not similarly de-
lamp began to glow. code messages from Donovan's brain?
Schratt stood staring at the bulb, un- Sound waves and brain waves are similar
willing to reveal his desire to hear how I in design. Brain waves move between one
had accomplished this step. half and sixty cycles per second, sound
I told him how I had communicated with waves between ten and sixteen thousand.
the brain and taught it Morse. Schratt lis- Sound has wider variation than thought."
tened motionless, like a man confronted I kiiew I -was wrong, but, I wanted to
by something supernatural. hear him refute the theory. .
I knocked at the vessel and told it to Schratt shook his head. "A- sound wave
think of a tree, three times. has fixed. frequency, but thought waves.,
The encephalogram showed unmistak- differ with each individual. My brain does
ably congruent curves, repeated them three not produce the same waves as yours, and
times. even the daily changing state of yoiir
Schratt slumped onto my bed and nod- health influences the microvolt output of
ded. He forgot his determination not to your cells. The flux of every idea is de-
interest himself in the experiment. He pendent on the microvoltage the brain
stared, awed, at the vessel, the instruments, produces, and.that varies from minute to
the encephalograph. Schratt ts a genius. minute. It changes when you excite your-
He never doubted the evidence of his eyes. self, when you feel sick, when you are well.
Only an extraordinary mind can accept a No! We must discard the theory of read-
new thing at once. ing the encephalogram like a telegraph
I sat down, too. I gave him time to over- message."
come his excitement. Finally he got up, He was right. But what other approach is
stepped, over to the vessel and gingerly there? ,
ran a thick forefinger along the electric "We could try to get in touch with it
connection to the encephalograph. When by telepathy," he pondered.
the bulb suddenly glowed, he nodded and I was astonished at him. I would never
murmured. His coarse bloated face shone have considered such an unorthodox meth-
with a strange inner light. od, approaching an unknown medium by
"The brain is alive," he said, as if he using an equally unknown component.
had discovered a cosmic truth. "No d9ubt I must have shaken my head in disap-
It is alive! We must find a way to get its proval, for he continued, "Why not? Let's
messages;" use this Idea as an a priori and not wait for
He sat down heavily again and half the slow gathering of experimental evi-
closed his eyes, thinking. He did not seem dence! The brain produces micro short-
discouraged by the apparent hopelessness waves. The surrounding air is permanent-
of the task he was setting himself. ly electrically charged with nine thousand
He ran the paper strip through his fin- frequencies. Our brain waves send our os-
gers and examined it closely. cillations that disturb the electric field of
"Alpha, beta, and delta frequencies," he the atmopshere, which in turn conducts
said. "But they can't be deciphered." the waves to the receiver. The thinking
He dropped the strip, discarding the idea brain is the transmitter, the other brain
of reading its curves. is the receiver."
"There's no possibility of decoding that," "What other brain?" I asked.
he said definitely. "You tried, didn't you?" "Yours," he said.
I nodded. -He stared at me, snorted, and nodded,
"You went at it the wrong way. And you furrowed his brow and nodded again, as
knew it. . . . " if he had already proven his theory.
J began to defend my theory to make "You have just handed me a theoretical
him prove I was wrong. analysis of the phenomenon of telepathy,"
"If you registered every thought-wave I said dryly, "and it's primitive."
on a paper strip," I said, "and made your- "There is clarity In simplification," he
self familiar with Its curve, you ought to answered earnestly, without conceit.
be able to comps^re the encephalogram Conceit sets a limit to wisdom, and
from Donovan's brain with your own Schratt lacks conceit to the point of self-
thought dictionary. Assume I register my negiation.
encephalogram of the word 'Horse.' I pondered the explanation.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DdNOVAN'S BRAIN
Brain number one the transmitter, brabi Donovan's brain lacks the cooperation of
number two the receiver, the surrounding the spinal cord, and by itself cannot pro-
air the electric field. duce enough power to Influence my nerv-
All this could be proven. The encephal- ous system.
ograph verified the fact that the brain re- I find myself at the dreaded borderline
leased microvolts. The electrical field of where experiments reach a dead end. A
the surrounding aiir can be measured. But new approach tc the. problem is needed,
what about the receiving end, the second but I have no new ideas. .
brain? How could we know that it would Schratt has not discussed the problem
transform microwaves back into thoughts with me again. Since he has no further
which had originated in another brain? suggestions to offer, he shuns me. I have
There was, simply, a body of public tes- nothing to tell him, either, and we avoid
timony and my own personal experience each other.
that telepathy is not a fake.
A thought created in the mind of per- TTANiCE fainted last night. Schratt Is tak-
son number one can be received by person aJJ Ing care.of her. I am sure the desert
number two. It is plausible that our brain heat has made her anemic. She shoiild get
works like a radio station. away from here before she pays for her
"Granting your theory of the working stubbornness. She has been warned often
of telepathy is true,, how could we apply enough. So I am not to blame.
It to this problem?" I asked. Franklin brought magazines and news-
"Try," Schratt said, gropingly. "Try to papers with new stories about Donovan.
cut out your own thoughts. Donovan's One showed his funeral at Forest Lawn.
thoughts might transmit themselves to Behind the cofiln walked his son Howard,
you." and Chloe, his daughter.
"I might Imagine things. I want a fool- Now Donovan is cremated and the last
proof test," I said impatiently. clue is destroyed. I am safe.
"There are plenty of famous mediums," Donovan apparently never thought his
he suggested. days would end so soon. He left no will.
"We might get a faker," I answered. I A man does not take leave of power to
had expected something better than this withdraw aimlessly from his duiiies. A man
unhealthy suggestion. "We're in a labora- wants to retire either to enjoy living or
tory, not at a spiritualist seance." because he is to die soon. Donovan did not
Schratt paced up and down, murmuring give up the reins of a hundred million dol-
to himself, shaking his head. He was pur° lar corporation to play golf in Florida or
suing the truth, and I, Instead of helping, read books. He was a man to whom work
had rejected his groping suggestions. was life Itself, who could not have lived
"Give me time." he said; "We will find on when his activities stopped. He knew
it." that, but he resigned from everything that
He walked to the door and left without he had lived for. There is some secret bo-
a goodbye. hind it.
The morning had come up. Dawn lighted The papers have speculated and rumored
the sky. that Donovan had hid millions away. Dur-
I felt tired. My thoughts were not co- ing the last years of his life he withdrew
herent. This state of weakness, I recog- great sums of cash that have not been
nized, might Increase my receptiveness. found in his private bank accounts.
Schratt's theory might work! A story In one of the Sunday magazine
I pushed a chair close to the brain. It sections was called "The Mansion of Lost
was awake. The lamp was burning. Millions." It showed Donovan's Florida
I stared at the grayish mass of nerve tis- house, a big sprawling building where the
sues whose energies were busy changing money is supposed to be hidden. Here was
thoughts into electric currents. I tried to a crude drawing of Howard attacking the
clear the path for the message Donovan wood paneling with an axe, while Chloe,
might have for me. drawn with all emphasis on her sex, looked
on with burning eyes.
October 6th. One paper had my picture as I entered
After experimenting unsuccessfully for the hospital in Phoenix and my house here
days I have discarded telepathy altogether. In Washington Junction. A photo, too, of
Donovan's brain Is imadapted to it. The Janice and my car. I remember the shabby-
central nervous system consists of cere- looking photographer, who came here for
brum, cerebellum and spinal cord. But Information.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
î FAMOUS 'FaNTaSTIC -^MfSTERIES
"Dr. Patrick Gory, mysterious:physician land. Perhaps .you can make her do It!"
who operated on W. H. Donovan and in Schratt'looked at me and I. did not like
whose arms the millionaire died," read the the look. It was not for him to criticize me,
caption. but'Ineededhim.
There was a drawing of me in White's "I think I'm on the right track," I said
kitchen, dramatically holding the dying soberly, not wanting to become drunk with
man, -which said: "Did the millionaire my own enthusiasm and arrive at a wrong
whisper his secrets in the doctor's ear?" conclusion.
White was depicted at the station, point- Schratt did not speak, l had a feeling
ing to the grave where Donovan's legs are he resented-^my indifference towards Jan-
burled. And in the drawing of the plane ice.
wreckage, arrows marked ithe spots where "I tried out your suggestion of telepathy,
the bodies were found. The press has but Donovan's brain Is not strong enough,"
missed few tricks. Then I threw the pa- I said. "Thoughts cannot be amplified by
pers away. I was not interested in Dono- electrical devices. But there is a way of
van's life. My concern was the brain's fu- makingthem stronger."
ture. I sawhe was interested,; and itmade me
Ihad a telephone call about making a re- feel I was on the right track. I continued.
port on the accident to the airline com- "To-give you an example. If you broad-
mission in Phoenix. Since I want to have cast from a station with a weak'transmit-
the inquiries behind me, I sent in my re- ter, a receiver cannot amplify the sound
port speedily. waves beyond a certain' distance, and in-
I want them to -forget Donovan, creasing the power ôf the receiver does
not help. Theipower:of the transmitter has
October 7th. to be increased."
•Last-night I-had an impulse to turn on •I waited for Schratt to digest my
the radio in the living room. -I do not thoughts, but 'he still did -not see what 'I
know what impelled «me. I never listen was-driving at. I went-on.
to it. Actually, I dislike this -instrimaent, . "we must Increase the electric thought
which only .distracts me, but impulse,, born discharge of Donovan's brainiuntil it can
in the subconscious, sometimes -motivates contact a sensitive brain."
action which seems .without purpose. I Schratt grasped the idea but he could
recognize this extra-rsensory faculty and not perceive at once the methodLwas con-
never try to resist it. templating.
•Janice was istill up, mending one of ';if the 'Vesicular or gray cells," I ex-
Schratt's shirts., I was struck again by'her plained, "could be charged with'ten thou-
anemic look. She has lost weight consid- sand or more microvolts instead of With
erably. When I entered, she:put her work ten-to:onerhundred, the output of the tele-
down, thinking I wanted to talk to her, pathic power would increase tenfold. It
but I-turned on the radio instead. might become strong-enough so that the
I found a short-wave Spanish broadcast, brain could influence every living being."
turned the diar and a French one came
CHRATT nodded, but fearfully. "You
in,-less clear, the fadings sometimes blot'
ting out the music. I dialed again, and an
American coast-to-coast hook-up came 'fbut
S may be right, Patrick,"-he said slowly,
."
through strongly. Suddenly I knew twhat I • 'He hesitated. I hated his 'reluctance, his
was looking for and the inspiration made negative attitude. I wanted help, not dis-
me flush hotly all over. couragement.
I rushed out to Schratt's room to tell him "Don't start throwing ethical monkey
what I had discovered. wrenches into the ^ works again I" I said
He sat up, thenjumped out of bed with hotly. "I must .go forward. I have no time
frightc grabbing his greasy bathrobe. "Has for ideals.outside my researches:" .
anyithinghappened to Janice?" , "You're dealing with a power you might
"She is all right," Î.said.. not be able to control," Schratt said monk-
The fear floated out of Schratt's face ishly. "Brainpower is unlimited, and unprer
but.there was still despair. dictable." . -
"She's in bad shape, you know," he told "Should experiments stop 'because -they
me. might become dangerous?"'I asked,tired of
My impatience 4eft no time to discuss him and his cowardice. "I :can terminate
Janice. my rresearoh any time Î .please;"
"I've told her to go back to New Eng- "How?"
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN
n
"Shut off the pump. Cut off the circulat- thinking of my problem in exchange for
ing blood, and Donovan's brain will die." something he wanted me to do. I prom-
"Let me think it over," he answered, but ised to see Janice before she leaves.
I left the room.
October 17th.
October 10th. Through criminal negligence I produced
Installed another ultraviolet lamp, added an electric short. I dropped a pair of pliers
fresh blood serum to the arterial blood to and the 110-volt line for the pump short-
carry away the COu more quickly. Pre- circuited.
pared a new blood plasma, enriched it with There was a spark at the edge of the
concentrated bases, acids, salts, anlmo- vessel, the pump stopped.and the ence-?
acids, fats, proteins, so that it had the phalogram was blotted out. The pen ran
proper hydrogen in concentration. straight.
I want to overfeed the brain. The in- I repaired the wiring as fast as I could
crease in nourishing substance will affect and the pump started again, but the brain
the metabolism, Increase the sum of the did not react.
chemical and tissue changes. I was petrified with fear I had killed It I
October 12th. I added half a c.c. of 1-1000 adrenalin to
the serum.
The encephalograms are more vivid, After a few minutes, the lamp began to
alpha frequencies have disappeared com- glow,
pletely. The brain does not relax any more, waves.and the pen moved in excited delta
I was exhausted and faint.
but it falls asleep more frequently. The electric equipment must be strength-
The lamp burned only six hours and ened, a second pump must be installed for
thirty-eight minutes yesterday, six hours an emergency. At oncel
and twenty-Jlve minutes today. The in-
creased nourishment seems to have a sopo- October 18th.
rific effect and the brain sleeps as if re-
cuperating. The demand for sleep in- I found a message on the pad I use for
creases in direct proportion to the brain's notes! It was an illegible "scribble written
gain in strength. In hik.
The door of my laboratory was locked
October 14th. and bolted. The fingers of my left hand
Electrical potential and electric capacity were ink-stained.
have Increased to five hundred ten micro- I seem to have got up in my sleep, taken
volts. the pen and written these meaningless
New tissue cells have added to the gray scrawls. But I never walked in my sleep
matter. Since every normal lobe of the before! And I do not write with my left
human brain has been identified, named hand!
and examined, I wonder what functions I studied the scrawls without being able
ttiese new enlargements can have. to make out a meaning. I turned the paper
around until I finally recognized a definite,
October 10th. D, a V, an A, an N, and.two single letters'
Schratt came to see me. I showed him in front, one of them unmistakable aij
the enlarged brain and demonstrated Its H, the other an M or a W. The whole word
reactions. The electric beat has Increased was enclosed with a wavering line.
to more than a thousand microvolts. Soon W. H. Donovan.
I will be able to measure with an ordinary I t was, without doubt, Donovan's name.
voltmeter. I had written Donovan's signature with
Schratt has been thinking about how to my left hand, during my sleep!
feed the brain. He has brought human
brain ash from the Phoenix morgue. It WALKED over to the encephalogram
contains all the elements of which the I which I had left running all night., The
living organ is comprised. It is far more brain was asleep, but part of the paper
efficient to add tissue ash to the blood strip was marked with straight pen-
serum than to mix in dozens of gland ex- strokes which paralleled the edge of the
tracts. paper and could only have been produced
I thanked Schratt, and he used the op- In extreme excitement.
portunity to talk about Janice. She is leav- I suddenly felt weak, and sat down.
ing for Los Angeles, and he asked me to I remembered that Donovan was left-
see her. handed. I had read it in one of the maga°
He spoke seriously, as if he has only been zines.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
%4i FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES
Exhausted from overwork, I must haye- concentrates to my food. She kept me
walked in my sleep and unconsciously imi- healthy with a reinforced diet which I
tated Donovan's signature. My fever to seem to miss now. My sudden despair and
get in touch with his brain had produced weariness is lack of vitamin B-1.
this phenomenon. I am exhausted.
But suppose Donovan had ordered me to
do this? During the night, mental resist- October 27th.
ance is at low ebb. This is the time to in- I have received the message.
fluence a mind when consciousness, latent I wrote it myself, but clearly Donovan
between dream and reality, can sometimes ordered me to write while I was asleep.
!)d commanded to motor responses, like It is Donovan's name, written shakily
walking or. writing. like a weak signature of a sick man, or it
No! I cannot believe it! is shaky because I wrote with my left hand,
as Donovan did.
October 19th. It is exactly Donovan's, signature. I
I did not sleep all night, probably be- found a reproduction of it in a magazine.
cause I tried too hard. This is the same scrawl. The whole name
I had left paper and ink handy on the enclosed in a typical oval, the same hard
desk, but I received no telepathic com- lines of the H, the familiar flourish of the
mands. When, sometimes, I felt an urge N at the end of the word. It is not my
i to get up and take the pen, I fought the writing at all.
impulse down, fearing it might have re^ The brain has. found a way to get in
suited from my nervous state and not from touch with me. Probably the electric cur-
E>onovan's influence. rent shocked it into activity, perhaps
I had to be sure! charged the protoplasmic cells to the point
The more I have thought about the of mental combustion.
scrawls on the paper, the more I am coh- I sat on the corner of my bed for hours
vlnced that I was merely sleepwalking. without moving, too exhausted to think.
I have relapsed inta deep despair, con- I want proof, more proof!
vinced my experiment is a failure.
October 30th
October 20th. The proof came today. I had not ad-
Janice left today for Los Angeles. ministered a shook to the brain again,
I talked to her before Schratt took her for the electric voltage has risen to two
to the station, but I do not remember the thousand five hundred microvolts, and I
conversation. do not know how many ohm resistance
My mind revolves around the problem of the brain has.
Donovan's brain. I am impatient to sleep I was waiting at my desk when I sud-
and give Donovan a chance to get in touch denly felt tired. It was a strange, soft
with me. fatigue that entered not my body, but
Tonight I will take a sleep draught. This my brain.
may blot out my resistance. I was still thinking, but In a hazy,
drowsy fashion. Then I saw my left hand
October 21st. move, take the pen and.write.
How stupid to have taken veronal 1 It The name was written out stronger this
paralyzed my mind and prevented any time: Warren Horace Donovan. The long
response. flourish encircled it again, as if to prove
its authenticity.
I am in such a nervous state I hear My hand put the pen back, and my own
voices talking. thoughts slowly returned from the back
I must control myself. A nervous doctor of my mind. They reappeared as if emerg-
Is.not a scientist. ing from water, wavering first, then shap-
The best thing is not to force the ex- ing up clearly.
periment. To wait. I walked over to the vessel. Donovan's
brain was awake.
October 25th. "Did you ask me to write your name?"
.Nothing has happened these last days. I tapped out against the glass in Morse.
The brain's electric, output has risen to I waited. I repeated the message again,
fifteen hundred microvolts and still in- slower. A third time.
creasiBs. I have lost weight. Franklin pre-
pares the food. I realize now that Janice, I walked back to the desk.
knowing how little I eat, added vitamin Suddenly I felt the same sensation
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN
again, as my mind retreated Into dimness. ter seems to enter his mind. Katherine
I was completely aware what I was do- appears quite frequently. She was Dono-
ing, only the motor Impulses were out/bf van's wife, I found out by reading the
my control. stories in the magazines. Fuller was his
I saw my left hand pick up the pen, and lawyer.
in firm letters I wrote: Warren Horace I am able to trace many of the names
Donovanl my hand writes to Donovan's past.
But there are a score of others, as if
November 3rd. his memory is swept by a strange whirl-
The human brain cannot work on con- wind of faces.
tinuously, without restoring Itself at regu-
lar Intervals to transform potential into November 5th.
electric energy again. The more intense To test whether it still has power over
the activity, the more sleep is needed. me at a distance, I tried leaving the brain
Donovan's brain lapses into sleep more by itself today while I drove toward
than half the time. Phoenix.
Around its bare tissues a new layer of After fifteen miles from the house • I
graylsh-whlte matter is forming. Dono- was summoned by the brain. I turned and
van's brain is growing into a new shape. drove back to my house at top speed.
A new species of creature is building This incident proved a new fact. The
here, which never before existed in this brain is aware of what I am doing at a
mortal world. A ball of flesh whose life great distance.
depends on an electric pump and artificial It could not know where I had gone,
feeding, but capable nevertheless of send- but it was sure I was not in the room or
ing out energies of thought surpassing our in the house.
limited strength. Every day it grows in I assume that the relative strength oS
potentiality. the microvolts generated by my brain tells
It can impose its power over my Donovan whether I am present.
thoughts whenever it pleases.
First I have the strange sensation of November 6th.
another will compelling the movements The brain discharges approximately
of my hands and feet, commanding all 8500 microvolts.
the motor responses of my body. I do not know how much more new sub-
Then other thoughts from mine enter stance will attach itself to the brain.
my mind. The brain, bodyless itself, uses There must be a limit. Or is it theoreti=
my body to achieve an independence of its cally boundless, like a cancerous growth?
own.
November 10th.
LIVE a double existence. My thoughts Schratt entered the laboratory today
retreat into the back of my mind as I while the brain was ordering me to write.
observe, detached, the phenomena which Ihead heard him speak, but I did not turn my
to answer. I did not want to sever
Donovan's brain directs, t am then a the fine thread which connected me with
schizophrenic, a person whose personality the brain.
is split. UnliKe a man suffering from in-
trapsychosis ataxis, however, I am at all My left hand, like that of a child learn-
times conscious of my actions. ing to write, slowly formed words.
When Donovan's brain is asleep, I am Schratt called my name again and, when
undlstracted. I use this precious time to I did not answer, stopped hesitantly, in
continue this report of the case. the middle of the room. At first he thought
Donovan's thinking is still incoherent. he was interrupting some train of thought.
Occasionally I seem to receive a logical Then, alarmed at my strange behavior, he
stepped closer and looked over my shoul-
reply to the questions I communicate in der.
Morse through the glass vessel. Do the
vibrations thus created transmit the mes- I continued to scrawl words on the paper.
sage to the brain? It acts like a man in For the fifth time I wrote Hinds' naine.
fever or in sleep. It always orders me to Then I began to spell: California Mer-
write down the same names, which seem- chants' Bank. Then the name Hinds ap-
ingly have no connection with each other. peared again.
Roger Hinds is one of the names. Anton Schratt became alarmed. He bent for-
Sternll is another. Donovan's son, Howard, ward to look into my face, which was hid-
too, Is named, but no memory of his daugh- den from him as I sat hunched over the
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
76 FAMOUS PANTASHG MYSTERIES
table. A good doctor, he was careful not I Jumped' to the door. The bulb flickered
to-touch me for fear oif. shocking me. as if the brain was shaken by the strange
He took the small mirror from the wall commotion, too; As-1 ran past the vessel,
and, holding it in front of me, looked into I switched on the encephalograph to be
my eyes. He saw I was in a trance. My able to study the brain's reaction later.
eyeballs rolled, my mouth twitched. I The insane scream was silenced as fast
seemed unaware of his presence. as it had risen. A scuffling noise replaced
The brain discontinued its orders. I it, as if a big body were rolling across the
moved again. Schratt put down the mir- floor, upsetting the furniture.
ror and asked, half fearfully, "Didn't I switched on the living-room light and
you hear me?" saw Schratt's heavy body on the carpet.
