Quicksand by John Brunner Page B

epicanthic fold. . . . I think you

should book her an appointment for a skull X-ray, young fellow. I agree

she's quite fluent in this odd language of hers -- which I imagine you'll

check up on, won't you? -- but she could hardly have got to the middle of

England on Upper Slobovian or whatever unless somebody brought her here,

so injury may have caused her to revert, say to a childhood language. . . ."
     
     
-- Admirably comprehensive. And yet there's a false note. I'm damned certain

there's a false note.
     
     
Abruptly, with a stab of dismay, he decided he knew the nature of it.
     
     
-- The bastard! He thinks I might be right in calling this an anomalous

condition not in the literature; he won't admit it, but he's making damned

sure he doesn't let slip the chance of reporting it before I manage to!
     
     
     
     
     
     
*12*
     
     
The clock was marking a quarter to two with the inevitable bang boom

and clink as Alsop climbed into his Vanden Plas Princess R and Paul

turned wearily towards the mess.
     
     
-- I suppose he's right about these courses I ought to go on, but why

can't the damned things crop up at a convenient time, while Iris is away?

Just see her face when I say hullo darling nice to have you home I'm off

tomorrow for a course and I'll be back in a fortnight. On the other hand,

maybe I should try it. Declaration of independence.
     
     
He felt a stir of vague puzzlement. The proprietary attitude regarding

Urchin which had come on him unbidden, because he felt his own long-standing

nightmare of waking into a "wrong" world gave him special insight into

her condition, had made him speak more sharply to Alsop this morning than

he would normally have dared, culminating with a ten-minute argument

about one of the patients due for discharge today. To his surprise,

far from being annoyed Alsop had been positively cordial; for the first

time in two months he had volunteered suggestions about some courses

Paul might attend.
     
     
-- I'll . . . think about it.
     
     
Ferdie Silva was leaving the mess as he entered; neither Phil Kerans

nor Natalie was present -- only Mirza, distastefully examining a plate

of stewed apples and custard which Lil had just placed before him.
     
     
"Has Natalie gone?" Paul demanded.
     
     
"I saw her go off with Rosh Hashanah, the Newish Jew Here," said Mirza,

touching a spoonful of the dessert with the tip of his tongue on the last

word and pulling a face. "Lil dear, lose this somewhere, would you? And

give me a piece of cheese if we have any fit for human consumption. The

soup is ghastly too, Paul, in case you were thinking of trying it."
     
     
"I must eat something," Paul sighed. But Mirza was quite right: the soup

was half cold with patches of grease floating in it. At least the

bread-rolls were today's delivery. He munched on one of them.
     
     
"Why did you want our golden-hearted Dr-rudge, anyhow?" Mirza inquired,

making a mouthful of the rolled r's.
     
     
"Oh, she asked to be kept informed about Urchin."
     
     
"She'll get it all on the grapevine, I imagine. I've been hearing about

no one else all morning."
     
     
"Why in the world?" Paul put down his spoon, staring.
     
     
"You mean you haven't realised that no remotely identical case has

arrived at Chent since the year dot or the birth of Holy Joe whichever

is the earlier?" Mirza sliced his cheese with rapid elegant motions and

laid it out tidily on a biscuit. "The patients know, the staff know,

how is it you don't?"
     
     
"Pretty sure of the patients' diagnostic ability, aren't you?" Paul snapped.
     
     
Mirza gave him an astonished glance. "Paul, I thought a night's good sleep

would have cured you of yesterday's fit of grumps! I'm sorry if I trod

on your corns."
     
     
Paul controlled himself with an effort. "No, I'm the one who should say

sorry. Go on with what you were saying."
     
     
"About the patients' diagnostic ability, you mean?" Reassured, Mirza

reverted to