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.Have you considered the details?"She said, "I'm beginning to be sorry I tried to save you.""That's all right.I appreciate the gesture."After a moment, she sighed."Where were we?""You were going to tell me about the touchstone."She nodded, and he got the briefcase, and they went back into the house.She led the way down the hall, to a paneled white door with a brass knob."Marius's father used this room as a study."Muir looked into a large dim room with book-lined walls, comfortable chairs and sofa, and a closed rolltop desk.She turned on a floor lamp, and pushed up the curving slide of the desk, to reveal numerous pigeonholes and shelves.On two shelves lay a pair of books, which she placed, face-down, on the writing surface of the desk.She took the touchstone, aimed its little cone at the first book, and pressed the right-hand grey button.There was a singing melodious note.She turned the cone toward the second book.The touchstone gave a sickly groan.Muir picked up the first book, to recognize a chemistry text of the early 1900s.The author had used care to distinguish fact from the theories of his day, so the book was still useful.Muir picked up the second book, didn't recognize it, and read:".is 'at random.' Like when you're shooting craps you don't know what numbers will turn up.Or when somebody gets high, you don't know what he or she will do.This is at random."When these mollies bounce off each other, and hit the wall, it is at random.But when they hit the wall, their push makes a pressure.You can measure the pressure."CHEMFACT: Maybe you can tell what will happen even when the thing that makes it happen is at random."NEWWORD: Mollie.Mollie-cule.Mol-e-cule.Molecule.See?"CHEMQUIZ: 'When people get beered up, is it at random?'"Muir flipped to the front of the book, to learn that "this is the first in a new series of science texts designed to relate intimately to today's more demanding student."Gloria Griswell watched the expressions that crossed his face, and smiled."The left button gives a reading on the meter.The right button gives a tone.The meter can measure small differences.The tone can differentiate all sorts of things.""It's a touchstone for quality of workmanship?""As nearly as I can judge.""It will work on what?""Anything man-made."He let his breath out carefully."No wonder Allen wouldn't give details.All right if I try it?"She handed the device to him.Muir aimed the cone at the desk itself, and pushed the right-hand button.A singing note sounded.He tried the left-hand button.This time there was silence, but the needle swung far across the dial from left to right.Muir glanced around the bookshelves, to a green plastic hand that held aloft a pot metal ashtray.He aimed, pushed the right-hand button.The touchstone emitted a croak.Muir went methodically around the room.Usually the device gave a pleasant tone.But it made no response to the potted plants that sat on a window sill, and it made groaning, croaking, or bleating noises for a stoneware spider with nine legs and a built-in clock that didn't run, for a small doll in a bikini that shot from its mouth a cigarette-lighting flame, and for a printed invitation, preserved in plastic:"Congratulations! Our sophisticated computer analysis has revealed a small select group of individuals who capably manage their own affairs.You are one of this select group! Now, for a limited time, we invite you to place at your disposal the limitless credit and extensive financial resources of our prestigious exclusive organization."Muir turned the plastic over, to find on the back a lengthy questionnaire in fine print, along with a little notice:"DO NOT apply for Credit Approval if your income is below $39,000.Return the enclosed Card AT ONCE by Registered Mail!"Like an insect preserved in amber, the credit card itself was embedded in the plastic, made out to "Marius Gristmill, Sr."Muir aimed the cone-shaped coil at the card; the touchstone emitted a sickly bleating noise, several times repeated.He looked up."I have to agree with its sentiments.But I don't begin to understand it.""I didn't mention understanding.I only said I would show you.""Do you understand it?""I know what it will do.That's all.""It won't work on people?""It will respond to clothing or accessories.There's no response to an individual, as far as I know.""Did Dr [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]