I nodded. His own thick fingers around his throat
"Why didn't you answer?" were strangling him. His rattled breath-
I shoved toward him the papers covered ing, his red face and his protruding eyes
with the childish scrawls of the brain's showed me was suffocating.
dictation. He stared at it and his eyes I tried to loosen his grip at his throat,
shifted in fear to the glass vessel. but I could not unbend the fingers;
"I have contacted it," I explained. "Or Unexpectedly, while I was still work-
rather, it has contacted me." - ing over Schratt's body, a hand wheeled
I described everything I had experienced, me about and I stared into Franklin's
glad to be able to talk to someone about it. frightened face. Surprised by his at-
He would understand,. I thought, but tack, I struck out to defend myself and
Schratt grew more than alarmed. His Franklin stumbled; protecting his face
bloated face became livid and he shook his with his arms.
head in despair. I turned back to Schratt, who had
I made a last attempt to reason with fainted. His hands had fallen limply to
him. his sides. I ordered Franklin to help me
"Why can't you rid yourself of your in- lift him onto the couch;
hibitions?" I asked. "Human emotions Schratt's pulse had nearly doubled Its
should have no part in scientific research. normal beat, his heart was pounding h ^ v -
They obscure our observations. We can- ily; and I was afraid he might die of a
not permit ourselves to be afraid. Reason, stroke. I quickly opened his collar and
observation and courage make the scien- shirt and ordered Franklin to bring some
tist; but you seem to lack at least two. of Ice,
these essentials." When Franklin returned with the ice
"Don't be facetious," Schratt retortfed bag, I put it over Schratt's heart. Soon
laboredly. "We have debated too long the extreme palpitation slowed and' the
about the right and wrong of this experi- pulse came back to normal. Schratt sighed
ment. I beg you now to stop while it is j«id opened' his eyes. He stared at me in
stiliin your power to stop. Pleauie, Patrick terror; £ spoke soothingly and forced him
—^tum ofif the pump and let the brain die." tO! swallow some milk, but his teeth chat-
Suddenly tears ran> down his cheeks; tered so-he spilled half of it.
his huge body shook with his uncontrol-
CHRATT had been in the act of leaving.
lable emotion. It was a disgusting sight. He
was growing more helpless and senile every
day.
S His luggage stood near the door, and
his coat lay on a chair. I was puzzled at
his sneaking away by night. I could not
I stepped over to the worktable and figure out why he had come through- tile
busied myself vsrith some Instruments. I house at all when the nearest way from
did not turn around when he. left the
laboratory. his room was by the garden.
''What's the idea?" I asked> pointing to
November 11th. the luggage.
I had fallen asleep exhausted, my I stood up, and Schratt's features froze
strength and nervous energy drained by in terror. I could iiot- maike out what
the double life I am leading. ailed him; It was no cataleptic.fit. Then
A wailing, muffled shout echoed in my X followed his gaze and understood.
dream and woke me. It came from the The fiise box for the house and the
living-room. The cry rose to an insane laboratory-had- been pried open; Schratfis
shriek, as if someone were losing his mind hat lay on^ the floor near it.
from fear. I had never heard the voice I suddenly .understood and a cold mur°
before. derous rage gripped me.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 77
"You wanted to kill the brain!" I I tried to unravel the complications.
shouted. I nearly lost control of myself. Franklin, too, had heard Schratt's cries
He stared at me. I had frightened him for help. He had pulled me away so vigor-
more. ously I still felt the pain of his grip on
"You tried to strangle me," he said, his my shoulder. He would never have dared
mouth quivering. I had never seen him to touch me except in an emergency.
so out of control. A man cannot strangle himself.
I was shocked. He thought I had at- Schratt was right in stating the ab-
tacked him. surdity of what I said. It seemed beyond
Quietly and precisely, I explained how a doubt that I had attacked him.
I had found him. I actually had saved Has the brain reached such strength
him from committing suicide! It can order me to kill? If it has, what is
"Nobody can strangle himself," Schratt the limit of its power? As human energy
said scornfully. "You know that is im- in a moment of mortal danger rises to its
possible, Patrick." highest peak, it is conceivable that the
Schratt got up and stood on trembling brain, spending all its resources, called
legs. me to its rescue.
"I'll see you In the morning," he croaked. It was aware of Schratt's decision to
When I tried to help him, he refused cut off the electricity. The machinery and
my aid. the electric circuit are as vital to the
I returned to the laboratory. The bulb brain's existence as heart and lungs to a
was dark, the brain asleep. The ence- normal being. When Schratt approached
phalogram showed extreme Irregular delta the fuse box, the brain felt itself threat-
waves. ened.
I sat down to reconstruct the accident. We understand scarcely any of the
That shout for help had wakened me. unpredictable phenomena of human brain
I could clearly remember the sound of the power. We only know that electric poten-
voice, and it did not seem to have been tials travel through the billion cells which
Schratt's. Still it Is very difficult to recog- form the gray matter of the brain.
nize a voice which Is strangled with terror. While I slept, my receptor neurons re-
It must have been Schratt's. Whose else ceived a strong stimulus from Donovan's
could I have heard? nervous center. Its potential. Increased
To dispel a suspicion—the consequences by the new cells, was strong enough to
of which were too complex for me to fol- influence the motor neurons and to compel
low up, now—I went to Franklin's room. me to come to its rescue. .Only, when
He was throwing his few belongings \a- Tranklin pulled me back, I woke from
to a battered old suitcase. My appear ,nce my murderous dream.
seemed to frighten him. . The brain could not influence Schratt,
His sudden decision to leave me after for he was not asleep as I was. This leads
so many years of service made me more to the conclusion that the brain can com-
doubtful of, myself. mand only persons who are asleep or will-
"You leaving, too, Franklin? In the ing to submit.
middle of the night?" I asked. The voice I heard in my dream was
Franklin slowly sat down on the bed, Donovan's, inaudible except to the secret
watching me with the same helpless ter- ear of my mind.
ror Schratt had displayed.
To put Franklin at ease, I told him he November 12th.
Tyas free to leave any time he liked, but Schratt came into the laboratory at
I would regret it very much. He calmed noon. He looked rested, had shaved care-
down a little and I asked if he had heard fully, and wore an expression of youth-
Dr. Schratt calling for help. ful determination that surprised me.
To my relief, he nodded. But when I To my further surprise, he greeted me
asked why he had dragged me away from with a smile.
Schratt, he frlghtenedly confessed he had "Franklin has deserted. We'll have to
found me attacking him. get used to each other's cooking," he said
"Dr. Schratt was having a cataleptic gaily.
flt," I answered curtly. "I was only helping Deliberately I talked of last night and
him." of my regret at having attacked him while
Franliilin nodded, but>I could see he did under the influence of Donovan's brain.
not believe me, and when I went back I promised to prevent a repetition of sucfe
to the laboratory, I felt.ujpset and uneasy. an occurrence.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
He nodded soberly, seemingly without memory, and hi its memory I do not exist.
misgiving, and excused himself of having But Donovan knew the California Mer-
tried to interfere with the experiment. chants' Bank. In my dream I entered and
Suddenly he enlarged on the unlimited walked over to the teller, a sallow-faced
possibilities of my researches. He con- man with a small mustache. I.asked for
gratulated me on their success as demon- a blank check, stepped to a desk and
strated last night, and added jokingly filled out the form for a huge sum, signed
that he saw me getting the Nobel prize thie check with the namie of Roger Hinds,
soon. of whom I have never heard except
I could not account for this sudden through the brain.
change of attitude. Before I took the check to the cashier,
I explained the misadventure by eluci- I drew an ace of spades in the upper
dating my theory of the brain's new right-hand corner.
powers. Pointing out the new cell forma- The dream repeated itself without a sin-
tion which had twisted the brain out of gle variation, like a story told for a child
shape, I stated my conviction that the tele- to remember.
pathic power might have its source there.
Schratt agreed with me and, rationaliz- HEN I woke I always found on my
ing his sudden change of attitude, he said, W desk a paper with a crudely drawn
"I had a bad night, Patrick, but I deserved map of Los Angeles on which some of the
it. I had no right to interfere with your streets and the Merchants' Bank were
researches. I'm getting old and wacky, plainly marked. -
and repentant. You have your genius and The message was clear enough, but It
you'd be a fool not to use it to capacity. did not make sense. I asked Schratt's
Envy made me flght you. Forgive a Jealous advice, and he urged me to leave at once.
old man." I stood at a crossroads in my work. If
I still could not see the reason for his I took orders from the brain, I, no longer
sudden change of attitude, but I took it the scientific observer, would be practically
at face value, glad to have him for a col- a tool.'
laborator as I had always wished. The brain could not force me to go.
Franklin has left for good. My free will was not impaired yet, and I
was still strong enough to refuse this
November 2l8t. fragment of living tissue which I was
I am at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los cultivating in a glass respirator.
Angeles. . Once Donovan had almost compelled me
Schratt has taken over the job of nurs- to murder, but an eruption of force could
ing the brain. He was so enthusiastic about not be produced at wUl. It was generated
his duties, he silenced my apprehensions. by most extraordinary circumstances.
I can trust him to record the brain's My money was running low. I found a
reactions minutely. I will talk to him few himdred dollars Janice had left for
every day by phone. me and gave them to Schratt. I was act-
Before I decided to leave Washington ing for the brain according to a plan which
Junction, I got in touch with the brain had been conceived in its inert matter.
by Morse, and signaled it my decision.
Since its experience had stopped at the
I have trained myself to receive its reply moment of the plane crash, it must be
at once. I. can make my mind blank and carrying but some plan it had nursed
completely receptive. since before the accident.
The brain seemed eager for me to go.
What the purpose of my journey is I do November 22nd.
not know yet, but the command to go was This morning I had an annoying inter-
clear. ruption. I was ready to leave the hotel
The same dream had haunted me for for the bank when the clerk informed
nights, and I am sure it contained the me that a Mr. Yocum urgently wanted to
message Donovan wants me to communi- see me. I did not know anybody by that
cate, name, but I said to have the man wait
Donovan never saw me, for he was in a for me in the lobby.
coma when I found him. Consequently, As soon as I came down in the elevator,
the brain cannot picture me and I did I recognized Yocum. He was the shabby
not actually see myself in the dream. Since photographer who had taken my picture
the brain is incapable of receiving new outside the Phoenix hospital. The man
visual impressions, it must rely on its was pretending not to see me. He had
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 79
an old leather briefcase under his arm. "You can have the negative," Yocum
When the clerk pointed him out to me, he proposed quietly.
came over quickly and stood so close he As I leaned forward, he stood up quickly,
almost touched me. afraid I might strike him. I managed to
"Dr. Cory?" he asked In a hoarse voice. look impassive.
He stared at me as If he hoped to in- "I don't want it. What would I do with
timidate me, but when I stared back his it?" I asked.
gaze dropped. He smiled, but his chin trembled. He had
I was sure he had planned this entrance been working himself up to this moment so
carefully, but he lacked courage to carry long. He wanted money. It seemed ac-
the scene through. His whole appearance tually within his reach.
was of a man unstable in his emotions, Obviously, he needed it badly. His suit
shaken by fear. I could tell he was up to was shiny and the sliirt front beneath it
something and his anxiety betrayed his nothing but a starched dickey. When he
desire to carry out the plan. moved, I saw he was naked inside his
I did not speak. I kept on staring at coat.
him. Neurotics soon.lose courage. It was He grew pale as he saw how I stood
obvious that he needed money. He had there just smiling. His eyes, red and hun-
been on my trail ever since the accident, gry and deep-sunk in his gaunt face,
taking photographs at the hospital, spy-, glared desperately.
ing on me and my household. Suddenly "Who gave you permission to photo-
I guessed what he was after. He had graph the body?" I asked.
photographed Donovan in the morgue and He did not answer, but sitting down
examined the bandages. again he said passionately, "Donovan's
My concern must have shown in my family would pay a big price for this.'
face for he suddenly found his courage They'll be interested in knowing you stole
again and said, "Could I see you alone?" W.H.'s brahi!"
We walked into the cocktail bar and sat I leaned back in my chair, shocked by
down. his outburst. What did he know about
"I took a picture of you in Phoenix. Donovan's brain?
Here it is," he began nervously, opening "And here is another one," he said with
his briefcase. relish. He felt he had me in a corner, now,
His fingers, long, thin and stained with and he thoroughly enjoyed the advantage.
tobacco, held the photo in front of me. I He put the picture on the table. It
did not look at it. Z waited silently. Again had been photographed through the win-
he lost his pqise and for a minute nothing dow of my laboratory at night. He used
was said. a flashbulb; the vessel and electric appara*-
"I don't care to buy the picture." I fin- . tus showed up clearly. He had touched up
ally spoke, and my words gave him a the picture with a brush and marked the
cue. brain.
He nodded and quickly drew another Yocum sighed and licked a film of saliva
photo from the briefcase. across his lips. The typical neurotic, he
This one was of Donovan In the morgue. had maneuvered himself into a spot where
I could not help looking at it. Donovan's he could not back out without losing his
face had grown dim in my memory and, skin.
seeing it, I was intrigued to identify those I wondered what Donovan would have
features with the brain I had learned to done with this desperate imbecile. I was
know so intimately. not used to dealing with blackmailers,
Yocum watched my obvious interest and the fool might ruin my whole ex-
with growing boldness.- periment.
"I knew you'd like it," he said with ah There was no use trying to buy him off.
expression which alarmed me. "And here If I got the negatives, he would go to
is one which will really interest you." Donovan's family with other prints he
He had photographed Donovan's head had made.
without'bandages. The skull was lifted up He was not going to miss any tricks.
and the cottol wool I had stuffed into the His single-mindedness increased the dan-
cranium was visible. It was a good clea,r ger. His type stops at nothing.
job of photography. I had no money.
For a moment I was too shocked to move. "How much do you want for the nega-
Then I picked up the picture and turned tives?" I asked.
It face down on the table. He grinned and nervously touched a
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
FAMOUS FANTASTIC ^MYSTERIES
dirty handkerchief to his shaking lips. fully drew an ace of spades Into the upper
"Five thousand dollars." right-hand corner. Not for a moment did
-Ingot up. He hugged his briefcase close I doubt that the cashier wouldigive me the
to him. His eyes were pleading. He had money. He picked up the check, then
lost all of his air of assurance and was looked startled.
only pitiful. "Mr. Hinds?" he asked.
"All right," I said. "But I don't have "In big bills," I answered, disregarding
that much money on me. And you don't the question.
want a check." "Please endorse the check yourself on
If I could stall him off for a day, I might the back, sir," he said, to find out my
find a way out. Donovan had to do some- name.
thing to save us. If only I could get in -1 wrote Patrick F. Cory In my own hand-
touch with him! writing.
"You'll find me at the Ontra Cafteria, He stared at it irresolutely.
Hollywood and Vine, at eight tonight," he "Make it big bills," I heard myself re-
said, looking past me with an expression peat as the man disappeared with a mur-
of -mingled suUenness and excitement. mured excuse.
Abruptly, he turned and walked away, The policeman at the door >moved for-
his ^narrow shoulders hunched up to his ward to keep an eye on me. I knew I
ears. must have aroused his suspicion, Ibut still
not the slightest apprehension, or even
iWO HUNDRED miles from Washington the thought of preparing an explanation
T Junction and my laboratory, now, I sud- entered my vmind.
denly ifelt incapable of the task whlchâd It was Donovan who acted. I was per-
beien set for me. I t presented seemingly fectly at ease,-let'him take care of every-
insurmountable dlfflcultles. thing.
I sat down in one of the soft chairs "The manager wants to see you, Mr.
Ini^the^lobby and'tried to organize a cam- Gory;" The man with the mustache 'had
paign. When Inclose my eyes, I felt the come back and was leading me over to
strange sensation that always ^preceded a small of^ce.
the brsiin's :messages, ^creeping ;upon me. A^bald-headed man sat tbehind a brown
jMy mind :dlmmed and though I could desls. He got up, muttered his name -and
still'recognize myown thoughts, they were asked, "Mr. Hinds?"
hidden ibehind a transparent screen, cut "I am Patrick Coiy, fMsD.," I said, and
off'from my full .consciousness. the man 'turned over the check and nod-
I felt a strong urge to get up. Obed- ded. He offered ;me a chair, waited In
iently I rose -and 'left the hotel, walked silence till the door opened again and
down the street, stopping for trafiao sig- another man entered.
nals, moving iperfunctorlly, guided by "This is Mr. Mannings, Dr. Cory:"
Donovan's will. The newcomer had the unmistakable
I idid not resist the powerful impulse look ot a ^private detective. We shook
which propelled me. hands.
• Donovanfs ibrain idid not wacillate. >It "Would you'mind answering a few ques-
was closed "to new .impressions, shut off tions. Dr. <Cory?"
from new ideas which flow across the "Is anything wrong iwith the check?"
ordinary mind in an unending -stream, al- I asked.
ways, ?to distract it. -Donovan's brain was The manager looked at the detective, but
thinking ^straight and to the point, the at the same time answered my question
one point on^. Its single thought (pro- with a nod.
pelled me. "No. We have compared this signature
I-stopped at the Galifomia Merchants' with the original signature of Mr. Hinds.
Bank-which I seen in my dream. I pushed It is the same, undoubtedly. Also the
open "the door and walked over to the sign in the corner proves it, the ace of
teller, who, as I had visioned him, was spades. Mr. Hinds demanded that only
sallow-faced and -black-mustached. I checks so marked be honored."
asked for a blank check, stepped back to He was speaking,quickly, eager to con-
the writing desk and picked up a pen in vince himself he was not making a mis-
my left hand.. take.
I ailed out the-check to cash, fifty The detective entered the conversation.
thousand dollars, signed the name Roger "If -you made out the check jyourself, ;yoa
Hinds in Donovan's handwriting and care- must be Hinds, not Dr.-Cory." , ,.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 31
Instead of answering, I put my doctor's I had received no definite order from It.
credentials down In front of him. Lying on my bed in the hotel room wait-
"Am I obliged to Inform you about my ing for Donovan to communicate with me,
private affairs?" I asked quietly. X felt that I had reached the borderline
"Of course not," the manager hastened of sanity beyound which the firm rational
to assure me. "Only this account was ground falls away from under our feet.
opened imder extraordinary circum- I picked up the phone to call Schratt,
stances." but I must have asked for the hospital,
He waited for me to say something, but because Cedars of Lebanon answered. Since
when I sat silent, he continued, "We re- I was connected anyway, I asked for
ceived quite a large sum of money and a Janice. < ,
letter from Mr. Hinds, who did not give When I heard her voice, distant and full
us his address and is unknown to us, with of happy surprise, I suddenly felt calm.
the request that we open an account for Promising Janice to see her one day
him. A commercial account. No interest." soon, I quickly hung up.
He stressed the fact that he found it I had to meet Yocum, and after that I
strange for so large a sum to he deposited would go back home to continue the re-
where it would earn no interest. It was search myself. There was nothing to gain
against his business principles. by staying away from the brain longer.
"That was nearly twelve years ago. Now I knew now that distance did not lessen Its
the first check Is drawn against the ac- influence, and with this proved, the pur-
count, and you have signed it. If you are pose of my journey was achieved.
not Mr. Hinds, we would be happy to re- I told the clerk I was checking out next
ceive some information about the gentle- day. Then I opened the briefcase and put
man, because"—^he smiled wanly—"the half the money into my pockets. Yocuin
bank likes to know the clients it Is serv- had said five thousand dollars; he might
ing." ask for more. I did not care how much I
"You mean in case of stolen money?" paid him. It was not my moniey and t
I asked. wanted to get rid of it.
"Oh, no. We know what bank the notes I had never had so much money in my
came from. We always check on that." The hands before, but it was just so much
manager spoke with professional pride. paper to me. My sense of property was
"But Mr. Hinds. . . ." limited to the Instruments I used in my
"I am Dr. Cory. Will you please cash laboratory. Janice bought and took care
the check now? I am in a hurry!" I got up. of all the rest, my suits, shirts, shoes, our
The manager rose too. He appeared dis- food, the house.
tressed. I had fifty thousand dollars in my pocket
"You're within your legal rights. Dr. belonging to a character named Roges
Cory, not to answer queistions," the detec- Hinds. Did he exist at all, or was this &
tive said, but there was a hidden threat secret account Donovan had kept for some
in his voice. purpose I could not guess?
Half an hour later I walked out of the Why had Donovan sent me for fifty
bank with my pockets bulging with money. thousand dollars when the blackmailer only
What should I do with it? Pay the black- asked five?
mailer? I left the briefcase with the rest of the
I bought a briefcase, stuffed the money money in the hotel safe and went out.
into it, and went back to the hotel. I felt I was curious as to how Donovan treated
tired as always when the brain had com- blackmailers. He must have had plenty of
municated with me. I went upstairs to rest experience. His success was built on fraud,
and to wait for further orders. threat, bribery and foul play. This little
Janice was in town. She had left a man should present no problem to him.
message for me to ring her at Cedars of
Lebanon Hospital. Schratt had told her WALKED down Hollywood Boulevard
where I was staying. toward Vine. It was eight o'clock and
I was at a loss to understand what the Donovan had not told me what to do.
brain intended to do. To all appearances When I arrived at the cafeteria, a big
it had prepared itself to meet Yocum's place crowded with people, I was still at
demand, or it would not have sent me to a loss what to say to Yocum. For a few
the bank. minutes I walked up and down at the en-
The brain seemed to want me to pay trance, hoping for advice, but no command
Yocum and get the negatives, but still reached mg.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
FAMOUS FANTASTIC ]V[YSTERIES
Perhaps the brain was asleep? Should There were a couple of kitchen chairs and
I telephone Schratt and ask him to wake a table: The windows were so dirty they
it? - looked paint smieared.
"Dr. Cory?" a voice whispered behind Yocum was acting very strange. He had
me. carefully spread the bank notes over the
It was Yocum. He clutched his briefcase floor and had taken off his shoes and
close to his chest and even by the yellow socks. He was walking on the money in
light that shone through the bright win- his bare feet, careful not to disarrange it.
dows of the restaurant, I could see that He stomped like an ostrich, lifting his
his cheeks were flushed with fever. feet high; Then he jumped into the air,
He led me to a shabby car in the park- hit the floor again with knees bent, and
ing lot next to the cafeteria. It had a balanced there, elbows lifted, hands
California license plate with a very easy dropped like,a big bird flapping its wings.
number to remember. All the time he uttered little cries, his
He moved his lips in a soundless attempt eyes glowing with a feverish ecstasy.
to talk. I could tell he had tuberculosis I pushed the door open. Yocum froze
of the throat; the glottal ligaments were in his tracks, then fell on his knees and
affected already and his voice had given grabbed the money.
out. He turned toward me, his mouth hanging
In his excitement he was unaware that I open with fright, stepped behind the table
could not hear him. and pressed the money to his chest. The
I took the money from my pocket and tattered dickey he wore slid aside and
he dropped his case to grab the notes with showed his bony thorax.
both hands. "What do you want?" he asked hoarsely.
