Page 64 - Astounding Pulp V2

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THE SMALLEST GOD 65
64 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION
"Quite untouched," Hert)les assured all ,vas said and done, there was no hope
him. "Professor Hodges succeeded in for him.
keeping everything hushed up, and it's He sighed again, and Dixon. who was
Sunday, so your absence from the uni- helping Hodges and Brugh ' with An-
versity won't mean anything." thropos, noticed him. "What's the m at-
The physicist came out of the cell, ter, son?" he asked good-naturedly .
and his shoulders lifted with the touch "Alcohol drying out again? Why not
of freedom. The scowl on his face was try carbon tetrachloride this time ?"
gone, but uncertainty still remained in Hermes shook his head. "I don't
the look he gave Hodges. need anything. The alcohol seems to
The biochemist put out a hand. "I've have permanently combined with the ta r
been thinking you might help me on something like water with a crystai t~
Anthropos," he said. "You know, Ar- form a hydrate. I'm softened thoro ughly
lington, we might make something out for all time.''
of that yet if we worked together:'' Hodges looked up and then turned
Brugh grinned suddenly. "We might back to the tank \yhere the synthetic
at that, Hiram. Come on home to lunch, n:ian lay! and Hermes turned his a tten-
and ·we'll talk it over while Hermes tells tion to 1t. As far as outward appear-
me what happened." ance went, Anthropos was nearly p e r-
Hermes squirmed as a hand lifted him fect, and a tinge of envy filled the little
back into the pocket. "How about help- god's t.houghts.
ing me grow up ?" · Dixon wiped his forehead. "I give
But the two men were busy discussing up. .When t~ree. sep~rate divisions of
other things. The height increase would chemistry cant bnng hfe to him, there's
have to wait. no hope. Hodges, your man is doomed
to failure."
X. "~e's . breathing, }hough," the bio-
H ERMES sat on the edge· of Anthropos' chemist muttered. E ver since w e in-
tank. kicking his small legs against it Je~te? the P?:assium into ,him and put it
m his nutritive bath; he s been livinp·
and thinking of the last hvo days. To but not conscious. See, his heartbeat i~
live in the same house, breathe the same
air as Tanya Brugh! He dug up an- as regular as clockwork." H e indicated
the meter that flickered reg ularly on t he
other sigh of ecstasy and follo,ved it with
tank.
one of despair.
- -Brugh refused , to look. "To anyone
For Tanya regarded him as some new but a biochemist," he informed the room
form of bug, to be tolerated since he was "the answer would be obvious. Hi~
useful, but not to be liked-an attitude ram's created life, yes; but he can't g ive
shared by her mother. Dr. Brugh had -it a good brain. That's too complex for
the greatest respect for the little god, his electric cell formation determiner
1
and Kitty was fond of him. 0£ them What Anthropos needs is a new brain.';
all, Kitty treated him best, and Tanya "I suppose you'd like to stick his head dually he learned to work the ponderous mechan!sm
worst. full of that gummy tar of yours?" Old G ra . . 1 t
of this new bQdy , _ tQ move its muse es, to use 1 -
Oi course, that was due to his height. habit made the words tart, though good
• ?"
John Thomas was gone, but there were £el1owship had been resto red betwee n nation. ''Why wouldn't that solve it . "But he wouldn't be real life then,
I
slill W iU Young and her other escorts, them. ''I 'll bite. W hy ?" Dixon grinned, not orga~ic life. Besides, we can't be
none less than six feet in height. And "Why not?" It was H ermes' vo ice sweat rolling from his chubby face. sure that another batch of the tar would
H ermes was far from being tall. T he this time. Inspiration had flashed sud- "That's the best suggestion w~'ve had live- it might be an accident that H er-
consultation held with Brugh and denly through his small m ind, opening today." mes contained just the right ingredients.
Hodges had resulted in nothing ; when a mighty vista of marvels to his imagi-