I picked up the briefcase and opened it. He had got his voice back.
Three negatives and some prints were in "The other negatives," I said, "and the
It, wrapped in newspaper. rest of the prints."
Yocum made no other attempt to talk. Yocum retreated, alarmed, into a corner
He stepped into his car, slammed the door, of the room., "I have no other negatives,"
and rolled up the window. He smiled at he said dully, but he was sizing me up.
me, showing big yellow teeth, moved his "Five thousand more If you hand over
lips again, and drove off. everything you have," I said.
As soon as he had left, I stepped into His chin began to tremble.
a taxi. Donovan had called it. In an ex- "Ten thousand," he said slowly.
cited voice, I ordered the driver to follow "Then there are other negatives!" I
the small yellow coupe, but I could not stepped closer, and he retreated at once.
figure out what the brain purposed by On the mantelpiece lay matches and an
pursuit. old pipe with a much bitten stem. I lighted
Yocum drove hiai car down the boulevard, a match and threw It Into the fireplace.
weaving in and out of traffic. Brakes The paper and photos flared up.
shrieked and cars skidded to a stop. Yocum stared at me, petrified. He did
"That guy will get a ticket!" the driver not dare run past me, though he was crazy
called back through the window. to get out of the room.
We drove up Laurel Canyon, but the "You can take everything for five," he
yellow coupe had disappeared. At Kirk- stammered.
wood Drive, having lost Yocum, I dismissed The fire, fed by the celluloid oh the
the taxi and walked, on, climbing the grade. photoprints roared brightly. With one foot
I was not following a plan, just leaving I kicked a hunk of flame onto the rug-
it to Donovan- to show me where to go. covered mattress.
Up ah unpaved road, deeply rutted with When Yocum jumped forward to pass
rain, I discovered Yocum's car, its door me, I grabbed him by his thin neck and
open, parked at the bottom of a small hill. dragged him to the door. The money
A hundred feet further a ramshackle hut fluttered out of his hands. He did not try
was half hidden behind tall eucalyptus to fight; paralyzed by fear,, he simply
trees. collapsed in my hands. His voice left him
I climbed the hill and peered through again and he screamed soundlessly with
the'window of the cottage. In the middle wide open mouth.
of a dirty room stood Yocum, in front of I pulled him out of the house, his feet
a fireplace stuffed with rubbish, old paper dragging in the dust. Behind me I heard
and discarded photographs. In one corner the crackling of the flames, devouring the
a ma'ttress was covered with torn blankets. old shack.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 83
I walked on, yanking Yocum behind me. He laughed at me as if the joke pleased
I stuffed him into the car, slid behind the him.
wheel and drove rapidly off. "Then I found out everything about you.
At the bottom of Kirkwood Drive I You didn't have much money, but when
turned left and followed the road up Laurel I trailed you here and saw you, go Into the
Canyon. Distant fire sirens shrieked and bank, you stuffed bills into that briefcase.
a white pall of smoke drifted up over the It wasn't very smart to carry all that
canyon. around. I had asked for five thousand and
At the intersection of Laurel and Mul- I could just as well have said a million,
hoUand Drive, I had to stop to let some but what difference would It have made?
fire engines pass. Then I slowly drove the When I had the money, you burned it!'--
car up a dirt road. He was going to die soon. I did not give
Yocum did not move. His bony head him more than six months. Why shouldn't
had dropped onto his knees. he die on Donovan's money? I took a
When he finally lifted his face, he looked bundle of bank notes from my pocket, and
punch-drunk. passed it to him. I held out the notes, and
"You burned the money," he whispered. I felt no interference. Donovan did not
I stared at the valley below me, at the object.
mountains behind Burbank. Suddenly I Yocum stared at the money in my hand,
was uneasy. Donovan had stopped giving not daring to touch it.
me orders and I was on my own. "Buy yourself a golden camera. Rent
"AH my life I wanted a little money," a room in a sanitarium," I said. "Get your-
Yocum murmured. "Now you burned it." self into shape again!"
His despair overcame his fear and he He took the bills, and moved his lips
began to accuse me. convulsively.
"Look at me. Rotting away." He opened I walked away. I preferred to hike the
his dirty coat to show his fleshless body. mile down to Ventura Boulevard rather
"I don't want to die. I wanted to live for than be embarrassed by his sentimental
once, and you burned my money!" outburst.
He did not remember that he had black- A cab on Wilson Drive took me back to
mailed me. The money had been in his the hotel.
grasp, and to take it away from him was I phoned Schratt before I packed to
robbery. leave for Washington Junction to tell him
Sliding out of the car, he stood tottering I was on the way. The operator had to
at the edge of the embarkment. He was ring several times before there was an
at the end of his rope. answer.
"Ito thirty-eight," he murmured, bend- "I was asleep," Schratt explained, but his
ing over me as if accusing me with these voice sounded wide awake. "How are you,
words. "I haven^t had a decent meal in Patrick?"
years! I have to have money now! I can't I told him I would be home next day.
get it by working; I'm sick and they don't He indicated no enthusiasm; I had the
want a man who coughs and loses his Impression my return embarrassed him.
voice. They want them healthy and strong. I was afraid something had gone wrong
Not like me." with the brain.
He seemed to be pleased that life had "Oh, no," Schratt answered hastily.
been consistently cruel. "Everything is fine, I just measured the
"I photographed Donovan's empty skull electric discharge, i t increases rapidly in
to show how he was killed. I had no plan output, close to five thousand microvolts
when I made the shot. Maybe they always now. The brain has grown twice its ori-
take out dead men's brains; I wouldn't ginal size, too; If this continues, we shall
have known. Then I took pictures of your have to have a bigger flask. I have enough
house and your wife and your car. I got brain ash for the serum. You needn't wor-
one shot through the window of your ry, Patrick!"
laboratory, and when I enlarged the He was very eager to dispel my un-
photo, I saw the thing swinging in the easiness, but did not encourage me to re-
gliass bowl. It looked like Donovan's miss- turn. He wanted me to stay in Los An-
ing brain to me. I put two and two to- geles and go wherever the brain told me
gether and knew jrou were up to some- to.
thing. They don't just casually take out He talked as if he were carrying out
people's brains and dump them iiito gold- the experiment and I were the apprentice.
fish bowls!" "By the way," he went on, "how is Jan-
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
Ice? Did you see her? She Is at Cedars of desk as he rose to move over toward me.
Lebanon." "I am Dr. Cory," I said. "W. H. Donovan
"I've talked to her," 1 answered, "but sent me."
haven't seen her yet." My words had a curious effect. He
"You ought to," he said. This time there stopped in his tracks. His sightless eyes
was honest concern in his voice. shifted nervously.
"I may," I answered, "but even so I'll be "Mr. I Donovan is dead," he answered
back tomorrow." uneasily.
Schratt had nothing to reply. We hung "Of course." I said. "He died in my
up. house at Washington Junction."
It was close to midnight, but before I Sternli asked me to sit down, and felt
went to bed I put a pad and pencil within his way back to the desk.
reach. I was drowsy. The street noises "What can I do for you. Doctor?" he
grew dim. Someone in the next room was asked, j
talking on the phone, but soon his voice "Donovan told me to get in touch with
lost its animation and his words grew you. He wanted me to bring you five hun-
meaningless. dred dollars."
In the half dream which dulled ray mhid, I took the money from my pocket and
I repeated a name I had heard somewhere put it on the table, but Sternli was too
before: Anton Sternli. The thought ran near-sighted to see my motion. He looked
in circles in my half consciousness, and toward me irritatedly, as if he had not
followed me into my sleep. understood, then repeated, "Five hundred
dollars."
November 28th. I got up and laid down the money in
Today, for the first time in a week, I am front of him. He bent down to peer at it.
able to continue my record. The night Suddenly he smiled and said In a humor-
after I burned Yocum's shack, I did not ous tone, "It comes just in time. As a
dream of anything so far as I can remem- matter of fact, money always comes In
ber, but Schratt's voice repeated a single time or too late, but never too soon. I have
sentence; unendingly. The phrase made no broken my glasses and could hardly afford
sense to me, but all the time it echoed in new ones; they are very expensive. I am
my -sleep, a terror gripped me as if the nearly blind."
words were a threat of mortal danger. He picked up a broken lens from his
"Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he desk and looked through it toward me.
thrusts his fists against the posts and still "You don't mind if I stare at you like
insists he sees the ghosts." this? It is all that is left. I sat on them!"
Unmistakably it was Schratt's voice that He chuckled ruefully.
spoke again and again. It followed me We sat silent until he questioned in a
into the day. kind voice, "W. H. thought of me before
I got up. On the floor I found a message he died? Then I certainly misjudged him
I had written in the night. Anton Sternli, all his life."
Pasadena, 120 Byron Street, was clearly put He shook his head and carefully put
down in Donovan's handwriting. down the fragment of glass. "What else
Five hundred dollars I had written after did he tell you?"
the name and following it the number: "Nothing. He was in no condition to
B1425. talk." , .
I dressed and went out to find that man. "He did not tell you who I am?" he asked.
At once, not to embarrass me, he added,
| E DID not live at 120 Byron Street, but "I was Mr. Donovan's secretary for many
J. at 210. That proved that Donovan's years. To be more precise, during all the
memory is not infallible. He can make years a man can work to provide for his
mistakes like an ordinary human being. old age."
When I rang the bell, a young girl of The room was poorly furnished, except
fourteen opened the door. I asked for Mr. for the rows of expensive books carefully
Sternli and she let me into a small library arranged on sturdy shelves. The walls were
where an old man, bent and white-haired, dingy with age.
sat alone. "Didn't he leave you any compensation?"
He was so nearly blind, his eyes could I asked politely.
not focus me, but he did not wear glasses. Sternli smiled and nodded.
He: looked vaguely in the direction from "The memories of interesting tlmeis, yes.
Which my voice came, groping-along the But money? No! He never wbuldl That's
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN
why I am surprised he thought of me at ovan must have talked to me about Hinds,
a moment when every man should think of otherwise Sternll could not understand,
himself. Death was the last word that for I had mentioned the name in the first
could be mentioned in Mr. Donovan's place.
presence. We spoke of It only once, and I got up.
he said, 'Making a will is resigning life. Sternll held out his hand rather timidly,
Better not get the idea in yoiir head at and smiled.
all, or it bores into your consciousness like "Thank you, Dr. Cory, It was nice of you
termites in a house. They eat away in to bring me the money. But should we not
secret pntU one day when you least ex- inform Howard Donovan of this gift? He
pect it, the roof crashes onto you. Never is the heir, and he might object to my
mention death to m e ! ' " receiving it."
Sternll turned his face toward me, and The last tiling I wanted was to tip off
I saw he was not so old as I had thought. Howard Donovan and his lawyers where
He could not be more than fifty, but his the money came from, and I lied— "It does
erudite appearance, his gentle manner, his not belong to him. It was in an envelope
white hair, made him look twenty years with your name. Donovan gave it to me
older. before he died."
"How can I serve you, Dr. Cory?" he That did not sound very credible, but
asked. there was no way of proving I was lying.
My curiosity got ttie upper hand. "Thank you very much," Sternll said.
"Well—could you tell me something "If I can be of any service to you, please
about Roger Hinds?" let me know. I have a great deal of leisure."
He looked up sharply, a strange look In He took my arm to go to the door wlî
those myopic eyes tiiat did not focus; me. I suddenly felt Donovan trying to get.
then he smiled. a message through to me.
"Roger Hinds Is the name W. H. used "I should ask you for the key," I said in
on a bank account," he said. "I deposited the doorway.
money to It. i even remember the amount Sternll peered at me, surprised I had
of the first deposit. Eighteen hundred brought up an important request at the
thirty-three dtdlars and eighteen cents. moment of departure.
W. H. always liked my memory for things "The key...what key?" he asked, un-
which do not have much significance." easily.
"You mean Roger Hinds never existed?" I took the slip of paper with Sternll's
I asked. name and the serial number on- it out of
"I don't know. He may have, but I never my pocket and showed it to him. He held
saw him and W. H. never corresponded the paper so close to his eyes, it neariy
with hlai. He used to be very interested, touched them. When he dropped his hand,
however. In everyone named Hinds, and his face was flushed with amazement,
collected information about them. X don't "W. H.'s writing," he murmured. He
know why. One of this family is quite groped Ms way back into the room,; and
notorious recently. You'll fljid his name in returned with a key. It was small and
the headlines. He has been accused of flat, for a saf& deposit box.
murder. A very cruel case of homicide. It Alarmed by the erratte instructions the
happened the first of August.of this year, brain had given me, I walked back toward
at nine thirty at night." town. Donovan made mistakes; his mem-
He touched his f(H:ehead with a thin ory was slipping. The- depoi^t box num-
hand. ber had been written down, but the brain
"I can nevCT forget anything I read or had forgotten to mention the key in its
hear," he said apologetically. "Cyril Hindsf message. It had certainly intended to
He 4s in the county Jail, if that is of any inform me about it, for the number was
interest to you." pertinent to the key. But something had
In that strange conglomeration of reality gone wrong with its process of thinking
and the almost supernatural I did not la,tely. It had been precise, before.
know where niy own thinking began and I made a note of the hour and date I
Donovan's commands ended. had received the instructions the night
"He did not mention Hinds' name," i before the twenty-third of November, after
said truthfully. midnight. I must ask Schratt if he found
Sternll looked a t me and slowly lifted irregularities in the brain's reactions at
the piece of broken glass to M& eye. I that time. Is the organ sick? Is mental
realized I h a d contradicted myself. Don^ decomposition setting in?
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES
It Irritated me that the brain only re- "It's spinal concussion," she said;
membered to cwnplete its message when I closed my eyes. I ought to be suffering
I was leaving Anton Stemli's house. the pains of hell, if that diagnosis was
Walking along, I crossed a street where right.
road gangs were digging ditches. Machines "I got permission to come on this case
made a deafening noise, shoveling out myself," she said.
dirt and throwing it onto a moving band I looked at her face, white and trans-
which conveyed it to the trucks. parent in the yellow light of the lamp be-
I did not watch where I walked. Con- hind the screen in the far corner of the
centrated on Donovan, I was trying to room. Her eyes were enormous, dark.
force him to complete Instructions con- Everything seemed larger than life, ev-
cerning the key and code number. , erything moved with a slow motion.
Donovan could get in touch with me any Shadows and light became one great wav-
time he chose, but I was still cut off from ing veil. The sheets that covered the cast
him. It was only a one-way communica- towered like mountains.
tion system, but as the brain wajs grow- Janice's light hands adjusted them so
ing steadily stronger, it should soon freely that I could see the wall opposite.
receive my thoughts. It was not unpleasant to have her
I walked in a trance, willing Donovan's around. I didn't mind if she stayed.
brain to hear me, with all the power of I closed my eyes again.
concentration I possessed. Then the pains stabbed me.
Suddenly I heard a shriek of brakes be- I tried to shake off the plaster oast
side me. Instinctively, I stopped and which suddenly weighed like tons of steel.
stumbled. Something heavy hit my back. My hand clenched in a cramp and the
The groaning and clatter of the big Iron fingernails buried themselves In the flesh
shovel was close to my ears. of the palms.
As I fell, a tremendous wave of fear "Codein!"
engulfed me. I lost consciousness. I.trled to make her understand. I could
not hear my voice myself; it was lost In
T WAS night when I awoke. a shattering noise that seemed to come
Even before I opened my eyes, the from the direction of my spinal cord and.
faint odor of antiseptics told me I was In filled my ears with an Increasing howl.
a hospital. The brownish walls were fa- Strangely, that same senseless phrase
miliar. They had taken me to Cedars of underlined the torture—"Amidst the mists
Lebanon where I had worked as an in- and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists
tern. against the posts and still insists he sees
Janice sat by the bed, motionless, watch- ghosts."
ing me. When I stirred, she stepped over The pains disappeared as fast as they
to me at once. They packed my thorax had attacked. I saw Janice bending anx-
In twenty pounds of plaster. Lying motion- iously over me. She wiped the perspiration
less, I examined myself mentally, going from my forehead. I was floating again,
over my body inch by inch iintil I was suspended in soft air. Not a memory of
convinced that this was nothing fatal. my suffering was left.
I could move my head a little, bend The door opened, and a doctor entered.
my fingers, lift my arms. A nurse behind him rolled in a table with
Janice watched me anxiously. She was glasses and instruments.
not sure yet that I was fully conscious, for "Hello," the doctor said with profes-
my eyes were still closed. sional cheerfulness. "Still in pain?"
"Pain?" she asked in a low voice. He was filling a Hypodermic with mor-
Again I listened to my body. I felt phine.
suspended in mid-air,-as if my back was "Thanks, I don't need it," I said de-
not compressed In a plaster cast but sup- finitely.
ported by gentle hands. The man looked astonished. "The pain
I had a strange sensation of being can't have stopped so quickly," he said.
bodyless. "I'm surprised, myself," I answered, and
I could feel no effect of a drug. My head looked down the length of my body.
was clear, and my mouth did not have There was nothing I could feel. As if I
the dry, greenish after-taste of anesthesia. were only a brain, I was hardly aware
"I don't feel anything," I finally said. of arms or legs, or even my injured back.
My words alarmed her more than If I "Would you mind testing my nerve re-
bad screamed with pain. actions?"
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 87
He stuck me in the arm with a pin, but Schratt was breathing so loudly I could
I experienced no pain reaction. hear him. "If this continues," he said, "it
I felt-Ilfce a patient under a spinai soon will control your will."
anesthetic. "What of it?" I asked, trying to speak
"Are you sure your diagnosis is right?" lightly. "Some men have given more than
I questioned. their identity to science."
He indicated that he was sure; "Yes," he said, and suddenly hung up.
I closed my eyes; I wanted to think out Groping, I put the receiver back on the
clearly what had happened to me. hook.
I heard the doctor whisper to Janice and "Now I'll be all right," I said to Janice.
leave. I forgot she had listened to our conversa-
As soon as he had gone, I asked her to tion. Schratt's voice had been loud enough
get Schratt on the phone. for her to hear.
She hesitated, and I repeated the order. Janice stared at me, her eyes wide with
A few minutes later I was talking to terror and despair. I had not know how
Schratt. much she knew, but now, understanding
"How are you, Patrick?" he asked, re- some of the consequences, she divined the
lieved to hear my voice. "Janice told me abyss of self-destruction to which the ex-
about the accident." periment had led me.
Janice stood at the window with her
URING the last few days the pains
back turned.
"I wanted to ask you," I said slowly, D have bothered me less, but I am still
prepared for the pain to return any mo- confined to my plaster prison, ^ e n when
ment, "if the brain has acted differently I get up, I will have to carry tweifty pounds
during the last forty-eight hours." of cast around with me.
He did not reply at first. The brain has given me some addresses
"I did not want to alarm you as long —of one Alfred Hinds, in Seattle, and of a
as you were ill," he said finally, "but it Geraldine Hinds in Reno. It insistently
seems to have a fever. I can't make out repeated the names last night.
why. The temperature rises quickly, then Once, impelled by telepathic command,
drops to normal when it is asleep." I tried to get out of bed, but Janice, hear-
Suddenly the pains attacked me with ing my moans, gave me a shot of morphine
increased fury. I thought I could not stand which immediately severed communica-
them. "Even the bones of my skull hurt tion with the brain. It was like cutting off
as if a fist were pushing from Inside. a telephone connection. When I am
"Wake the brain!" I cried into the drugged, the brain cannot get in touch
phone. "Wake it up I Knock at the glass! with me. It seems at a loss to understand
Frighten it! Don't let it sleep!" ~ why I do not follow its orders.
The receiver dropped out of my hands. It is not aware I have had an accident.
I bit my lower lip until blood filled my I tried to tell Donovan about it. Lying
mouth. quietly, putting myself In a trance of con-
Janice grabbed the hypodermic, but the centration like a yogi, I tried to transmit
pain evaporated like steam. the message. I could not.
I took the receiver again and heard In my dreams and lately during the day
Schratt come back to the phone. that strange sentence returns again and
"The brain is awake now, Patrick. The again— "Amidst the mists and coldest
lamp is burning." Then, "What did it do to frosts "
you?" Its unending repetition tortures me as
My head sank back on the pillow. I much as the pain. There must be some
knew what had happened, and tried to meaning. The brain must have a purpose
tell Schratt. in repeating it.
"It suffers my pain when it is awake," I phoned Schratt and told him about it.
I said, controlled. "It suffers the pain He seemed amazed when I spoke the sen-
instead of me. It seems to have penetrated tence to him, but he insisted he had never
my thalamus. Its cortex now receives the heard it before.
reflexes of my nervous system. My body's
pains are experiences in Donovan's cere- November 29th.
brum. It takes possession of me more and Anton Sternli visited me. He rang up
more. Before, it controlled only motor from the reception desk first. Janice an-
nerves, but now it dominates that part of swered the phone and stepped out to meet
my brain where pain registers." him at the elevator.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES
She kept him In the corridor nearly an He spoke quietly. "This was his philos-
hour, talking to him before she let him ophy, expressed without bitterness.
see me. "I have been approached by a publishing
When we lived on the desert, Janice house to write a book about W. H. They
limited her activities to running our house. offer me a great sum of money, and I need
Now, taking advantage of my helplessness, It for the future; my salary was too small
she has extended her field to the people for me to save."
connected with me. She has always had Sternll was eager to talk. He sensed that
Schratt In the palm of her hand, and my relation to Donovan was closer than
Sternli has been easy. just that of the one disastrous meeting.
Sternll looked more like a Swiss professor He could not define the bond between
than ever, when he came into the room, me and his former master, but he felt
peering at me through heavy glasses that Impelled to talk with me to free many un-
made his eyes look the size of hazelnuts. spoken words.
That suit could never have been made for He never had spoken to Donovan as he
him; the trousers bagged over his knees. did to me. His natural shyness and fear
He carried a white cane like a blind of his master had prevented It. Still, for
man's. years Sternll had hoped in his heart that
Sternll had seen about ray accident In some day he would find the courage to
the papers and would have come before, talk to him as one man to another. Sternli
but he only got his glasses yesterday. He never did.
. wanted to tell me how terribly sorry he Now, with Donovan's death, that hope
was. had died, but speaking to me was like con.
He talked about Insignificant things fessing crimes of which, though only as his
until Janice left us. She had seen In his master's tool, Sternll was somehow the
eager fa«e that he wanted to be alone villain.
with me. He told me his life story, typical of a
"You startled me with that memoran- retired, studious fellow like him, secluded
dum in Donovan's handwriting," Sternll from the world.
began. "You see, before he left for Florida Sternll had worshipped Donovan to a
he gave me the key arid wrote down a degree which destroyed his own personal-
number. All his life he was overcautious ity. Donovan had accepted this devotion
about everything. Even when he signed and, without any qualms, had taken every
his name, he would shield his left hand possible advantage of the man who would
with his right so no one could see what not or could not live a life of his own. -
he wrote until he had finished. I am In Zurich, Switzerland, where he was
astonished he should have thought of me studying languages, Sternll met Donovan.
at the hour of his death. And why did he When he saw the millionaire for the first
have my name on an envelope with money tiine. In the most expensive hotel, of
In it in his pocket? He was never generous course, the scholar was Immediately fas-
unless there was advantage to himself! It cinated by this powerful personality; That
makes me uneasy. Dr. Cory!" afternoon, Sternli had bought himself a
"You judge him too harshly," I said. I cup of coffee a;t the Baur-au-Lac-Hotel,
saw complications ahead. just to see for once how the rich of the
"Oh, no.'; world lived. While he was drinking his
Sternll took off his glasses and cleaned coffee slowly, Sternli heard Donovan's
them studiously with a small piece of booming voice calling for a man to trans-
chamois, holding them near his eyes. late some wires into Portuguese. He could
"W. H. was my whole life. How can I hear the frightened desk clerk's apologetic
hate what I was a part of? When W. H. reply.
dismissed me, there was nothing left to , In a rare fit of courage, which marked
live for. I have no family, not even a the turning point of his life, Sternll offered
friend. To make friends, one must be his services.
tolerant and interested, and with advanc- Donovan kept him around while he
ing age we become less and less adaptable. stayed In Zurich, and when he left he
One has to give to keep friends, and my asked Sternll to accompany him as his
larder was empty. There are two species secretary. The young man jumped at this'
of man, the creative and the Imitative. opportunity to see the world.
I am the latter. And those people are Sternll became Donovan's shadow. In-
very barren if no inspiration comes from timate to him as a pair of spectacles. He
outside." slept next door to Donovan, followed him
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
'/yi',î'fyM^//yj^M^/^/yy/yj^yyyy/'M''^^
Evil was here—an evil stronger than human

thousht . .'.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
from conference to conference, from town story, as told In the magazines, was ex-
to town, from country to country, from aggerated, ' falsified, yellow-journa,llzed.
continent to continent. Here, his real self unfolded.
Donovan's secretary, letter writer, in- I began to understand the brain's work-
terpreter, but never his friend, Sternli , ings. If I could search Donovan's character
grew into his job, became the walking, thoroughly, exploring every emotion of his
living memory of the intricate machine heart,.every reaction of his consciousness,
which was Donovan's brain. I would understand many of the brain's
He never took a holiday; he would not paradoxes.
have known what to do with himself. Only
once, when his mother was dangerously
ill, he asked for a short leave of absence
to visit her.
S TERNLI had an idealized picture of
Donovan. He was blind to his master's
faults. He did not even divine how this
Reluctantly Donovan agreed, and when man had distorted the pattern of his ex-
Sternli asked him for money for the trip istence, cunningly, patiently and thor-
to Europe, Donovan made him sign a note oughly.
for the five hundred dollars. It became clear to nie that from the
In telling this story, Sternli skipped over moment Sternli confessed a love for Kath-
a part of his life. I could only guess at erine, Donovan had plotted his destruc-
what he wanted to conceal. tion.. Not that Donovan was jealous. He
He had been in love once. As fate ironic- was- too big to permit himself that weak-
ally decided, it was Donovan's wife, Kath- ness, but somebody had trespassed on his
erine. She must have been a beautiful property.
woman, aloof and unhappy. She did not Sternli told me about Donovan's habit
encourage the shy young man; I assume of having people spied on by detectives.
she never even knew his secret adoration. Everyone close to him was under secret
One day Sternli could not stand the con- supervision. Number one of his suspects
flict that raged in his conscience. He felt was Katherine. I was sure Donovan had
he was not working honestly; it seemed known every step she took, was informed
disloyal to him to be in love with his em- how she spent every minute of her time.
ployer's wife. He had checked on Sternli, too. His watch-
So he asked Donovan to release him from dogs had trailed this little man.
his duties. Sternll's eyes got bad. He slowly lost his
Donovan Immediately offered Sternli a sight and became unfit to take Donovan's
raise. Discontent could always be cured rapid dictation. Another secretary had to
with money. But Sternli wanted to confess. be engaged.
"You are in love with Katherine!" Don- Sternli was of no other use than as a
ovan said calmly. "What does she say to .living filing system, an infallible record
that?" of things past. Since his usefulness was
Sternli, of course, had never talked to now cut by half, Donovan logically cut
Mrs. Donovan about it. For him, to fall Sternll's salary in half, too. And one day
In love with a married woman was a plain he began to collect the five hundred dol-
Violation of one of God's commandments. lars he had advanced years before—în
"If you haven't told her, there is no five arid ten dollar Installments out of
reason to quit," Donovan said sanely, and Sternll's curtailed salary.
added, "There is no reason to raise your When Sternli had found himself hard-
salary, either." pressed, Donovan acted surprised.
With this decision, Donovan settled the "Don't tell me you have no money! You
incident to his own satisfaction. Sternli must be rich!" he said. "You must have
stayed on. His mind had been made up made enough on the side."
lor him;^ even, in this most intimate and Sternli, deeply hurt, defended himself.
Important concern of his life. ' "I am not insinuating you filched coins
A few months later, Katherine.died. from, my pocket," Donovan said. "But
Sternli talked on, unpretentiously. He surely you threw In a few hundred dollars,
wanted to get closer to me, and with this too, when I bought stocks?"
story he succeeded in doing so. , Sternli had not even thought of such a
I learned more about Donovan from thing, and according to his strict code, it
listening to Sternll's life story than about would have been dishonest.
Sternli himself. Only once Sternli had seen Donovan
It interested me very much. I had over- weak and uncontrolled. The day Katherine
looked this obvious approach. Donovan's died. She escaped Donovan's domination
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAm 91
by quietly slipping out of his hands. By the last years, he started to drink In secret.
dying, she had deprived him of the final He did not like anybody to see, and he
victory of subduing her. To hold her, he never invited me to share a bottle with
had forced her to give birth to one chUd him. I think he hated alcohol, really."
after another. Only the first and the last Sternll suddenly fell into contemplation,
had lived—^Howard and Chloe. forgetting me.
When Katherine died, Donovan made So Donovan had been trying to escape
Sternli stay in the room with him con- himself. Did he have a conscience, then?
stantly. Sternll watched the big man And what was he trying to forget?
walking up and down for nights, mum- "He had coaxed the truth out of his
bling to himself. physicians. Nobody could lie to Donovan.
To have seen Donovan in an hour of When he learned his days were numbered,
weakness, was a sentence of destruction, as he underwent a change," Sternli said.
if a slave had known where a king's treas- "Became kinder, I suppose," I prompted,
ure was hidden. Opposite me sat a man of to help him on, but Sternli shook his head.
fifty; who looked seventy, half blind, help-- He polished his glasses again^ and
less, penniless. smiled. His myopic eyes were wide open.
"I don't know why Mr. Donovan sent me "No. Not what Is generally understood
the five hundred dollars. Dr. Cory. Exactly by the word kindness. The first thing he
the sum he loaned me and then collected did was to fire me, without a pension. He
again I Five hundred dollars. Did he gave up his chairmanship to his son. He
want me to believe he regretted many turned over to his family everything but
things he had unconsciously done to hurt the houses and apartments where he used
me? I am sure he always meant to be to live. He had a score of mansions all over
kind, but he did not die without remem- the country, and an apartment in every
bering me! It Is not the money, It is the large city. In each of his personal dwell-
thought that makes me. happy." ings breakfast was brought in every morn-
"He did not know he was going to die," ing whether the master was there or the
I said. bed empty. The servants had to knock,
"Oh; yes," Sternll replied quietly. "He to enter, to take away the tray after a
had known for more than a year that his reasonable length of .time. The same at
days were numbered.*' .luncheon. In each house, each night, full
The revelation shocked me. It suddenly dinner for eight was served at the same
put Donovan in another light. It gave me time.
a perspective on his character I had not "Donovan loved to pay surprise visits; ar-
had before. riving Just as the first course was served.
"How could he have known about the He had found this custom described in a
accident in advance?" I asked, surprised. book about Spain in the reign of Philip the
"Oh, he did not," Sternli answered with Second, and it appealed to his sense of
a wan smile, "but he knew he was ill. seignory. 'I am omnipresent,' he used to
There was no hope. The doctors gave him say, 'and if I pay I expect service!' But
only one more year." when they told him he was going to die, he
"Nephritic," I diagnosed, remembering closed all the houses. He had a plan for
the color, of Donovan's face, whitish, with the limited time he had left.
a yellow tinge. He had suffered from "What plan?" I asked. I felt I was close
nephritic degeneration of the kidneys, to Donovan's secret now.
which is usually associated with a similar "He said he wanted to balance his
process in the liver. books;" Sternll answered. "I do not know
"Yes." Sternli nodded. "That is what what he meant by that."
they told him. W. H. used to drink alone. Suddenly Sternli became restless, and
Solitary drhikers are dangerous. I some- looked at his wateh.
times thought he chose to get drunk, not "I must not talk any longer," he said,
because he liked it, but because he wanted as if only now he were aware he had been
to blank out his thoughts. He was tired telling me a story he had never related
from considering so many new and power- to anyone before. He felt so greatly em-
ful projects. He was hounded by his own barrassed, he had to apologize.
Intelligence. Often he called for me In the "Forgive an old man for talking too
middle of the night and dictated for hours. much."
I gave him a dictaphone, once, for his He was in a hurry to leave, but I asked
birthday, but he still kept sending for mo, him not to go. I suddenly received the
at the most ungodly hours. Then, during brain's commands more strongly than
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
92 FAMOUS FAKPTASTIC MYSTERIES
ever before. As If the brain had been It has told me to get In touch with the
listening all the time and was going to murderer, Cyril Hinds, whose trial comes
take its part in the conversation now. up soon.
"Since you are unattached," I said,
prompted by the brain, "would you mind December 3rd.
working for me? I can pay you as much Sternli has opened the account In his
as Donovan did." own name and brought back a power of
"Work for you?" Sternli's face flushed in attorney for me. Now I can sign checks
happy surprise. "But how could I be of and won't have to wait for Donovan's
service to you?" signature. I asked Sternli how it feels to
"I want you to open an account at the earn fifty dollars a week and be able to
Merchants' Bank on Hollywood Boulevard. write a check for thousands.
You will find a roll of bills in my overcoat He seemed to be shocked at my harmless
pocket. Please deposit them," I said. joke, and stared at me aghast through his
Sternli looked myopically toward the thick glasses. He stammered a few words,
closet, and while he was opening the door, and I had to put him at ease again. He
I took the checkbook from my wallet and often watches me doubtfully since I
wrote: To the order of Mr. Anton Sternli, "forged" Donovan's handwriting so clev-
$100,000—iJofirer Hinds. erly.
When Janice came in, Sternli's blue eyes
TERNLI returned with the money In lighted up, and he forgot I was in the
S his hands.
"How much shall I take?" he asked.
room. He adores her. I don't know what
Janice does to make all these men Idolize
"All of it. Don't count it. Just pay It her.
In. And take this with you." She is unselfish. Whatever she does,
I handed him the check. she riever considers herself. That may be
The brain's orders suddenly stopped. her simple secret.
I felt pain creeping on me, and grabbed
the hypodermic which Janice had prepared December 4th.
for a return of the attack. The brain paralyzes me at certain times.
Sternli took the key and the check. He Formerly, when it gave Its orders I willing-
held the paper close to his eyes, stared at- ly followed the command. At first I was
it open-mouthed. even obliged to concentrate to follow what
He had recognized Donovan's hand- It wanted. Otherwise my own personality
writing. Interfered with the response. Now, I can-
not resist.
December 2nd: . I have tried. I have fought. In vain.
Today 1 got up for the first time. I will Today It told me to pick up a pen and
have to wear this plaster cast for weeks write. Janice was in the room and I did
to come. My back still hurts, and when I not want her to see me acting like a
move I feel like a turtle. hypnotist's subject.
I can't stay in bed any longer. Don- She had just brought in my dinner and
ovan is ordering me to get up, and my we were talking about Sternli and his
body aches with his commands. strange adoration for her, lyhich she pro-
Janice has to dress me; I cannot bend tested smilingly, when the brain cut In.
over. She has brought me enormously big I felt my tongue tighten. I was forced
shirts and a suit large enough for a Bar- to get up and go over to the writing desk.
num giant, to fit over the cumbersome I watched my performance as detached as
cast. a stranger standing^ yards away from me.
The brain has gained strength enormous- Ichanically.
wanted to stop. But I still moved me-
ly.. Its commands enter my mind as
clearly as if I heard it speak, loud-voiced Janice had never before witnessed a
and determined, close to my ear. manifestation of Donovan's will, and she
If only I could inform it that I am was frightened. She was level-headed
out of the running. I ordered Schratt to enough, however, not to call the fioor
convey that information to the brain in physician.
Morse, but I am not sure he knows Morse I sat,down at the desk and began to
well enough to tap out a clear message. write. Janice spoke to me, astonished at
I want to go back to the desert. I want first, then quickly alarmed when I did not
to watch the brain's development, myself. answer.
But it orders me to stay here. There was nothing unusual in my-attl-
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
•BONOFABJ'S BRAim
isa&e, QKce0t the eKpresston on my face.brain lives on.' Does that mean Donovan
During this periofl of telepathic commu= Is still alive?"
nication, my eyes stare, my face loses all "No," she said, "but he lives through
expression and looks blank as if it were you. He forces you to act for him!"
made of wax. "That is a contradiction," I said. "That
Janice knew me well enough to be sure will not stand up under analysis."
immediately that something like a hyp- Janice looked at me. Her face seemed
notic trance was holding me. to have shrunk, and it was transparent as
I wrote on the paper, Cyril Hinds, Nat Chinese silk. She had worried about me
Fuller. for years, and the conviction that I had
Cyril Hinds was the murderer. Nat Ful- lost myself in this experiment now broke
ler's name appeared for the first time. through her self-control. I knew she
The spell ended as quickly as it had come, wanted to avoid any serious discussion on
and I gained control over my movements any subject, but her concern was stronger
again. than her resolution.
Janice's face was chalk. Her eyes held "Donovan is dead and cremated;" she
depthless horror. said. "What you call his living brain is a
"You 'Were writing with your left scientific freak, a dangerous morbid crea-
hand...." she stammered. "The brain—" tion you have nursed in a test tube."
. I went back to the table and began to "Donovan is still alive and kicking. He
eat, trying to act as calmly as I could, even has written messages."
shaken to 'find 'that, 'for the first time, 1 "You derive your conviction from sci-
had been unable to resist the brain's ence," she stated. ''Mine is from faith."
command. 'Xlsten to Schra:tt's disciple," I jibed.
"What of it?" I asked. "You know the "Don't judge my' task by common codes of
brain is alive. It communicates with me living. I go beyond ;them."
from time to time. This step forward la "How far?".she asked.
my experiment will make history. Since "Until I understand the functioning of
the human brain never reaches full devel- this brain, its will, its desires, its motives,"
opment during the :Ufe of the human 1 said. "I am penetrating more deeply into
body, I may be able to let the brain mature human consciousness than any man has
by keeping it artificially alive. This tele- done before."
pathic'contact is only the beginning. Have We.sat silent opposite each Other. "It
you never heard that the man who ex- has too much power over you. You cannot
periments must be willing to take any resist it any longer," Janice said finally.
personal risk? llie world has to thank '.'Any moment I choose I can stop the
many scientists who became their own experiment!"
guinea pigs. in order to achieve great "You can't. I Just saw what is happen-
discoveries." ing, myself!"
"But it is controlling you—not you, con- I got up, walked over to the desk and
trolling it!" She was upset. picked up Donovan's message.
"You are mistaken," I answered, wanting "I wish you would leave me alone. There
to break off the discussion I had foreseen is no use arguing with you. I did not ask
and dreaded. If only she had been a hired you to interfere with my work. You are
assistant, .she would not have dared to disturbing me."
Challenge me. Bilt she was my wife. She turned and left the room.
"I am submitting to the brain's control
deliberately, and I can stop any time I December 4th.
choose." The futile discussion with Janice upset
Janice looked at me, pale, her big eyes me and the tiring repetition of the lines:
dark. She knew I was .lying. "Amidst the mists. . . . " kept me awake
"Donovan is-dead! "she said. half the night. When I got up, I was shaky.
"Dead?" I said slowly. "The definition Is Donovan's brain going insane? This
of death is different for a doctor than for repetition of phonetic expression is alarm-
a layman. Even when a man is legally ing. If the brain becomes measurably
declared dead his brain .may continue to insane and can still influence me against
send out electric waves. Sometimes a my resistance, this case will become diffi°
man is already dead for the physician cult to handle. I must think of an emer^
while he is still breathing. Where does gency brake, to paralyze the brain at th^
life hegin and where does it %nd? In the extreme moment. I must find a solutiois.
eyes of the world Donovan is dead, but Ms
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
December 5th. frankly. If I ever needed legal advice."
Today I went back to the Roosevelt "You need it now?" he asked and looked
Hotel. I feel strong enough but still must squarely at me. "What can I do for you?"
wear the plaster cast. It Inconveniences "I want you to take over the Hinds
me less than before. murder case," I said.
The human body can adjust Itself to He leaned back in his chair which he
most unnatural conditions. slowly rocked on its slender legs.
"Hinds is guilty of. first degree murder
December 6th. and this Is one of the most cruel cases
Nathaniel Fuller. I have heard during my twenty years as
The name has repeated itself in Dono- a criminal lawyer!" He looked down at the
van's message. Two Nathianiel Fullers are table and spoke slowly as If to gain time.
listed in the telephone directory. One at "I am prepared to pay you a bonus of
a gas station at Olympic Boulevard, the fifty thousand dollars, besides your ordin-
other a lawyer in the Subway Terminal ary fee. If you can exonerate Hinds," I
Building, on Hill Street. said.
I was sure the brain meant the lawyer. He sat silent and pondered a moment.
I rang the ofiSce of Fuller, Hogan and He did not take my offer seriously, and was
Dunbar, and asked for an appointment. trying to decide how he could get rid of
"Who recommended you to Mr. Fuller?" me without offending me.
Fuller's secretary asked. I looked on the glass-covered table and
I mentioned W. H. Donovan's name, and our eyes met as In a mirror. It seemd a
immediately she became very polite. A trick of his, watching people In the glass
few seconds later I had Fuller on the top. It annoyed- me.
phone. ^ "Exonerate. You mean acquittal by the
He asked me to come in any time dur- Jury?" he asked to gain time. He was
ing the afternoon and did not ask ques- reaching for the bell.
tions. He seems a good lawyer. I took a wad of money from my .pocket
and laid It In front of him.
T WAS one of the warm pleasant Indian He pulled back his hand from the bell.
summer days. I took a taxi downtown. "Will you please tell me your motive
For the first time in years I felt relaxed In this. Dr. Cory?" he said.
and happy. The tension which had gripped "Just assume I am fighting capital
me so long, never letting me breathe freely, punishment," I answered.
driving me on and on even when I slept, He nodded. This was a basis for dis-
had suddenly left me. cussion. Many people in the world will
I announced my name to the girl be- support their convictions with good cash.
hind Fuller's reception desk. She picked "I understand. You want Hinds spared,
up the phone In a hurry and a few sec- as an example. We might be able to save
onds later Fuller came out. He was small him from hanging, and later get him re-
and stocky, dressed by an expensive tailor leased."
and his gray hair carefully groomed. "You misunderstand me," I said. "I want
Packed as I was in the cast, I presented Hinds acquitted. Pronounced innocent
a strange appearance, but he registered no by jury."
astonishment and took me straight into a "But there is no doubt of this man's
room with a sign on the door: Library. guilt!" Fuller exclaimed. "And I never
Quiet Please. touch hopeless cases."
The silence which suddenly engulfed I got up, ready to leave.
us was abnormal, as if the walls were Fuller said hastily, "You must give me
specially sound-proofed. Though early a few days to study the case."
afternoon, the Venetian blinds were drawn "I am sure you will take It," I said.
and neon tubes threw a diffuse light . He went with me to the door.
through the room. "Would you object to depositing the
He asked me to sit down and took a amount of the fee until the trial Is over?"
chair opposite me at the long, glass- he asked.
topped conference table. . "Of course not," I said. "Ring me at
"W. H. sent you," he said in a pleasant the Roosevelt Hotel tomorrow morning,
unaggressive voice, and looked at me with and you can have the check."
an air of friendly lassitude. I stopped in the reception room.
"Yes. He mentioned your name before "Could you get permission for me to
he died. He told me I could talk to you talk to Hinds?" I asked.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BEAm 93
"Of course. I assume he is related to working in a diving belt, Donovan may
you?" Puller asked politely. see the world, through my eyes, and he
"No," I answered. should be able to see me too, when I look
Fuller hid his surprise. at myself in the mirror.
"He must be a good friend of yours!"
"To tell the truth," I said, "I have December 10th.
never seen fflnds in my life, and only came On my way to the Hall of Justice I
across his name a few days ago." stopped at a tobacco store and bought
This time, Puller was dumbfounded. a dozen Upman cigars.
I have not smoked a cigar in years. I
December 8th. made the purchase under command.
Today Sternli left for Reno to see Miss At once I lit one of the cigars, but I had
Qeraldine Hinds. I told Sternli that Dono- no sensation of taste. When I tried to
van, dying, had told me to look -after this throw it away, however, my hand held
woman and also to get in touch with an- it fast, and I had to continue to puff
other Hinds, a plumber in Seattle. slowly, as if enjoying the smoke pro-
Sternli becomes more and more bewil- foundly.
dered. He cannot comprehend how some- I was smoking wlUi my left hand, which
times my writing is Donovan's, how I draw is unusual, as I smoke cigarettes with my
money from an account that is not mine. right hand.
And how can this illogical curiosity about Donovan was left-handed I
people I do not seem to know be explained? If I could find out what cigars Dono-
van smoked, I would have part of the
December 9th. proof I need. Have I lost my sense of taste?
Fuller telephoned me this morning. He Last night, with a sudden dislike for.
has spoken to the chief jailer at the county meat, I ordered nothing but vegetables for
prison to get permission for me to see dinner. They had no taste at all. Was
Cyril Hinds. Donovan a vegetarian? I must Inquire,
As Puller could not explain my relation Sternli would know.
to the accused, that official wants to talk I inhaled the cigar smoke deeply, and
to me before he gives consent. it was like breathing tasteless water vapor.
Fuller has studied the case and in his Does Donovan's brain receive these im-
opinion only one defense could succeed. pressions Instead of my five senses?
He would not discuss his plan over the The brain's penetration is slow, but ir-
phone. He told me he would see me at my resistibly it has engulfed every part of,
hotel. my cerebellum.
Fuller's optimism sounded forced. I • One day it may take over my activities
have a strong conviction that without the completely. The Impulses which prompt
money I have promised him, he would my actions will generate in Washington
never touch this case. Before he hung up Junction, while my body roams the world
he reminded me to deposit the fee in his directed by remote control.
bank. Thus in a future state, a human could be.
commanded by a chosen super brain and
AM SURE the brain is thinking clearly. be guided robot-like from a central sta-
It CEinnot be insane as I feared, for Its tion.
instructions are precise and seem logical. The county jail covers six upper floors of
The brain's identification with my con- the Hall of Justice, a huge square build-
sciousness has increased. It may receive ing at Broadway and Temple.
the sensations of sound and sight, and feel I entered a room with the inscription:
the gusto reactions of my palate. I can- Public Relations, and an employee in
not prove that yet, but I believe the brain shirt-sleeves took me nine floors up to
lives through me the full life of a normal the ofHce of the chief jailer.
human being. The elevator boy wore the smart gray
If my theory Is right, Donovan's brain outfit of the sheriff's office and carried the
should be able to converse with other six-pointed star of the police force.
people, since my hearing relayed to its At the ninth floor, an inner door with
nervous centers, and my tongue directed thick iron bars protected the entrance to
by- its commands, are all the tools It needs the jail, A guard opened this side to scru-
for intelligent self-expression. tinize the passengeirs in the elevator.
The brain uses my motor nerves like in- My shirt-sleeved attendant must have
struments controlled by a deep-sea diver, seen curiosity in my eyes, for he began to
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
spiel like a tourist's guide, Informing me "I know you are not related to Hinds,"
that more than two thousand prisoners the chief said. He had made investiga-
were here, the largest county jail in the tions.
world. Eighteen hundred men and two
hundred women, he said proudly.
At the ninth floor we stepped out and
crossed a corridor to the private office
W E SAT SILENT for a moment until he
began again.
"Hinds Is much disliked in this prison.
of the chief jailer. We passed through He gives us a great deal of trouble, and
an anteroom, the walls of which were I have had to put him In solitary confine-
plastered with photographs of the sheriff's ment for a couple of days, for striking an
farm, where prisoners work out the greater officer. That isn't done in my prison. The
part of their sentences. officers are courteous and friendly. The
The chief was a man about fifty, dressed other prisoners solidly dislike Hinds."
smartly In a gray-green uniform. He > The chief looked up and smiled a little
seemed to expect me. The man in shirt- with the air of a professor pleased with his
sleeves left, and the chief waited till the class..
door had closed behind him. "My boys despise cowardice. They don't
He stood up then and walked over to a mind cruelty. They even look up to a
second writing desk, which looked unused. mass murderer. But this cowardly way
I t was of heavy black wood, elaborately of killing!"
carved, and there to impress visitors. A He was ready to give a lecture on crim-
blue vase with one dahlia in it stood on the inal psychology. Jailers, like physicians,
blotter. On the wall behind hung a huge are overcharged with case histories and
electric clock with a jeweler's name printed have to have an outlet. I have rarely met
on the dial,-a present for services rendered. a doctor who did not write. Jailers are
Photographs of officers and their wives as bad.
adorned the walls. I had to listen politely, for it was In his
The chief sat down ponderously in a power to refuse me admittance to Hinds.
high-backed chair. "You know him well?" he asked cas-
"Mr. Fuller phoned me," he said. "He ually.
asked me to let you talk to Hinds." "No," I replied, glad he had not asked If
- He looked reflectively through his I knew Hinds at all.
spectacles. He gave the Impression of be- "Well, he does not know you either."
ing a scholarly man who did not belong In The chief smiled. "That makes your re-
a uniform.. quest unusual."
., "Yes. I asked Mr. Fuller to talk to you," "I am writing a book about psycho-
I answered. pathology," I answered, to give him a
"Mr. Fuller is the most successful—and motive he could accept.
also the most expensive—criminal lawyer He nodded.
In this state," the chief ,began again.
"I wonder what prompted him to take "You know the charges?" he asked.
over a hopeless case." When I did not reply, he explained, "He
"Has Hinds confessed?" I aslied. ran over a woman with his car—^pur-
posely!"
"Oh, no—his kind never confess," the
chief said quietly. "But Hinds has no He studied my blank face and added,
money, himself. As I understand it, you "The cruelest part of it is" he backed up
are greatly interested in the case. Hav* and ran over her again In reverse, crush-
you engaged Mr. Fuller's services for ing her face. Then he drove away. But
Hinds?" we got him quickly. The car left plain
tire marks."
He smiled at me benevolently, and 1 "His sweetheart?" I asked.
felt certain our conversation was being "His mother," the chief said.
recorded somewhere in the next room. As if that revelation were too brutal
"I am a pathologist," I answered, "and for him, even accustomed as he was to
extremely interested In cases like Hinds'. cruel slayings, he continued, "Of- course
Is there any objection to my talking to Hinds does not remember having hit
him?" anybody. He said he was coming from
The chief pondered. He was slightly dis- a party and was slightly drunk. A strange
appointed, for he had expected an answer coincidence he just happened to kill his
to his question. But since Fuller had not mother!"
chosen to inform him, I had no reason to "The motive?" I asked.
tell more than my lawyer; • :- . The chief shruggedj suddenly drying.up.:
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 97
A keeper of a strange assortment of prison- had accompanied him pointed sullenly at
ers, he was supposed to be impartial, but me, then turned at once as if he were
he seemed to have a strong personal dis- being infected by proximity to Hinds.
like for Hinds. Hinds stepped searchingly forward. He
After a certain length of time the at- did not look in any direction but mine,
mosphere of a prison affects keepers and but he must have felt the antagonism his
Inmates alike. Guards, after a few years presence generated everywhere. The voices
of duty, begin to see the world differently; went on humming, somehow louder, but it
Right and wrong acquire only abstract was if everyone had turned his back, to
meanings, and a strong understanding.for Hinds.
the motive of crime develops. He stepped up to me and looked at me
Only a man who has worked with his blankly.
hands can understand workmen. Only the "My name is Patrick Cory," I said, across
one who has sailed ships knows men who the width of table, and stretched out my
love the sea. Every future judge ought to hand, which Hinds ignored. He sat down
have an apprenticeship as^guard in a opposite me and gazed at me as if I
prison. Justice should not be taught were the prisoner and he the visitor.
theoretically,, alone. He was a good-looking boy, about
But in the Hinds case prisoners and twenty-flve, well-built, lean and muscular^
warden alike had condemned the mur- His straight blond hair was combed back,
derer; his blue eyes clear, but his mouth was
"May I see Hinds?" I asked. hard and nearly lipless. There was not one
The chief got up and rang a bell: soft feature in his face. He was the prO'.-
"I had to segregate him, or the other totype of discontented youth, who with a
prisoners would have killed him. I have strange concept of bravery, do not price
never seen such antagonism among them^ life very highly.
They would poison his food if they, had This boy might be cynical up to the steps
the chance." of the hangman's trap. He might joke on
An officer entered and saluted leisurely. his. way to the gallows, and act- his rdle
"Take Dr. Cory to the fifteenth: floor," right to. the death. Or he might suddenly
the chief said, "and get Hinds." lose this grand, contemptuous manner and
The man saluted again; and we left. fall into a coma of fear, which would
We walked over to the elevator, and the change him to a cringing cowards in a
iron-barred door slid back. second's, time.
"Fifteen," the officer said to the elevatos? If he had had It in mind to play In-
boy. He looked a t me out of the corner sane, he might have carried out the scheme
of his eye as if he resented my going to until he really was mad and had to be con-
see Hinds. fined in an asylum;
We arrived. The door opened i n t o a l a r g e But as it happened he considered him-
room where tables with ten-inch parti- self a hero, and virith a conceit stronger,
tions down the middle separated visitors than his will to live, he treated the whole
from the prisoners. world with contempt. He was a fanatic
"Wait here. I have to get him from without a cause.
Highpower," the officer said gruffly.
Highpower is the tenth floor where they "I wanted to ask ybu if you know a Roger
keep the murderers. Hinds?" I said.
I sat down on the bench cuid read the He expected a different opening. He
sign on the partition: This side for At- mistrusted, me for he was. suspicious of~
torneys. the tricks the law might play to- get a.
Another side read: Prisoners. confession out of him.
The room was rather crowded; Pris- "Well," he answered gruffly,. "I had an
oners in blue jeans entered, sat down, and* uncle who hanged himself, if you mean,
talked in low voices. The attorneys did; him."
not take off their hats, and everyone "How long- ago?" I inquired.
seemed to be in a hurry. "Before r was born,, but I remember my.
mother talking about him."
The place hummed with voices. Faces The mention of his mother did not move
were pale in the yellow light. him.
My policeman returned, and Hinds was
with him. W r E SAT QUIET for a moment. Hinds
At the iron-barred door, guarded by two W stared at his hands, which were thin
oSBloers, Hinds was aet free. The one who and white, with broad nails;
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
9Sf FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES
I was on my own, without any compul- me yellow," he said loudly, and walked
sion from the brain, and I could ask back to the olHcer, his head up, knowing
whatever my curiosity prompted. the room looked after him.
"Then you knew Warren Horace Dono- The elevator took me down;
van?" This boy Is a murderer if ever there was
"Not personally," Hinds said. "Isn't he one.
the guy who got killed In a plane a few But he had been badly Introduced to life,
weeks "ago? I read It In the papers." and no one bothered to develop forces in
He kept on staring at his hands, un- him which would restrain him. He is not
moved by my questions. We maneuvered entirely to blame, though there was no
like two fencers, each waiting for the reason to defend him either.
other to open up. He will kill again, if he thinks anybody
"I am here to help you' as much as I stands in his way.
can," I said. But what had Donovan to do with this
Immediately he was resentful. boy? If Cyril Hinds were Donovan's son,
"I don't need help. If they want to hang Donovan's action would be understand-
me, okay. But they can't break me down. able.
They're treating me. lousy, but I don't Fuller may know the truth.
care."
He kept up his resistance by hating December 11th.
everybody. The desk clerk handed me a note invit-
"Mr. Fuller is going to defend you," I ing me to dine at Howard Donovan's house
said. in Encino, on the thirteenth at seven
"That's what he told me. He's a big o'clock.
-shot^ they say. I wonder who hired him." I will certainly go to see him and listen
He looked at me questloningly, but the to all the questions which I am not willing
sullen expression returned quickly. He to answer.
wanted to be on his own. It would only I knew Howard Donovan would turn up
weaken his self-reliance to know someone again!
was helping him. Querulously, he reversed Schratt phoned. He told me Janice is
cause and effect to put himself in the back in Washington Junction. When I
right. inquired why she had gone home, he
"They can't do anything to me. I didn't joked that Janice and he were good friends
run over the old woman purposely. They and they were just taking advantage of
can't prove it. Even that big lawyer can't my absence to see each other alone.
dp nothing but tell the truth." The brain is doing fine, he says. Size
JEIe suddenly grinned. and electric output still increasing.
"They sent you to make me talk. Go on, While Schratt waited at the phone for
tell them I didn't run over her purposely I" instructions, my subconscious fear sudden-
In stating his innocence, he repeated ly found expression. I ordered him to keep
the same phrases. He had laid out his the brain at its present weight and
defense. If he refused-to confess, the law strength, not to feed It too much. My
was powerless, he thought. mouth was suddenly so dry my voice
"If you are innocent they will set you sounded harsh.
free!" I said. "I understand," Schratt replied elusively.
"They've got to. I have a lot of things I hung up quickly, angry with myself.
to do. I'd hate to go now!" Had I admitted I was becoming afraid?
His thin mouth closed hard and the My order could not be explained other-
muscles in his jaw sprang out. wise, and Schratt would Interpret it so.
"Tell 'em they won't get me down. Even Fear is a natural reaction of all or-
if they put me in the hole again and beat ganisms who have weapons of self-defense.
me up, and give me rotten food and turn I belong to this class, and I have no reason
all the boys here against me, I know their to blame myself. Fear is innate.
tricks. They can't hurt me!,And they're I was suddenly tired. Instead of phon-
going to pay for It! Just let me out of ing Fuller to tell him about my visit to the
here!" jail, I lay down to rest.
. He got up. The interview was over, so I took a sleeping draught. I did not
far as he was concerned. Through me, he want to receive Donovan's messages.
had broadcast to the world his contempt
of it. December 12th.
"Even if they hang me, they won't see At ten this morning the phone rang
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 99
and, still under, the influence of the drug, When Doriovan's brain takes possession
1 answered. I had a good night's rest; Even of my nervous system,' it recreates the
the strange line: "Amidst the mists . . ." conditions of its own body—the pains in
which had accompanied my sleep • for the kidneys, the limp, the same tastes and
weeks, had not troubled me. distastes in food and tobacco. It may soon
A Mr. Pulse was calling from the lobby. revert to drink. • /
Fuller had told him to see me. He thought., Suddenly I remembered the Mr. Pulse
it would be more convenient to talk in waiting for me and phoned the desk clerk
my room. Could he come up? to send him up.
I asked him rto wait, had the barber
sent up and indulged in the luxury of . FEW minutes later a huge man en-
being shaved. Then I dressed, and ex- :A tered, filling the' doorway with his
amined myself in the mirror, relaxed for bulging presence. Pulse stood over six feet
the first time in months. tall. He wore his hair long like a musician's
Suddenly my reflection became a trans- in a Victorian comedy, and his fat face
•parent opacity; the sensation lasted only was set in a cushion of double chin. He
for a moment, but then Donovan's brain looked at me affably.
took hold of me more strongly than ever. Introducing himself, he swayed into the
I stared into the mirror, scrutinizing room like a hippopotamus.
-myself from head to foot as if I had never When he sat down the chair disappeared
seen iny reflection before. I breathed deep, under him-. • •
• moved my shoulders, Without being actual- He came straight to the point.
ly aware of my body. I pinched my wrist "Hinds will be tried next week," he said.
•with my fingers, but though the skin red- "I have studied the case."
dened I felt no pain. I had to strain to hear him, for with a.
Not walking like myself at all, but with voice in strange contrast to his bulk, he
a slight limp in my right leg, I crossed the whispered thinly, as if afraid of being
room, picked up one'of the Upman cigars overheard.
anfj began to smoke it. He expounded on his finding. "The jurors
As always, I was aware of' everything I are influenced mostly by the impression
did, but for the first time I was a prisoner they get of the accused, and less by the
in my own body, with no power to do actual facts of the case. A man with a
anything except-what I was cominanded. charming manner might receive easier
I recalled the stages I had passed punishment for the same crime than some-
through during this experiment with Don- body else, like Hinds for instance, who
ovan's brain. At first I had concentrated does not bother to put on a good show."
on Donovan's orders, forcing myself to Pulse seemed to have studied the case
understand him. During the second phase thoroughly and he quickly sketched a plan
I easily interpreted commands, and acted to save Hinds. Not once did he mention ,
accordingly. Finally I had permitted the Fuller.
'brain to direct my body. . Three hundred names of potential jurors.
Until now I was able to resist. I had Pulse explained, were drawn at random
lost control completely! from the voting lists and posted on a
The brain could walk my body in front panel in the courthouse. Of these three
•of a car, throw it out of the window, put hundred citizens, more than two hundred
a bullet through my head with my own would not care to serve as jurors; they
hands. I could only cry out from the could be discarded at once.
despair of my iniprisonment,but even the The rest had to be investigated.
words my mouth formed were those the Pulse opened his briefcase and took out
brain wanted to hear. a list.
A wave of terror engulfed nie as I real- "You see," he whispered listlessly, "I
ized I was like a man fastened in a ma- used to work for Southern Tramway. We
chine which moyes his hands and feet had minutest information about every
against his will. juror. Too many unjust claims are brought
The frightening sensation passed and I against big companies, accident claims
was free again. I felt the smoke of the mostly, and if a friend of the plaintiff
cigar in my mouth, though I could not should be among the jurors, a lot of harm '
taste it. I stopped limping, and the dull can be done. That's why we kept files on
pressure in the kidney area ceased, as if I everybody, or"—he smiled and showed
had just recovered' from an attack of small white teeth like a woman's—"nearly
nephritis. everybody!"
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
p-fl

"Do you; still work for Southern Tram- bribing Jurors. He did not want, to know
way?" I asked. ansrthing about the arrangements.
"Oh, no. It doesn't pay enough, but 1 "My fee will be five thousand dollars,
have a copy of their files!" and I cannot vouch for the jury's deci-
He had already found out how many sion!" Pulse added, and hid his face In a
were uninlling to serve as jurors' in the,? cloud of smoke.
Hinds case. Here were the rest—sixty- ,1 did not care how much money found
seven names! its way from Donovan's account into the
Among these were twenty-eight retired pocket of Pulse's tweed coat, but I wanted
businessmen, former petty city oflScials, for once to produce some show of human
pensioned military men, all eager to serve emotion in that fat face.
just to make the three dollars a day. "It's a high price to pay with no guaran-
"The prosecuting attorney likes men like tee of results!" I said.
these. They know the routine and the de- Pulse hunched his fat shoulders. "The
fense attorney cannot rattle them. We charge is first degree murder, and the
know all of them! Well, they can be ap- whole case is very delicate to handle. Con-
proached!" sider how' easy it will be for the district
Small droplets of sweat dotted Pulse's attorney. Cyril Hinds never worked at a
forehead, and his voice dropped lower. job in his life. He hung out in pool halla
"But the rest require some serious work! with a questionable crowd. He owed money
I can find only a few-of their names in to everybody and- stole it from his old
iny flies and must send out my men to. mother who scrubbed floors at the Bilt-
inquire into the private affairs of these more Hotel."
other would-be jurors. Most people have "And why did he kill his mother?" I
something in their lives they want to • asked.
hide!" - " Pulse did not look surprised even at
His protruding eyes suddenly discovered this question. "You should know the case
the cigars on the table. better than I do, or I would not be here.
"Please help yourself," I said. Immedi- Hinds stole money from the old lady. He
ately his hand shot out and he grabbed knew she would turn him over to the police
one of the cigars. ' •i this time, ""It was a little, she had saved
"Upmans!" he exclaimed. " D o l l a r to bury her. People do things like that—
apiece!" And he went on talking with the if they have been poor all their lives, they
same impersonal tone. want a fine fune'ral. Maybe she would have
"Here's an example. Last time one of gone to the police. To prevent that. Hinds
the jurors, a new one to us, was an under- hung around the hotel until she came out
taker, married, about fifty years old. He to go home. Then he ran over her. Any-
had a pretty secretary who helped him way, that is how the district attorney will
run his outfit. We found out about his build'up the case. Hit-aiid-:run, with intent
personal interest in'the giirl. Well, he was to, murder."
shocked when we told him what we knew. Pulse stood up as if shocked by his own
He woxild have hated to have even a rumor story.
uncovered by the defense. So he accepted
twenty-five hundred and we had a 'pill in "Forty thousand is not too much con-
the box.'". . sidering the case;" he murmured.
He inhaled the smoke with relish. I took him to the door.
'•'You want it in cash?" I said.
"A 'pill in the box' is a juror who is on - "Of course," he answered, but stopped
the side of the defendant," he explained. suddenly and stared at me.
Pulse's big eyes twinkled at me amusedly "He's not your son?"
and he suddenly asked, "Well, in case we "Doi I look as old as that?" I asked,
have to do sometliing about all twelve astonished. '^
jjirors, are you prepared to put down that A strange expression crossed Pulse's face.
much?" " "For a moment you did."
' "I must talk to Mr. Fuller first," I an-
swered; ' December 13th.
Pulse pursed his lips. This morning I went to the hospital to
' "The case can only be handled through have the cast removed.
me, as I am anonymous and your lawyer Some actors, to play their roles more
is a public figure, so to speak. You under- smoothly, fasten weights to their hands
stand?" He spoke listlessly. and feet during the daytime. When they
Fuller did not want to be mixed up in take the weights off for the performance,
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN lOi
they experience that same floating, feath- wrought-iron gate, which seemed familiar I
erlike sensation I had' when the nurse cut to me. We crossed a wide park with dry'
off the twenty pounds of plaster. artificial lakes and empty aviaries. The
I took a bath, the first time in weeks, garden looked forlorn, as If at the owner's
and felt boundlessly happy. I discarded death the flowers had stopped blooming.
the over-size suit and put on one of my The car drove up to a sprawling Spanish
old ones. building, with extensive patios and shady
. My back, stiff at first, slowly regained loggias. Most of the windows were shut-
some freedom of motion. tered or the blinds drawn.
In the pocket of my suit I found the In the big hall the furniture was hidden
key Sternli had given me. I went to the under dust covers. A lonely lamp burned
California Merchants' Bank. The sallow- in a niche. The housa looked as deserted
faced teller with the small mustache saw as the gardens.
me come in and disappeared at once, to The chauffeur led me into the library
return with the manager. where a huge log fire was burning, throw-
ing lambent shadows over the paneled
HIS man had resigned himself to my walls. Howard Donovan and his sister
T being the unorthodox customer I was waited for me, but to my surprise Fuller,
and, on my request, he led me straight the lawyer, was with them.
to the safe deposit vault. "Hello, Cory." Howard walked briskly
The.box opisned with the key I had,got up to me, his hand outstretched, but
from Sternli. stopped with a questioning look on his
It was empty except for a small envelope face. Then he stared'down at my hand.
which I put in my pocket. "Sorry," I said, and threw the cigar
In the street I opened it. into the fire. "I forgot. I should have left
It was a receipt for eighteen hundred it outside."
thirty-three dollars and eighteen cents, "It's an Upman, isn't it?" Howard said.
written in Donovan's handwriting, and "My father used to smoke that kind. Fun-
signed by Roger Hinds. The date was ny how a smell will stick in your nose!" 1
February 7, 1901. The place, San Juan, He took my arm amiably.
California. Puller only nodded when I greeted him,
I turned the paper over, but it gave me withdrew. to the farthest corner of the
no clue why Donovan had kept it so care- room and busied himself looking at books.
fully. Mrs. Chloe Barton spoke my name, but
San Juan, a; small town of about five made no move to give me her hand.
thousand inhabitants, is the place where Howard walked over to the bar. "A drink
Donovan opened his mail order business. Doctor?"
I put the paper in my wallet. Sternli , "Thank you, no!" I said.
might tell ine more when he returned. I "Only when nobody's looking." He
had a wire this morning saying that he laughed dryly, obviously thinking of his
has contacted Geraldine Hinds. father.
Howard Donovan's chauffeur was wait- Howard spoke like a district attorney
ing for me in, the hotel lobby. Acting on who wanted to wheedle the witness into
inspiration, or a telepathic contact, I good humor for the questioning that was
greeted him by his first name: "Hello, to come.
Lonza!" Chloe sat in a corner, watching me. She
He looked at me dumbfounded; he had seemed amused, but in a tense, neurotic
never seen me before. Then he grinned all way. She was strangely still and the ex-
over his face as if I had cracked a joke. pression In her dark eyes disconcerted
We drove north on Ventura Boulevard me. She watched me with intense interest,
toward Encino. I leaned back comfortably, drinking in every word I uttered. That in-
smoking a cigar I did not enjoy. tensity irritated me. She seemed a woman
The borderline between my conscious- about ready for a fit of hysterics.
ness and Donovan's became blurred. I I was surprised how her face had
talked, but it was Donovan who made me changed. The flesh seemed to have fallen
talk. When I walked, this was still my own away, and. the skin was tightly dravra over
doing. Or did I only think it was? I had to the bones. She kept smiling at me but
concentrate hard to know if Donovan she had the appearance rather of making
moved my hands or if I did. a grimace.
But always my thoughts were clear. We exchanged a few superficial remarks,
At Encino we drove through a big which did not relieve the tension.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
"Puller! A whiskey?" Howard shouted Fuller suddenly took over, stepping
across the room, and his question seemed closer to me.
designed to conceal his thoughts. "Mr. Donovan has made Inquiries about
"Thank you, I've not finished this one," you, Dr. Cory. We can stop fencing."
Fuller mumbled and went on turning "No doubt he has had detectives on my
pages. trail. That's part of the family tradition!"
. Howard sat down beside me and jovially I said smilingly.
slapped my knee, "How is Old Man Stern- "I am an old friend of this family," Ful-
li?" he asked. ler replied, on his guard. "When you told
It was the opening shot of the attack. me Mr. Donovan, Senior, had sent you to
Fuller closed his book with a dull slap, me—and Howard informed me his father
put it back on the shelf and turned to- had died without leaving a will, and with-,
ward us,, while Chloe lifted hsr folded out having talked to anyone at the hour
hands to her cheek in an unnatural ges- of his death—well, it was my duty to in-
ture. The hands were extremely thin, form Howard and his sister of these con-
showing the bones through transparent tradictions in your story."
skin.
"Sternli? He is all right," I said Indif- [E WAS already sure of my fifty thou-
ferently. sand dollars. By telling Howard about
"He is a good man with a remarkable me, he might bring more money his way.
memory. I'd have given him a job if he He was like Yocum, always out for more.
weren't so nearly blind," Howard hurried But whUe Yocum was torn by a conscience,
to explain. Fuller had no such handicap.
"I had an ophthalmologist examine his "You, as a lawyer, are obliged to secrecy
eyes for lenses." in the affairs of your clients, and I am
I did not mean to rebuke my host, but one of them," I said.
my reply must have sounded like it; for his "I know my duty very well. Dr. Cory,"
face reddened. He did not expect to be Fuller answered, with a sly undertone. '
reprimanded. "Then why have you forgotten It?" I
It was as if the brain were amusing it- asked.
self while I looked on, remote and erho- "Why did you spend money on that
tionless. I knew every question and answer murderer?" Howard Donovan accused in a
beforehand, like listening to a well-known theatrical voice. He stood behind me, and
story, where every complication is the I had to turn in my chair to face him.
more enjoyed for being anticipated. "Wliat murderer?"
Howard went on talking, but it was evi- "This. Cyril Hinds, or whoever he is!"
dent what he was leading up to. Howard's face was grave as a judge's.
"So my father told you about Sternli "You don't know why?" I was surprised.
before he died," he said. "No—but you are using my father's
Fuller, at the window, made a gesture money!" He pointed a fat accusing finger
of impatience. at me. I had to laugh.
He was Irritated at Howard's clumsy Howard was speechless. He looked at
approach. Fuller for help.
"Oh, no, I told you before your father "Please, let me do the talking for. a
did not talk. I read about his faithfiil minute," the lawyer said vrtth elaborate
secretary in the papers." I took another caution. "You are thirty-eight years old.
cigar from my pocket and glanced at Ful- Dr. Cory. You studied medicine at Harvard.
ler. My answer belied the story I had told When you were twenty-nine you married a'
him about Donovan's advising me. to see girl of small independent means. For a
him, but the lawyer made no move to con- few years you practiced in Los, Angeles,
tradict me. but you never earned great sums of money.
Howard became impatient. He was not Then you retired to Washington Junction
accustomed to making haste slowly. His to carry out some experiments, living on
face contorted and he said sharply, "Let's the money you had saved, and afterwards
drop that pretense, Cory. Aren't you get- on your wife's."
ting tired of it?" "Right," I said. "That is my life story."
He got up and stepped back, irritated. Fuller went on patiently. "Suddenly you
The smell of the Upman cigar exaggerated are in possession of seemingly limitless
his growing dislike for me. funds. . . . You gave up your experiments
"Please be more explicit," I helped him and moved back to Los Angeles, interest-
along. ing yourself in people you had never seen
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 16%\
before, like Hinds and S t e r n l l . . . . " He was is it?" he asked, alarmed, and bent down
dryly adding up the facts as if they were to pick up the paper. But Chloe, having
crimes, committed. nolselessl^ left her chair, put her foot on
I interrupted. "How does this concern it, stared and bent down.
you, or Mr. Howard Donovan?" - Suddenly she clutched her throat aind
Howard could not keep silent. "Remem- broke into endless hysterical laughter; her
ber our conversation in Phoenix? You face twisted and spots of color sprang out
denied that my father had talked to you on her white' cheeks. The pupils of her
and he told you where he hid his money!" eyes dilated widely.
'I stared at, him coldly and the silent Stepping over to her quickly, I held her
duel broke his control. His face grew livid arm with my right hand, and struck a
and he shouted, "It's my money and you sharp blow close to her left,clavicle. As I
stole it!" , saw her eyes grow normal again, I slapped
"This is a peculiar accusation, and you her face twice, hard.
will have to prove it," I answered, amused, The laughter stopped, she could breathe
but in the back of my mind I was afraid. now but collapsed in my arms as I had
"Where did you get the money you are expected. I carried her over to the couch
throwing around now?'' Howard Donovari and put her down, her face to the wall.
cried. Howard watched me, petrified. *'
i got up and walked over to the writing Chloe began to cry, uncontrollably, her
desk, limping. I felt the dull pressure in body shaking with convulsive sobs.
my kidneys, as I sat down heavily. "Get me a sedative, quickly!" I looked
"Perhaps Mr. Fuller can conjure up some at Howard, who found his own control
legal reason why I should answer that again at my order. ,-
question!" "There must be something in Chloe's
Fuller's voice was smooth and unaggres- room," he stammered. His aggressiveness
sive. "We can settle this amicably. Dr. had left him; he ran toward the door.
Cory. Mr. Donovan is prepared to give I turned to the patient, who was shaking
you ten per cent of the sum his father with retching sobs". j
left in your trust at the moment of his I "sta/ed "until Chloe Barton had fallen
death. Furthermore, the money you have asleep. Then I told Howard not to move
spent or disposed of up to now, will not her, to call her physician when she woke.
be questioned." He listened, staring at me as if I were a
"Any-amount?" I asked, looking straight ghost. And he is not so far from the truth.
into Fuller's eyes.t Fuller took me home in his car. He did.
He knew I meant the fifty thousand not talk on our way back, he only said he
dollars I had put aside for him, but he would see Cyril Hinds, to give him some
did not flicker an eyelash. instructions, but he made no mention of
"Of course," he replied in a friendly tone. his betrayal. ,
"All right; Will you put that in writing?"
I went on. S SOON as I got back to my room, I
I saw Howard's eager expression. Fuller's A^ rang up Schratt. My nerves were
sphinxlike smile. Chloe's face shone white rattled. I did not want to crack under the
in the half-dark like a grinning death's- strain. Also that infernal line: "Amidst
head. the-mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his
"Just sign this first." Fuller took a paper fists against the posts and still insists he
from his pocket and put it down in front sees the ghosts," was repeating itself again,
of me. It was a statement that I had used as if somebody shouted it into my ear. '
Donovan's money. I did not bother to read When I told Schratt to discontinue feed-
through any of the paragraphs. ing the brain, he disapproved.
My left hand took the pen and I wrote: "I cannot accept that order, Patrick.
Money received for stamp collection. W. We must go on with it!" And when I
H. Donovan. The pen encircled the name shouted at him, he said, "Janice will be
with an oval. back in Los Angeles. You may need her
Howard stepped close to pick up the now!"
paper. He glanced at the sentence and He hung up. . «
signature, with eyes that started from their I sat down, exhausted. What had got
sockets. Struck dumb, he moved his color- into him? How did he dare disobey my
less lips. His fingers limp, dropped the orders?
paper on the floor. I must get to Washington Junction at
Fuller, had watched him closely. "What once! "^
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
toi FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES
But I- did not. move. My limfos were ened me. You talked like my father. You
paralyzed. I lay on my bed for hours, my dragged yoiur left foot. You wrote his name
thoughts spinning until they were a blur as he did. And you said things only he
of Incoherent pictures. And-at last I fell and I know!"
asleep. She smiled, concealing her uneasiness
behind the gallantry only breeding pro-
December 18th. duces.
The telephone rang at seven o'clock. It "How did you know about the stamp
woke me. collection? My father could not have told
I felt refreshed and In full control of you that," she said.
myself. Schratt was right to have refused ''I may have read about It In some
to obey me. I should not lose my nerve! magazine," I answered, but she shook her
Now I was grateful for his stubbornness! head. .
Howard Donovan was on the phone. "No!" . . •
Chloe, he .said, refused to let her own She fell -into deep thought. When she
doctor see her. She was asking for me. spoke again, it was to herself; she had
Would I come at once? He was afraid she forgotten my presence.
would have another fit if I did not say yes. "I know my father has not died. I knew
"I have taken the liberty," he concluded, he would appear agairT, in his shape or
"of sending my car to pick you up." anotlier. I was expecting him!" -^
I promised to come. She looked at me with a sharp turn-of
Pulse phoned. He too wanted to see me her head, her eyes wide open. "I am sure
urgently. you told the truth. when you said my
I told him. I would be in the hotel at father had not talked to you! But now he
lunch time. is acting through you!"
Howard Donovan's car-arrived and took She had an explanation of the pheno-
me to Encino. ' menon. She took it for granted I too
Howard was waiting for me on the would understand.
steps of the house. His face looked swollen, . "You loved your father?" I asked.
his eyes were red from lack of sleep, and . "I hated him," she answered. "And I did
he mumbled a few words I did not under- think justice had disappeared from the
stand. He led me upstairs to Chloe's bed- ea;rth because God himself seemed to be
room,, keeping his distance in front of me, unjust." "^ ' -
as if he were afraid. . She was exalted. Her eyes with- their
He did not enter Chloe's room with me., dilated pupils were blank. The world left
The curtains were half drawn and the no image on the retina and she listened
sunlight fell at a sharp angle onto the to a voice only she could hear.
red silk cover of a four-poster Spanish "You gave Fuller the order to defend
bed. Chloe's white face lay oh a lacy Cyril Hinds, but you don't know why!"
yellow silk pillow. She looked at me quietly she said in a quiet triumph.
as if her emotion were exhausted. She suddenly laughed crazily and I ex-
Her breakfast had been served on a pected another fit of hysteria but it did
table close to the bed. not come.
Silver shone brightly, and the tray was
gay with flowers, but the food was un- "My father wants to save Cyril Hinds
touched. fromithe hangman's rope, to snatch a life
' from death In exchange for a life he gave
"Hello," she said. Her voice had a little to death! As you might "exchange a tin of
break in it. ". - - beef for another, or pay back ten dollars
"Peel all right?" I asked, pulling a clialr you had borrowed! When I was seven years
close to the bed. old, he gave me a lesson in life, his
Chloe looked at me with dark eyes, philosophy expressed in a few words: 'The
which made the rest of her face insignifi- struggle for money in this world is the
cant. Slowly she drew a: thin hand from struggle for life. "The rich man lives a
under the covers and with a shy gesture packed life equivalent-to many ordinary
touched mine. Her fingers were cold, her ones. With hired assistants, slaves, serv-
pulse must have been less than sixty. ants, secretaries, sycophants, he accom-
She needed injections of caffeine. plishes things in a short time the poor
"Who are you?" she asked quietly. man sometimes takes a year to do. A rich
"Dr. Patrick Cory," I said. man's life is a hundred times longer than
She kept on staring at me. that of a poor man. With money one out-
"Last night," she whispered, "you fright- lives the others. Money is life itself.'"
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 105
I knew now why she had asked for me feeling of guilt even troubled him. To ruin
so urgently. My strange action of last night Roger Hinds, my father purposely held
convinced her I was sent by fate. back the money!"
All her life she had suffered her father's Her voice was as shocked as if this had
domination, waiting for the years of his occurred just yesterday, not fifty years ago.
decline. But he had eluded her by his sud- She had derived her strength to live
den death. She did not want to believe from her resolve to avenge her mother,
he was done with living. She wanted him and since her father died she had nothing
to return! She did not know anything to live for. She did not want to believe
about the brain's artificial life, but she his death. She was waiting for some
felt it must be! miracle, ready to take refuge in a world
I moved my right hand, bit my lips, and remote from our own. Suicide needs pur-
felt the pain. I was sitting there, not War- pose and decision; drifting into the un-
ren Horace Donovan. reality of a dream world achieves the
"My father's real name was Dvorak. He same end, easily, and more pleasantly.
came from a small town in Bohemia, in I had to be careful not to let her excite
eighteen ninety-five. He changed his name herself too much with the story she was
to Donovan, lived in San Juan and worked telling with such conviction.
In a hardware store. My mother, Kather- "Are you sure he did it purposely?" I
ine, was the owner's daughter, and my asked.
father's best and only friend was Roger "Completely!" Chloe said emphatically.
Hinds, the station master." There was no room for doubt in her mind.
"My father wanted to marry, and he
HLOE still touched my hand, as Ifshe found his way blocked by Roger. This
C needed this contact. was a blow to his ego! Whatever, whoever
Suddenly she glanced at me and in a stepped into his path had to be destroyed.
clear voice said, "I never talked about He loved Roger as much as he could any-
Roger Hinds to anybody since my mother one. He was really very fond of him, but
told me about him. Not even Howard to his dismay Roger was after something
knows. I kept the secret because i loved he wanted himself And father felt himself
iny mother, nobody else, in all my life! betrayed.
Only I, and Roger Hinds, loved her!" According to Chloe's story, Donovan had
She spoke with undeniable conviction. deliberately kept the money until an audi-
I Interrupted. I did not want her to lose tor's examination discovered the shortage.
herself in reminiscence, which had become Hinds lost his job; and then Donovan
a dangerous obsession with her. returned the. sum; he made Roger sign
"A case of jackknives was unclaimed at a receipt showing It was he, Donovan,
the station. Your father bought it, sold who had saved his friend from going to
the knives to the farmers, and that was prison.
the beginning of his mail order house. I When Hinds recovered from the blow,
have read about it!" he took a shot at Donovan, whose cheek
She nodded. "But what the papers did the scar marked forever. Then, despair-
not know was that he began his business ing. Hinds hanged himself. He had not
with money he borrowed from Roger Hinds, told Katherine. He was ashamed of his
the man my mother loved." friend's betrayal.
She spoke with a sudden outburst of A few months later, Katherine, broken
indignation, as if it had been her own down by Donovan's constant wooing, mar-
friend and not her mother's. ried him. They left the town at once and
"Roger" admired my father and my father settled in Los Angeles.
knew his power over Roger. One day, to Some time later, she learned the truth.
ruin him, he asked Roger for a sum of Donovan told her purposely, when he
money which he knew Roger - did not found out she still loved Roger.
possess. From this moment he held her by fear.
"Eighteen hundred and thirty-three dol- As one of his possessions, Katherine was
lars and eighteen cents," I said in a flat not permitted to leave him. He could not
voice. Chloe nodded impatiently, without stand losing anything which had ever be-
wondering at my freakish knowledge. longed to him.
"It may have been that. Roger took it The woman, her spirit broken, lived a
from the ticket office when my father shadowy life. Her only confidante was her
promised to give it back to him next day. daughter, whose hatred of her own father,
He trusted father so implicitly that no Katherine nursed.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
loe FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES
Several of Katherlne's children had been He never forgave Howard that one Inde-
born dead. Only Howard, the first one, and pendent action. He did not know how to
Chloe, the last, lived. Howard was crushed forgive.
under his father's flst, never permitted to But his son had inherited some of Dono-
do ansrthlng he had not been ordered to do. van's obstinacy and shrewdness. He in-
Donovan never gave his son pocket tended to beat his father with the only
money, and his wife and Chloe never saw weapon at his command—time! If he
cash, either. Money is freedom, it makes waited for his father to grow old, then hiJs
people Independent of others. time would come. He did wait, silently and
Howard was never given a house key. patiently. Every day he grew stronger,
He had to ring the doorbell like a trades- Donovan older.
man, and the servants kept check on his When Chloe was fourteen, her mother
goings and comings. They did not dare died. To the girl's surprise, her father
cover up for the boy, for they, too, were took the loss hard. Death had intruded into
watched by a set of household spies. Donovan's kingdom and taken away one
Donovan was omnipresent.' He used of his possessions without leave. In Dono-
everybody's eyes and ears for his informa- van's opinion a great injustice had been
tion. Whoever worked for Donovan gave done him.
up his own personality. For this selfishness Chloe hated him
When Howard was fifteen he began col- still more. In her eyes he had killed her
lecting stamps. To get money to buy them, mother. Chloe wanted revenge for the slow
he stole and sold small objects from his murder and she found a sure way of
father's house, trinkets, silver, spoons, getting it—by shaming her father's name.
books. At fourteen, she waJs flirting with his
Donovan resented his son's interest in servants, and cunningly she always saw
these colored bits of paper, but he tolerated to it that Donovan foimd out. Infuriated
it because the boy convinced him that he and hurt, he sent her to' girls' schools
was enlarging the collection by clever that were practically prisons, but she
trading. always found some way to escape.
When Howard's interest became too ab- When she was sixteen, she married a
sorbing for Donovan's jealousy, he began to wrestler, at eighteen a boxer, at nineteen
compete in his son's field, and bought an her father's chauffeur.
expensive collection for himself. By then she had conceived the fiendish
Howard possessed a few specimens Dono- idea of making herself look more like her
van did not find in his own album and, mother. She dieted away twenty pounds,
without asking permission, he simply took had her nose reshaped, and began to be
them for his own collection. the image of Katherine. She wanted to
At seventeen Howard had the courage to shock her father with this resemblance.
run away. To finance the adventure, he She did not succeed.
stole his father's most valuable stamps.
Leaving a letter explaining his reasons,
Howard fled to Europe and registered in D ONOVAN saw through his children's
schemes, and once having fathomed
Paris at the Sorbonne. He studied hard, their .intent, he thought of a counter-
took his degree in economics, then re- stroke. The decision was accelerated by
turned to the States to find a job. the doctor's diagnosis of his incurable ill-
There he lost one position after another. ness.
He did not realize that his father was He would disarm his children. He had
using pressure to force Howard's employers done only one small thing in his life he
to dismiss him. regretted—betraying Roger Hinds. If he
Donovan wanted his son back home, squared this, what cause could anyone
and, as always, he got what he wanted. have to hate him? His mind was so primi-
One day, broke and desperate, Howard tive that he never was aware of his every-
returned to his father's house. Instead day cruelties.
of anger, he found Donovan waiting to Donovan considered himself one just
receive the prodigal with open arms. The man in a treacherous world.
embrace was symbolic: he had his son back Covering a possible retreat, Donovan had
in his clutches! been salting money away for years. He
From then on, Howard worked for his used Hind's name on this secret accoimt,
father without salary or, ofQcially, a posi- unconsciously troubled by his feeling of
tion. From time to time Donovan gave him guilt. He liquidated his possessions and
money, like the dole to a poor relative. gave over his authority to his son. No-
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
^1:
DONOVAN'S BRAIN lOV
body took authority away from him! get away from here. To Rio, to Buenos
The next step would have been to make Aires. Anywhere where people speak an^
amends to Roger Hinds, who had been other language and do not talk about your
buried forty years. father, only about you, yourself! You are
^ He was searcliing for Hinds' relatives; . important! Only you! Nobody but you!''
he had found only a few. He had it in My words seemed to "clear away the hate
mind to present them with fortunes, since and revengefulness. The expression on her
to him happiness and money were synon- pale face, which had been a mask of
omous. despair, grew softer. Her lips lost the
When he found a Hinds in prison, ac- hard, hurt look.
cused of murder, he saw a big chance.' "Let the pain of life teach you undei^
Here was a life to be traded back for standing," I said. "And you will not hate
the one he, Donovan, had snuffed out. life, but, in the joy of understanding,
While he was on his way to Geraldine love it."- • ,
Hinds in Reno, the plane had crashed, Chloe smiled, closed her eyes^ Her.body
and with it he was through playing at relaxed.
fate, for the time being. I ,held her hand in mine until she fell
While Chloe and I talked, I fitted the asleep, and her breathing grew easy.
pieces of the story together in my mind, Then I returned to the hotel.
made the connections, added niissing parts. "A gentleman is waiting to see you,
and reasons for the indicated happenings.' sir," the desk clerk said, and he pointed
Obscurities which had baffled me before, to Yocum standing in a corner of the
weire cleared. I suddenly knew Warren lobby.,.
Horace Donovan better than if I had lived With a smirk on his thin face, Yocum
his life, iand I was frightened. walked, toward me. Flashily dressed in a
He had destroyed everything which op- suit with wide padded shoulders, he wore
posed his will. Now that death had set patent leather shoes and flourished an
up a barrier, his will surmounted it. He expensive gray felt hat with an enormously
. was stronger than death! wide brim.
I saw it all clearly. Everything I needed "Hello, Doc," he. breezed, and put out
to know for my experiment. The rest asked his hand in" a jovial gesture.
for only cold analysis, not empiric re- "What do you want?" I asked curtly.
search. The smile on his face spread into a dis-
I must bury this brain ten feet under arming grin.
ground and end its monstrous existence! "Just wanted to show you how I'm
"I want Cyril Hinds to die," Chloe blurted getting along!"
out in a hoarse, furious whisper. "He must His voice had become stronger, for he
not go free! Oh, no, my father must not had been feeding himself better, but the
have that triumph!" deep hollows in his cheeks timed the end
I smiled at her, put both my hands on of his days like an hourglass. I did not
hers, and prayed for freedom of thought give him more than a few months.
and will for. just this moment. "You ought to be in a sanatarium,'' I
"Only"-the things we desire happen to said.
us," I said. "And as we grow wiser, we Yocum shrugged his padded shoulders.
can escape some of our instinctive des- "Well—maybe I will! But first I want
tinies, if we will. Don't give that man the a little fun. You know, it's like having
homage of your hatred! You have been starved for a long time. I want to eat
sensitive to every temper of his. Be sensi- before I fast again!"
tive once to your own!" He scrutinized me with narrowed eyes,
Chloe turned and looked at me as if she appraising me as if I were a secondhand
saw me for the first time. Her eyes mirrored car.
a forgotten wish that had been lost in "You're looking prosperous," . he said,
that long struggle. She had found a morbid satisfied.
delight in. suffering, her forgotten wish The visit had too' obvious, a purpose.
was to find delight in joy. I took him over to a corner, and we
She stood at the crossroads where the sat down. A sudden inspiration flashed
• right word would send her in the right through my mind. I might find some use
direction and the wrong one into mental for him!
chaos. Yocum, crossed his legs carefully, not
Bending forward to hold her gaze with to.crease the pants.
all my will power, I said, "Promise me to Then he took from his breast pocket a
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
so
photograph which had been yellowed by and tore it into little pieces. "Forget it,
smoke. It was the picture of Donovan in Doc."
the mo'rgue. "Oh, no, I won't! Youll hear from me!"
"Found .it in the ashes of my house," I turned sharply, and left him staring
Yocum said casually, showing it, and then (helplessly after me. ,
tucking it away in his coat again. When I turned again, he was gone.
"What do you want me to do? Buy it?"
I asked. May'lSth.
"Don^t be unfair. Doc," he said arro- For nearly five months I have discon-
gantly. "You haven't paid for my house, tinued recording these observations. From
yet!" ' the moment that Yocum ran out of the
I got up without replying, and being a Hotel Roosevelt, all my actions have not
poor crook, he paled. been my own.' My will power was snuffed
"Look here. Doc," he said threateningly. out like a candle. I did not know what my
"I can still sell this picture to Howard body, separated from my mind, was going
Donovan f" to do!
"I wish you would," I replied, and there I was crying out for help, while my
was so much indifference in my voice mouth said words I did not want to say
Yocum \ was scared. and my hands did things I did not,want .
"I don't follow," he said, at a loss. "Only done. My living brain was trapped.
a few days ago, you were glad to pay No message could be sent, no warning
for it . . . ." given, no drug in reach could bring me
I sat down again. "I'm tired of you," I respite, no suicide possible, no way of
said. "You act like an ass that doesn't escape.
know when it has gorged itself. Go. ahead Donovan's brain dwelt, vampirelike, in
and tell Donovan! Suppose they do go to my body, and.no one observed any change
Washington Junction-and find the brain? in me.
What then? You are' the one that will I /learned to be afraid of the light of
go to prison for blackmail!" day and of the stars of night.. I felt I
"Oh, no. Not me!" Yocum said swagger- was going insane within the. cell of my
ingly; "You gave me that money willingly!" hermetically sealed existence.
"Tell it to the judge, and see if he be-r We compute time in minutes and hours,
lieves you. By the way—" I stared at him days and years, and measure space, iri
to frighten him, and succeeded. "It would three dimensions. But Donovan's mind
be a good idea to have you arrested and existed outside our concrete boundaries.
get my money back!" Though inseparable from space, it had
"The money?" he stammered. His face a personal. concept of time. It seemed to
broke into small parts, held together only know the future in the same manner as
by the network of deep gray lines. "You we remember the past. It anticipated com-
can't prove it!" . ing events, and counteracted them by
"I still have your negatives," I said methods I could not comprehend, for my
firmly. thinking lacked an understanding • of the
"You burned down my hoiise!" He tried fourth dimension. I was not aware of
to attack me to get me on the" defensive. impending events..
"Can you provie it? Who will they be-
lieve—you or me? You've got a prison AM obliged ,-now to identify the brain
record already, haven't you?" and my body, in Donovan's second
I was hitting in the dark, but I seemed existence, as the cerebrum is the seat of
to have struck. the personality and the body only its acci-
"Photographs!" he murmured. "They' dental form.
won't convict anybody on that evidence!" From that moment on, an impotent
"You'll have to tell where you got that spectator, I, Patrick Gory, can only call
money for your new suit, and the car that freakish, monstrous entity which used
you bought. How will you explain? The my body by its real name. Warren Horace
negatives and the brain in Washington Doriovan!
Junction are the only proof!" I said . So, a minute after Yocum had run away,
slowly and weightily to make it sink into Warren Horace Donovan -walked', out of
his consciousness. the hotel, went to Ivar, Street and into
He took out the picture again with an office to rent a car. He hired a power-
trembling hands. ful sedan.
"All right, you win!" he said tonelessly, The clerk asked to see his driver's license
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 109
and for reasons not known to me until We don't need to fence with each other."
later, Donovan pretended to have left it He used Fuller's expression of the night
at home, but he was willing to faclliate before.
the transaction by depositing in cash any Fuller paled as if he were going to faint.
sum required. A hideous fear seemed to possess him.
He signed the papers as Herb Yocum, Donovan went on with sardonic deter-
Kirkwood Drive. If the clerk looked that up mination, "Pulse tried to blackmail me.
in the directory, he must have been satis- You'd better see that he comes down in
fied. his price. Tell him I want to talk to him.
Donovan drove the car to a corner be- At once!"
hind the hotel, left it there, and took a Fuller looked dazed. He did not dare
taxi for Puller's office. He was limping fight back, picked up the telephone and
and a dull pain in his kidneys bothered told the switchboard girl. He took his
him. time talking. When he hung up, he seemed
He looked into the mirror in the taxi. to have himself in control again.
His face was an unhealthy white with "The district attorney is keeping back
a tendency toward yellow. He showed all a surprise witness," he said, and gave
the indications of a nephritic degeneration Donovan a quick glance of inquiry.' "If
of the kidneys. As a man whose leg has he calls that one, we're in bad shape!"
been amputated, still is nagged by the "Then don't let him call that witness,"
corn on his missing toe, so Donovan trans- Donovan said in quiet anger.
posed the same sensations he used to feel Fuller bent forward over the glass table,
In his former body into mine. beads of sweat standing out over his fore-
He went up to the lawyer's office. head.
After he had waited a few minutes. "You can't pervert Justice," he said In a
Fuller came in. His attitude toward Dono- low, desperate, voice. "There are things
van was definitely hostile, but he tried you can't do. You just can't!"
to hide it under a businesslike manner. "But you can!" Donovan said cruelly,
Donovan followed him to the library, "I want Hinds freed!"
where they sat down. He was a maniac with a fixed idea. No
Fuller opened the conversation grimly. one in the world could have deviated
"I wish you would explain your strange Donovan from his course, but Fuller was
behavior last night in Howard's house. not aware of that. He went on fighting.
I don't understand that kind of humor!" "What interest have you In that man?
"I'm not asking for your opinion on any You're not related to him. You never saw
of my actions. Fuller!" Donovan replied him before!"
acidly. "You're paid to get Hinds out of "It's no business of yours," Donovan said
prison, not to criticize my conduct!" aloofly. "Just get him free!"
Fuller's face flushed, but he spoke in "But this witness can't be toouglTf,"
his pleasant conference voice. "Well, I'm Fuller said in despair.
not so sure If I want to take over" this "I'll pay as much as he wants," Donovan
case at all. It's hopeless. The man is a answered.
cold-blooded murderer! You'd better give "It's a girl, only thirteen years old. I
it to somebody else." can't approach her to take money for
Donovan grunted, got up, opened the telling a lie! She would not understand!"
small cupboard near the door. In it, con- The misery in Fuller'^" voice was heart-
nected to an electric circuit, was a switch. rending. ,
Donovan snapped it off, and limped back They sat quiet until Fuller continued,
to the table. exasperated, "She is a little girl from San
Fuller watched, his features distorted. Francisco, who ran away from home to
• He sensed a more than natural intelligence break into the movies. Hitchhiked here,
behind Donovan's strange behayier, but and had no place to sleep. She was hiding
he could not define it! in the entrance of a building when Hinds
"Always careful, aren't you?" Donovan ran over the old woman. She saw him do
said, and his voice was threatening. Fuller It. She saw him stop and drive back in
looked at him with veiled fear. reverse. The old woman recognized him
"How did you know—" he began. and cried out his name. 'Cyril!' she cried,
"Never mind," Donovan cut him short. and begged him to call a doctor. But
"I don't want my conversations recorded. Hinds backed up further and ran over
You can't walk out on me, either! Just her face." Fuller spoke as if that were
remember the Ralston and Trueman case. evidence directed against Donovan.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
"And she did not go to the police?" is staying," Donovan ordered, when they
Donovan said. had reached the car.
"She was afraid of being sent home," Pulse squeezed his gross body behind
Fuller answered, the lawyer again, his the steering wheel.
voice soft and pleading, "She lives at the "The situation is very delicate," he said
Loma Street Y.W.C.A." wamingly. "The man is a minister!"
"Then get her parents out here. You "Come on, get in and drive," Donovan
can talk to them, can't you?" said irritably.
"They are here," Fuller said. As he got in the car, Pulse said quietly
"All right! Pay them whatever you want and docilely, "We have five 'pills' in our
to take the girl across the state border. box already. Dr. Cory. Five jurors on our ,•
She must not be found for the next year! side! We're pretty much on the safe side
Then the district attorney will have no how!"
witness, and we are in the clear," Donovan "Not so long as that girl is around,"
said. "A young girl who runs away from Donovan muttered. "We must get her out
home is not a trustworthy witness, any- of the way!"
way. She is hysterical, and likely to He stared in front of him, blankly,
imagine things." wrapped in thoughts which seemed far
"But she heard the old woman call him in the future.
Cyril!" "GO on. Quick!" Donovan suddenly
Fuller was still persistent. shouted. "Fast, man!"
, Donovan got up impatiently. Pulse, shocked Into activity, pressed
"She read that in the papers! Must I down the accelerator, and the car shot
tell you how to get elements of doubt forward along the broad Beverly Boule-
into this? Am I the lawyer in the case? ' vard.
I see I am obliged to take things into "The girl's father lives at the Weatherby
my own hands." Apartments on Van Ness," Pulse said. Dono-
He limped to the door. Fuller followed van did not seem to be listening. He kept
him. oh staring, sitting there motionless.
"See that the girl is rtaken back to her In my mental prison, I felt a nameless
parents. You're an idiot, Fuller. You're fear, which increased tlie nearer we got to
slipping!" Van Ness.I knew I was going insane, the
Donovan walked out. clearness of my thinking began to dim.
Fuller did not dare reply. The hope that the spell would be broken-,
I, mute witness of the scene, wanted and I would again be in command of my
to cry out. Fuller might hear me . . . .But own body suddenly dissolved into a scream-
I had no mouth to make myself heard. ing despair.
I was nothing but a brain in a vessel. If only Schratt would kill that brain!
Overturn the vessel. in which it swam!
ULSE, who was just entering the wait- Or cut off the electric current which kept
P ing room, strode over to Donovan and it alive!
whispered with ponderous alertness, "Hello, Schratt must be aware of what I was
Dr. Cory! I was coming to see you at, the going through. The encephalograph must
hotel when Fuller phoned me." have shown strange new signs, which '
Looking quickly at the lawyer from he, the scientist, should have been able
under his heavy eyelids. Pulse continued to interpret.
in his low voice, -'I just saw the girl's But he, too, might be out of action,
family . . . ." ruled by the brain as I was!
"All right, let's get going," Donovan in- "Here," Pulse said, pointing at a big
terrupted gruffly, and limped out of the white building.
room. "Come with me, Pulse!" "Stop the car," Donovan ordered, "and
The big man turned quickly, shocked by get out from behind that wheel !'^ •
Donovan's abruptness. He always expected Pulse looked up, surprised, but then he
to be treated with the same politeness he consented, and while Donovan slid Into
used to lubricate his, affairs, but he ran the driver's seat. Pulse, walked around
after "Donovam and caught up with him the car and got In beside him.
in the elevator. "What are we waiting for, Dr. Cory?"
"Got a car with you?" Donovan asked. Pulse asked, suddenly apprehensive.
Pulse nodded, cowed into a submission He could not understand. Donovan's
which he could not explain. strange behavior, first rushing him, now
"Drive me to where that girl's father waiting. Donovan did not reply; he kept
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN" llDTi
staring straight ahead of him. His features watched him as he limped to the elevator,
must have had a frightening expression, presumably puzzled that he moved so
which was 'mirrored in those of Pulse. differently from me, with the step, of an
"Why don't we go inside and see the old, sick man. ,..
girl's father?. I can introduce you and Donovan went upstairs to the room, sat
maybe he'll listen to reason." on the bed motionless, and waited.
No reply. Pulse moved uneasily in his HL' knew she would come.
seat. ' I was ^praying for her to come in.
The street was deserted. I could hardly bear the tension any
A couple of people came out of the longer; I wanted to cry, to shout, to sob. '
apartment house. One an elderly woman Then, in a last effort at sanity, I collected
dressed in black, the other a pale, pretty my strength to be able to concentrate on
girl of about thirteen. her, to make myself understand.
. Suddenly Donovan stirred, stepped on Janice knocked.
the gas, and the car jerked under the "Come in!" Donovan shouted.
clutch. Its front wheels jumped the side-
walk. It shot straight toward the two
women. J ANICE stood in the doorway as in a
picture frame. She stared at Donovan
For a second, Pulse was petrified, then with wide blue eyes, and when he did
he gave a hoarse cry of despair. His not ask her to come in, she closed the
fat hand grabbed the steering wheel, and door quietly behind her.
he swung the car off the sidewalk. The She has that indefinable intuition which
coupe nearly turned over. Pirouetting on can understand happenings outside every-
squeaking tires, it swerved, turned itself day reality. Surely she'would realize that
around, and then shot toward Melrose it was, not I, Patrick Cory, sitting on this
Avenue. bed, but Warren Horace Donovan.
"Stop this car!" Pulse moaned. He looked "Patrick," she said softly, and her voice
bleary and there were heavy rings under was strained with uncertainty. Her eyes
his eyes. grew so dark the pupils were imperceptible.
Donovan cut off the engine. She stood motionless. Her subconscious
"You nearly killed them," Pulse said. His fear, which she controlled with singular
shock suddenly turned into a crying rage. bravery, gave her an untouchable, aloof
""You tried to murder them! You wanted air. She was not capable of fright. The
to kiirthat girl!" He ran out of breath. more horrible the truth, the braver she
Donovan stepped out of the car. would be.
"We must get rid of her," he said slowly, She gazed at Donovan, with singular
like a man in a trance, and walked away. fixity.
"Not with my car!" Pulse shouted after "What do you want?" Donovan asked
him hysterically. "Not-with my car!" gruffly, and for the first time I knew
He stared at Donovan with tears stream- the brain was afraid. It trembled, threat-
ing down his face. ened by something intangibly stronger
Donovan walked on, limping. He hailed • than itself. It was evil opposed.
a taxi and said, "The Roosevelt Hotel." She could divine the strange change
He sank onto the seat, breathing heavily, . which had taken place In my body, but
staring in front of him, holding his sides' she knew the influence the brain had on
. above the kidneys, with both hands. me. Nobody who had not experienced it
Suddenly he knocked at the glass par- could imagine the brain's power,. but
tition. Janice did not need to be told. Clair-
The driver stopiped. voyance is commonplace to those who
Donovan went into a liquor store and have it, and she knew.
bought a quart of gin, which he hid in I tried to call her. I tried to tell her
his pocket. that there in the writing desk lay the
Then he had himself driven back to the case history of Donovan. Being a doctor's
hotel. wife she would' think of that, and find it.
I saw Janice the moment Donovan She had to find it, to read it, to be able
entered the lobby. He saw her, too, but to understand that the monster I had
he passed her without any sign of recogni- created must be destroyed.
tion. I shouted within my prison and, as if
Janice had turned sharply: She took two she had heard me, a shiver of fear shook
quick steps in his direction, then hesitated, her. But only for a second, and I could
stopped by an Intangible doubt. She not be sure that she had understood.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
.1 f .
"What do you want?" Donovan asked Donovan emptied the bottle hsistiiy,
again. eagerly, waiting for the alcohol to take
She smiled disanningly. "To stay with effect. I was vaguely conscious of his sur-
you. I thought you might need me." prise when he found himself still sober.
"Don't run after me," Donovan answered. Then, like a man falling into a stagnant
"I don't want to see you around here . pool, I lost consciousness.
any more. Go home to your mother. Go I did not know for how long I slept, but
wherever you like. But leave meialone." a sudden terrifying premonition of ap-
His voice was without inflection, as proaching death tore me out of my
people speak who are.suffering physically. drunken sleep.
She recognized that, and stepped closer. I sat up in bed in full command of my
"You are in pain," she said. body! •- •
Donovan jumped up and walked toward For the first time in days I could move
her. "Get out of here," he shouted. "Out! my limbs at my own will. Like a man in
Can't you understand?" the death house, who unexpectedly finds
He stepped in front of her, and she. the door open and the guards away, I was
looked into his eyes, searchihgly, as if free. Donovan had left me. '
she would read the truth in them. I swung my feet out of bed, but I was
He met her gaze for a few seconds, then too drunk to stand up.
turned away. . I tried to crawl to the door. Prompted
"Go on, get out!" he said hoarsely. by that terrifying premonition, I had to
The door closed behind her. call Janice while Donovan was away.
My mind became suddenly quiet. But I was paralyzed. The alcohol in
Now that I was sure she knew, I trusted my blood halted the movements of my
her implicitly. All these years while she muscles. When I tried to pick myself up,
had lived close-to me, she knew me so my arms gave way and I fell flat on my
well, reading my thoughts before I was face, hitting the rug, which was soft and
conscious of them' myself, being there smelled of disinfectant. •
when I wanted her, and away when I As I lay prostrate, I only remembered
wished to be alone. Shie was-my thinking that I must move. I had forgotten why.
shadow. ' The sense of mortal danger remained, but
All these years had been only a prepara- my. body, stayed fixed to the rug.
tion for the great task, which, she knew, I was caught again. Donovan's brain re-
would ask one> day for all her strength.- turned. When the telephone rang, much
Here it was. How could she fail me? . 'later, I was in bed, and it was still dark
^ Donovan sat down on the bed again. night. -
With a sigh he opened the bottle of gin Donovan switched on the. small lamp
he had hidden under the pillow. He and picked up the receiver.
swallowed the liquid in great gulps. He It was Schratt.
wanted to get drunk, to drown his imagi- "Patrick?" he asked in a terrified voice.
nary pains. Donovan did not answer, and Schratt
Taking heavy pulls from the bottle on repeated his question.
his way, he got up and locked the door. "Yes," Donovan finally said, as if he
If he got drunk enough, I would be free! knew exactly what Schratt wanted to.tell
Then I could call Janice. I could call any- him. . -
one in the world for help! "A man broke into the- laboratory!"
But suddenly I realized it was I who Schratt cried. "He tried to attack the brain.
was drunk, not Donovan! He lived in my I heard him shouting for. help .while I
body, but the nerves of my stomach in- was in bed!"
fluenced my brain, not his! The drink Schratt stopped, overcome by excite-
had affected me, not him! mervt;
I felt dizzy, and the room began to "Yes,"' Donovan 'repeated. It was an
swim! affirmation, not a question.
Donovan went on emptying the bottle. "He is dead," Schratt reported hoarsely.
: I seldom touch alcohol, for I hate that "Gfllapsed when he touched the vessel;
fogginess of mind, that loss of the control WI an I came in, he was already dead!"
over my body. Now I felt how I was losing i.Yes," Donovan said again, without
consciousness, my mind blotting out, but emotion. , •
in my drunkenness, the fear came back Schratt shouted, "The brain murdered
and the gnawing doubt that Janice might him. The heart stopped, as if he had died
not have understood! of coronary thrombosis. He had the pallor
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 113
that follows cyanosis and apprehensive I became so frightened, my mind blacked
anguish of death. But how can that be? out for several minutes.
Did he die under hypnotic command? It The potentialities of the brain had no
can't be possible! The brain can Itill! It limits!
is too horrible to imagine!" "Brain power is unpredictable!" Schratt
••• His voice faltered and I in my mental had warned me once. Where would it end?
cell became petrified. If the brain could Janice might try something foolish—
kill from a distance, nobody had a chance as Yocum had. Schratt would warn her.
to stop it from living! • I was sure he kept in contact with her.
Donovan was holding the telephone But if he did not—that would be her
without uttering a word. death! The brain would get rid of hei: as it
"Are you listening?" Schratt's desperate had destroyed everything which stood in
voice came through again. its way.
"Yes," Donovan said quietly. Janice had to be warned.
"Who wais that man? How did it happen How could I do it?
he Icnew about the brain? Why did he Maybe the brain could read my thoughts.
brealc into the house? I found his name. Thoughts created in the same cerebrum
He had a driver's license on him . . . . Do that served its consciousness. It might
you know him? His name is—" already be spying on me, amused at my
"Yocum!" Donovan finished Schratt's impotence. It might find a fiendish
sentence impatiently. "Just forget about pleasure in teasing me with its cruelty.
him. Only a cheap little chiseler. He I suddenly had the terrible thought that
should have stayed in his own back yard. it might make love to Janice!
I'm glad he's dead!" Janice was pretty. And Donovan was
"What did you say?" Schratt shouted, Patrick in her eyes!
not believing his ears. If that happened, I would be the on-
"Send him to the morgue. He was due looker! Betrayed with my own body!
there anyhow." Was I insane?
When Donovan put down the receiver, I had to be quiet, thinking clearly, think-
I could hear Schratt still shouting into ing clearly, thinking clearly!
the phone. Thinking of Janice. She would not
Donovan switched off the lamp and lay lose her head; she never did. She believed
still. in me and I could not disappoint her.
I, Patrick Cory, could not become mentally
HE FIRST streak of pale morning came deranged, crazed by fear! She would never
T through the blinds.
Now I understood why the brain had left
forgive me.
I had only to have patience. My moment
me for a few minutes. To murder Yocum. would come. I had only to wait and to
It had had to defend itself, and needed remember Janice, who did not want me to
all its will power to kill. lose my mind!
After it had murdered, it projected it- In the morning Donovan surprised me
self back into me. by quoting the mysterious line: "Amidst
Yocum wanted to destroy the evidence the mists . . ." as if, in his sleep, those
of his blackmail, the brain. This was words had tortured him too.
what I had wanted him to do when I Donovan had changed in appearance
threatened him with arrest. since Yocum's death. His face had hard-
I did not know the brain could kill ened, his mouth had become thinner, the
without using anyone's hands! I had not eyes were glaring and inhuman. His per-
meant for Yocum to die! sonal experience was reshaping my fea-
Again the telephone shrilled. It was tures.
Schratt. , I watched him with curiosity, in a sud-
"What's the matter now?" Donovan den reaction of fearless interest, as if I
asked, annoyed. were able still to record on paper the con-
Schratt must have lost all his control. crete facts of my sci^tific observation.
"The encephalograph shows strange The dreadful moments of terror and
reactions," he said. "I just wanted you to desperation had grown fewer. I was drift-
know. It jumps in dots. The electric energy ing through the center of the mental
shows up in explosions on the strip." typhoon, but the big storm was still to
"I am tired, I want to sleep." come.
Donovan cut him short, ending the As a man in the hour preceding his
conversation. death has no apprehension of his impend-
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
IM FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES
ing end, but, on the contrary, is filled stopped in front of the apartment house
with new hope for' a future life, so I and two men went in, to return after a
watched that reflection of mine, which few minutes with the girl and her mother.
looked at itiself in the mirror, the face Frightened by the strange abortive at-
immobUe, pale, the hair graying, lines tempt on her life, the parents had asked
deep-bitten around its nostrils. for police protection.
It was I, but at the same time, not I at Traveling slowly down the street, the
alii That face in there had aged during police car had spotted Donovan. It stopped
the last days. It was not the face of a alongside.
man of thirty-eight any more, but of a Elaborately Donovan took an Upman
man haunted by weary age antl impending from his pocket and lighted it.
death. "Do you live here?" the police officer
Donovan talked to himself In the Slavic called suspiciously through the window.
language which I could not understand. "No." Donovan shook his head.
He finished dressing, went out, stepped "What are you doing?" the policeman
into his rented car, which still stood at asked.
the corner behind the hotel where he had "Lighting a cigar!" Donovan answered
left it days ago. in a friendly tone.
He drove toward Beverly Boulevard and One-policeman stepped from the car,
then to Van Ness. A few hundred feet from while the driver stayed ready to back him
the Weatherby Apartments he stopped the up in an emergency.
car, folded his arms, a:nd sat staring mo- "Didn't I see you around here yester-
tlonlessly ahead. day?" The officer was looking the car over.
He was waiting for the girl to appear. "No." Donovan smiled.
Again he intended to kill her. "It was a coupe," the driver called.
Donovan would never have acted in this "Your license!" The officer stamped Ills
maimer when he was alive in his own heavy boot on the running board. Donovan
body. But what chance did the brain take? took the wallet out of his pocket and
If it murdered, it. was I who would go opened it. .
to the electric chair 1 It was I who would "Dr. Patrick Cory, Washington Junction,
have to die, not this brain! Arizona," the officer read. He relaxed his
It could continue its parasitic life in suspicion. "What are you doing here,
any other body, perhaps Schratt's or Doc?"
Sternli's. Or a woman's, or a child's. Or, "Going downtown to see my lawyer. But
If it chose, a dog's 1 There was no limit it's early, so I stopped to shioke a cigar.
to its polymorphism. Anything wrong with that?" Donovan
I did not know if the brain had ever asked dryly.
entertained these considerations in its "No. Nothing. But you'd better drive
diseased imagination. It behaved as if only along!" the officer ordered cryptically.
its thalamus was working, without the Donovan pressed the accelerator slowly,
restraining, reasoning influence of the cursing under his breath in the language
cortex. I did riot understand. In the back mirror
People whose thalamus has been sepa- he' saw the officer was taking the license
rated from the rest of the brain by surgical number.
operation, have no control.. They become His plan had failed.
unpredictable, dangerous.
Donovan's brain acted precisely this way. ^N SUNSET Boulevard Donovan stopped
Donovan iiimself had never had a pro- at a hardware store to buy a strong
nounced sense of ethics, but still he was thin rope, a long heavy kitchen knife, and
forced to submit to the laws of society.- a trunk, which he had the storekeeper
The brain had lo^t all ability to dis- put into his car.'
tinguish right from wrong now. Fear gripped me again. What did he
It had only the one idea, the one Dono- want with a knife and a rope? Whom did
van had died with—to make good for he intend to hide in- that trunk?
Roger Hinds' death. He parked the car in front of the hotel.
It pursued that objective without re- Sitting in a chair in the lobby, Sternli
straint. Murder was only a means to waited. His kind old face beamed when
achieve its objective. The brain was he saw i)onovan enter, and he hurried over
running amuck! with a happy smile.
A police car drove up the street fol- "Dr. Cory!"
lowed by a black limousine. Both cars Then he became aware of the change
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 115
which had occurred in that familiar face. to the telephone. He sat on his bed, his
"Are you ill?" He was deeply concerned. hands on his lap, and talked to himself in
Donovan looked at him with faint indig- his strange language.
nation. "Certainly not. No! What makes The telephone rang.
you think so? But you look rather dilap- It was Fuller. "No. She hasn't been here,
idated." Dr. Cory!"
Sternli looked at him stupidly. He was "All right," Donovan answered, imper-
so confused that he brought his thick sonally.
glasses closer to Donovan's face to make "Everything is going fine," Fuller added
sure he was talking to the right man. hastily, to cover his lie. "I've laid out a
Donovan spoke impatiently. "Did you see strong defense for Cyril, Hinds. Saw him
Geraldine Hinds? And that plumber in Se- today. Tomorrow I'll give him the answers
attle?" to rehearse."
Sternli answered slowly with a presenti- "All right," Donovan said, without ex-
ment of evil. He apprehended that strange pression.
similarity to his former master, which "About that girl," Fuller continued with
was not found in a likeness of featiures, but forced optimism. "Well, I've decided she
in similarity of behavior. By the evidence isn't dangerous, at all. She's so scared
of his eyes it was Dr. Patrick Cory to already, the jury won't take her seriously.
whom he spoke. She isn't even sure she heard or saw any-
"I wrote a report. The cases are quite thing now."
uncomplicated." "Ail right," Donovan replied. I was aware
"Give it to me!" Donovan held out his he was not listening at all.
hand. "Why don't you come over and have
Sternli seemed surprised at Donovan's lunch with me? We can discuss a few
urgency. He opened the briefcase and took points I don't want to mention on the
out a few typewritten pages. phone. Pulse will be here. . . . "
"Geraldine Hinds runs a boarding house Fuller hesitated. Pulse certainly had in-
in Reno. She Is comparatively well off. But formed him of the attempted murder. Not
the plumber in Seattle is very poor. Well, mentioning it at all, Fuller must have
with a little money they could both be some trick up his sleeve.
made very happy!" "All right," Donovan said.
"Just give me the facts," Donovan said "And please bring Mrs. Cory with you. I
gruffly. would like to meet her."
He grabbed the papers and left the old "All right." Donovan put back the re-
man standing there alone. ceiver.
"Send up your expense sheet. I'd like to He stood like a statue. Suddenly he be-
know how much you spent on the trip," gan to tremble, swaying to and fro without
he called back over his shoulder, limping changing his position. Only his hands
away. opened and closed, burying the fingernails
Sternli stared after him. His face looked deep in the palms.
haunted. He looked after Donovan, recog- Staggering,. he walked out of ills room,
nizing him for a ghost! limped down the corridor and knocked at
Donovan went quickly to his room, with T o y j i / * P ' Q riflflT*
the papers in his hand. He opened the door, "Who is it?'' she asked in a high, childish
limped over to the writing desk and pulled voice.
out the middle drawer. She had not run to safety!
He froze in his motion. My diary was "Open up," Oonovan ordered.
not there! "The door is unlocked," she replied.
He sat down for a while, his head bowed, Janice sat on the bed, her feet tucked
listening to a message only he could hear. under her and my journal in her lap.
No doubt Janice had taken the diary as With strangely quiet eyes she looked at
I wanted her to do. Donovan, as if she were trying to see right
Having learned by now the circum- into his brain, but she made no attempt
stances and the dangers, she would be very to hide the book she was holding.
careful not to expose herself. I was pray- "Hello." She spoke in a light voice with-
ing that she had gone beyond Donovan's out changing her position. Slie seemed
reach. anxious to have him see the journal, which
Suddenly Donovan gave a long gasp, as she had taken without his permission.
if some terrifying message had reached She hoped he would talk about it, but
him. Like a blind man he groped his way he. said, "I want you to come with me."
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
She nodded, never taking her eyes off run away from anything, and she did not
his face. A small frozen smile around her Intend to run away from this moment
lips betrayed. that she was not as much either.
at ease as she \yished to appear. "Why do you want to kill me?" she asked
Ostentatiously she closed the diary, then quietly, almost as if motivated by curiosity.
crossed to put it into the desk, which'she "I can't let anybody stand in my way!"
locked carefully. She picked up her hand- Donovan murmured, but turned his face
bag and hid the key in it. away, not to meet her eyes. "The world is
Again she waited, hoping Donovan would against me. Everybody is against me!"
talk to her. I could not guess^ what Janice There was no bitterness in his voice,
was. thinking. and he spoke without emotion, as If he
She must have known that it was fatal related plain facts.
to follow Donovan. She must also, having "Nobody Is against you," Janice said.
read my report, have known it was the She put her hand on his shoulder, firmly,
brain, not I, which directed my body. But to make him look at her. "You always
for some reason I could not divine, she saw the world in the wrong focus. All your
ran headlong into danger. life you believed people were against you,
"Let's go." She took her hat and coat and it was not true. Believe me! It was
and walked out Into the corridor in front just an obsession. You confused cause and
of Donovan. effect."
If only I could have held, her back. She Donovan listened. For the first time
was going to her death! someone talked to him so straightforward-
' Janice trusted her own strength foolish- ly. He seemed astonished and Interested.
ly. There was not strength enough in any- This was what Janice wanted to try,
one to resist Donovan. attacking Donovan with the truth. She
As she passed the desk, she dropped her went on talking to that monster believing
key, and told the clerk she would be back she could somehow approach him with
soon. logic.
Donovan walked to the car and she fol- I saw her danger, and her gallant use-
lowed him to the door herself. less sacrifice.
"Where did you get the Buick?" s h e ' "All your life it was you who attacked
asked, hesitating a moment as if to gain a people first," Janice continued. "And when
small respite. they fought back—sometimes .for their
"Rented," Donovan murmured. lives—you were amazed. You considered
She stepped inside. Donovan drove off. yourself attacked without reason. Whoever
"Where are we going?" Janice asked. opposed you, wronged you. You never
"I have to talk to you," he said, as if understood that one's desires must be con-
that answered her question. trolled. Life is a mutual compromise. If
you would only understand that simple
KN W O O D R O W WILSON DRIVE he law, which makes It possible for society
turned into the hills, and up an un- to exist, you would not have been so un-
paved road stopped the car on a wide happy! Nobody ever wanted to harm you!"
deserted plateau where years ago a real He listened to her plea, but he did not
estate agent had planned to build a big understand. He was emotionless, as a road
hotel. machine which pushes boulders out of its
Like a huge spider's web, the town way.
sprawled in all directions. The wind car- Janice swayed a little and her eyes be-
ried up the subdued hum of the busy city. came vacant. With all her will power and
Cars hooted, the street cars thundered, her love she was trying to tip the scale of
all far away and mixed with a deep mur- this Insane mind.
mur as of many thousands of voices. "If you would only love, the love would
The horizon was pale blue where the come back to you," Janice said.
land met the ocean, and dark oil derricks She saw me, Patrick, sitting beside her.
stood on their thin legs against the sky. She only believed that Donovan's and my
Donovan, cut off the engine, slowly personalities had become confused.
turned his head and looked at the trunk Now she wanted Donovan to disappear
in the rear seat, then turned back like an and Patrick to answer. She believed her
automaton. will and mine, united, were strong enough
Janice followed his movement, and I to break that freakish telepathic paralysis
was aware that all the time she had which robbed me of the use of my own
realized her danger. But she had never sensory system.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 117
She knevtr I was listening and suddenly, ' I cried out her name, but I could not
feeling that she fought a losing battle, make her hear. I, who wanted to stop that
she appealed to me directly. "Patrick! You beast, would have to look on at the mur-
can be free if you have faith. Help me!" der!
"I am not Patrick," Donovan said. She made him drop the knife, but he
In his eyes she must have read her lashed her across the face with the rope,
doom.^Donovan muttered again, swallow- and as she staggered, he caught her and
ing half of his words. There was despera- grabbed her throat with his right hand.
tion in his expression and rage against She was no match for him.
Janice. I stammered a prayer. "Faith!" Janice
"Why do you interfere with me? You had said.
want to make me unhappy, as all of them I could not think clearly any more. I
made me unhappy. Everybody is against was in a burning hell, staring into her
me. But you woh',t stop me!" thin helpless face, as my hand bent her
He raised his hands, and for a moment head back to the ground.
Janice trembled in a vague, horrible fear, ' Suddenly I was conscious of the muscles
"No," she' said. of my shoulders and the pain in my wrist
She seemed to diminish in stature, but where Janice had hit. I was breathing,
still she did not move. moving.
Donovan's hands shot out, but only got Like the tide running off from a steep
hold of her coat. She had pushed the door beach, Donovan's personality flowed away,
open and jumped out of the car. She ran. and I, Patrick Cory, retureed into my own
She did not shout for help. body!
Then she stopped and waited. I released her throat.'When the grip re-
Donovan followed her slowly. laxed, she did not faint. I held her in my
She looked like a child, her brown hair arms, looking into her poor, pale face. Her
swept by the strong loud wind. eyes, still steady and defiant, met mine,
He must have looked like a lunatic as he and in, their depths, I saw a fear that
. closed in on her. His right hand held the vanished.
knife. The other swung the rope. She must have recognized me instantly,
Janice. did not retreat. She held him' for she gasped my name and closed her
with her steady blue eyes, as if she could arms around me.
will him to keep his distance. I lifted her up and kissed her. I stam-
When he lifted the knife, she hit his mered, not knowing what I said. I- only
wrist with the flat of her hand. As a nurse, knew I was free. ^
she had been trained to defend herself " We sank down onto the dusty ground
against the insane. together, both exhausted. She held me
z^^^^^^^
ON TEE NEWSSTANDS
:fflfftin''s5 CLcfflsa Citacl*

B y C. L . M o o r e a n d H e n r y Kattltmer
At the dying Earth's flaming Source of Power, Alan

Drake pitted • puny human strength against the all-
consuming Alien's irresistible might—
in lost mankind's last struggle for
survival.
A strange novel of cosmic dark
magic which you will not want to
miss. . . . In the big July issue, on sale
at all newsstands now.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
118 FAMOUS FANTASTIC.MYSTTERIES'
tight, her head close to my chest, as if Patrick's, Patrick too crossed that border-
she were listening to my heart beat. line. He cannot be considered a normal
We could not talk. person. A good scientist should have been
Slowly my senses returned, and I lifted aware of his own limitations, and not have
her to her feet. transgressed into the unexplorable.
"Quick!" I said in terror. "Take the car Watching and weighing this dangerous
and drive away: Before he returns!" experiment, I see clearly now that nothing
She looked into my eyes and, prompted valuable has been added to Donovan's
by her clairvoyance, she said with a smile, brain. Only its bad conc^ts, its crimih~al
"He > will never come batik." instincts, its undesirable reflexes have
I drove to the highway. been strengthened, until they have reached
While dozens of cars passed us, we monstrous proportions.
stopped, too exhausted to move, waiting For.years I have known the perils latent
for our strength to return. in Patrick's impetuous desire for danger-
At the next service station I put through ous experiments. Having warned him fre-
a long-distance call^to Washington Junc- quently, I have only one course left—Î
tion. must Interfere with the progress of this
I heard the telephone ring for a long disastrous experiment before it is too late.
time, but Schratt did not answer. Patrick's intelligence is superior to mine.
I cannot fight him with arguments or rea-
May 20th. sons. To stop him, I shall have to deceive
In front of me lie a few handwritten him.
pages, a report by Schratt. Janice brought The moment of my decision came when
it in today. She did not want to give it Patrick tried to kill me, following a tele-
to me before, but she thinks I should read pathic order of this insane piece of flesh
it now. which he keeps preserved in the vessel.
When I look out of my room—Janice has Afterward it was not difficult to con-
pushed the bed to the window—I can see vince him I honestly wanted to assist him.
the garden of the Phoenix hospital with The brain itself helped to persuade' him
its palm trees. Convalescents wander along to go.
the narrow garden paths. Some are still in ' Patrick left Washington Junction on the
wheel-cha,irs. twenty-first of November.
In a few days I will be down there too. I am in charge of the brain. Truly an
I will have some difficulty reading irony. It appointed its own killer!
Schratt's report. His writing is hieroglyph- But a t ' t h a t time the brain could not
ic, jotted down in terrific haste. Some- read my thoughts. Since then it has gained
times he forgot, to date the entry. so much power I would not dare suggest
Janice offered to transcribe it, but 1 my help at this point.
wanted to read it from Schratt's own hand. To protect myself from giving away my
Schratt wrote: Intention to the brain, I use a very siriiple
trick. I remember a silly tongue twister I
November 22nd. learned as a child-. My mother practiced
The futility of psychology to account for it with me to cure me of a lisp. . .'
mental reactions is due to an attempt to • Now I repeat the lines incessantly, when-
explain everything in terms of conscious- ever the lamp is burning and the brain-
ness. Donovan's actions cannot be Judged awake. . *
that way. His sphere of mind is not coex- "Amidst the mists and. coldest frosts he
. tensive with the sphere of his conscious- thrusts his fists against the posts and still
ness. His thought process is an imperfect, Insists he sees the ghosts!"
disjointed series of feelings, all pointing to While I say this sentence continuously,
an abstract goal. no thought can possibly enter my brain.
He is insane, measured by the common I have connected a buzzer with the lamp
conception, and he must be treated as an to warn me if I should ever overlook the
Incurable lunatic. Patrick's method of try- light and go on writing when the brain
ing to explore this mind, which is not is awake.
rational, can end only in disaster. I t is disturbed by this stereotypic repeti-
tion. • The encephalograph clearly shows
HE borderline between lunacy and gen- delta curves. This proves that the brain
T ius is not to be precisely defined, but can read my thoughts. My precaution was
it is my contention that exactly at the mo- none too soon. ..
ment Donovan's brain began to influence Janice phoned me from Los Angeles.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG
DONOVAN'S BRAIN 119
Patrick had talked to her. She told me December 5th.
about their conversation and asked my Janice arrived today without having an-
advice. nounced her coming.
I cannot give her Instructions. I cannot She acted very nervous. I sat opposite
take the risk of any other mind's knowing her in her bedroom listening to what she
what I intend to do. had to say about Patrick's strange be-
Janice never was Patrick's confidante, havior and knew all the answers without
and now she must think that she has lost being able to tell her anything.
me. too. That makes me sad. I was fearful the brain might read my
Tonight Patrick phoned. He wants to thoughts, so I talked Ughtly to her, and
return home. I persuaded him to stay advised her to forget about Patrick for a
where he is. My mission has failed if he while. Why not go back to her mother?
comes back. But she was returning to.Los Angeles;
To destroy the brain I must proceed she knew Patrick would need her soon.
carefully, with the precision a difficult test For a moment she even convinced me
requires, for I am ignorant of the brain's that this was the right thing for her to
potential powers. do, but I would not tell her so.
She was upset, thinking I took Patrick's
Theoretically it is easy to destroy the side against her I She believed I had de-
brain. I should have only to stop feeding serted her!
it, to cut off the electricity, to upset the Desert Janice? She was blind. Ox she
vessel. I could poison the brain, a grain would have known the unkindness of her
of potassium cyanide in the blood serum words.
would kill it. Except that it might sense She asked me many questions and I had
my purpose in advance and strike first. , to lie, without even daring to let her guess
How, I do not know, but if it has that the truth.
power, my plan would fail. She left me soon.
I cannot take a risk. I must wait, em- It was a sad day for me, but I was con-
ploy the safest method. In the meantime soled to think she would understand later.
I must go on as the brain's faithful ser- December 13th.
vant. Must nurse it, take its temperature, The situation has become reversed. Patr
read the encephalograph. rick phoned to order me to stop feeding
It looks horrible. A whitish-gray, form- the brain. He is frightened! He wants it
less mass, which grows to the edge of. its to die, but too late.
container. I would not be surprised if it I had to refuse.
suddenly developed eyes and ears and a How could I agree v/hen it might have
mouth 1 been beyond my power to do what he
It is monstrous I
13SjKa2::iE32JESrÊ5ZH^2aaS52E2 —sarr-^rprs-w ^'.i irf—
Im the Next Issue
1
By Arthiar Strimgea'
Embalmed In a strange sarcophagus of ice, he found her, the
Viking woman of his dead past. Centuries agone had she leaped
to the battle cry, his fighting mate by his side. . . . Had Fate
called him only to mourn at her tomb—or had it kept her, a
priceless, lovely jewel, frozen in perfection until he should be
bom again?
m§mm @
Amdre Mamirois
Alone, he had dared to imprison the vital
essence which is the soul—and alone must
I -face the weird unbearable penalty of his
deed. . . .
' Two fascinating gems of greatest fantasy
in one issue! Reserve your copy for October,
now! On all newsstands August 25.
••ssMiamx^.
PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG

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The power of the brain was

A brain thai functmned (autside Us

T ODAY a Mexican • organ grinder

Evil was here—an evil stronger than human

100 FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES

:fflfftin''s5 CLcfflsa Citacl*

At the dying Earth's flaming Source of Power, Alan

Im the Next Issue

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