dk.nightchills-第22章
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waste a lot of time and energy looking for him。〃
Klinger considered that for a few seconds。 Then he said； 〃You expected the experiment to kill him？〃
〃We thought there was a chance of it；〃 Ogden said。
Smiling grimly； Klinger said； 〃You were right。〃
Something about the general's tone angered Salsbury。 〃You knew the stakes when you came in with Leonard and me。〃
〃Of course I did；〃 Klinger said。
〃Then don't act as if Kingman's death is entirely my fault。 The blame belongs to all of us。〃
Frowning； the general said； 〃Ogden； you misunderstand me。 I don't believe that you and Leonard and I are to blame for anything。 This man was a machine that broke down。 Nothing more。 We can always get another machine。 You're too sensitive； Ogden。〃
〃Poor boy；〃 Dawson said； regarding the corpse sadly。 〃He would have done anything for me。〃
〃He did；〃 the general said。 He stared thoughtfully at the dead man。 〃Leonard； you've got seven servants in this house。 Did any of them know Kingman was here？〃
〃That's highly unlikely。 We brought him in secretly。〃
For thirteen months； this wing of the Greenwich house had been sealed off from the other twenty rooms。 It had been provided with a new private entrance； and all of the locks had been changed。 The servants were told that experiments； none of them dangerous； were being conducted for a subsidiary of Futurex； and that the security precautions were needed to protect the operation's files and discoveries from industrial espionage。
〃Is the household staff still curious about what goes on here？〃 Klinger asked。
〃No；〃 Dawson said。 〃So far as they can see； nothing's happened in the past year。 The sealed wing has lost its mystery。〃
〃Then I think we can bury Kingman on the estate without too much risk。〃 He faced Salsbury。 〃What happened？ How did he die？〃
Salsbury sat on a high； white stool at the head of the autopsy table； hooked his heels around one of its rungs； and spoke to them across the corpse。 〃We brought Kingman here for the first time in early February。 He thought he was helping us with some sociological research that had important business applications for Futurex。 During forty hours of interviews with him； I learned everything I wanted to know about the man's likes； dislikes； prejudices； personality quirks； desires； and basic thought processes。 Later； at the end of February； I went through the transcripts of those interviews and selected five test points； five of Kingman's attitudes and/or opinions that I would try to reverse with a series of subliminals。〃
He had chosen three simple test points and two plex ones。 Kingman craved chocolate candy； chocolate cake； chocolate in every form； and Salsbury wanted to make him ill at the first taste of chocolate。 He couldn't and wouldn't eat broccoli； but Salsbury wanted to make him like it。 Kingman had an ingrained fear of dogs； an attempt to transform that fear into affection would constitute the third of the simple test points。 The remaining two indices presented Salsbury with a far greater chance of failure； for to deal with them he would have to design subliminal mands that bored especially deeply into King…
man's psyche。 First of all； Kingman was an atheist； a fact he had hidden successfully from Dawson for five years。 Secondly； he was extremely prejudiced against blacks。 Making him over into a God…loving； prayer…saying champion of the Negro would be far more difficult than twisting his taste for chocolate into a loathing of it。
By the second week of April； Salsbury pleted the subliminal program。
Kingman was brought back to the Greenwich house on the fifteenth of that month…ostensibly to participate in additional sociological research for Futurex。 Although he wasn't aware of it； he was fed the subliminal primer； the drug； on April 15。 Salsbury put him under close medical observation and ran tests on him for three days； but he could find no indications of a temporary toxic state； permanent tissue damage； a change in blood chemistry； noticeable psychological damage； or any other deleterious side…effects attributable to the drug。
At the end of those three days； on April 19； still in excellent health； Kingman took part in what he thought was an experiment in visual perception。 He was shown two feature…length motion pictures in one afternoon； and at the conclusion of each film he was required to answer a hundred questions that dealt with what he had just seen。 His answers were unimportant； and they were filed only because Salsbury habitually filed every scrap of paper in his laboratory。 The experiment actually had only one purpose： while Kingman was watching the films； he was also unwittingly absorbing three hours of subliminal programming that was meant to change five of his attitudes。
The events of the following day； April 20； proved the effectiveness of Salsbury's drug and subliminal programs。 At breakfast； Kingman tried to eat a chocolate doughnut； dropped it after one bite； quickly excused himself from the table； went to the nearest bathroom； and threw up。 At lunch he ate four portions of broccoli in butter sauce with his pork chops。 That afternoon； when Dawson took him on a tour of the estate； Kingman spent fifteen minutes playing with several of the guard dogs in the kennel。 After dinner； when Ogden and Dawson
began to discuss the continuing efforts to integrate the public schools in the North； Kingman came on like a life…long liberal； an ardent advocate of equal rights。 And finally； unaware of the two videotape cameras that monitored his bedroom in the sealed wing； he had said his prayers before going to sleep。
Standing now beside the corpse； smiling beatifically； Dawson said to Klinger； 〃You should have seen it； Ernst！ It was terribly inspiring。 Ogden took an atheist； a soul condemned to burn in Hell； and converted him into a faithful disciple of Jesus。 And all on one day！〃
Salsbury was uneasy。 He shifted on the stool。 Ignoring Dawson； staring at the middle of the general's forehead； he said； 〃Kingman left the estate on April twenty…first。 I set to work immediately to design the ultimate series of subliminals； the one we three have discussed a hundred times； the program that would give me total and permanent control of the subject's mind through the use of a code phrase。 I finished it on the fifth of June。 We brought Kingman back here on the eighth； two days ago。〃
〃He wasn't suspicious？〃 Klinger asked。 〃Or upset about all of this travel he was asked to do？〃
〃To the contrary；〃 Dawson said。 〃He was pleased that I was using him for such a special project； even if he didn't fully understand what it was。 He saw it as a sign of my faith in him。 And he thought that； if he made himself available for Ogden's work； he would be promoted much sooner than he might have been otherwise。 His behavior wasn't peculiar。 I've seen it in every ambitious young executive and management trainee I've ever known。〃
Tired of standing； the general went to the nearest puter console； swiveled the mand chair away from the keyboard； and sat down。 He was almost entirely in the shadows。 Green light from a display screen washed across his right shoulder and that side of his brutal face。 He looked like a troll。 〃Okay。 You finished the program on the fifth。 Kingman came up here again on the eighth。 You fed him the primer…〃
〃No；〃 Salsbury said。 〃Once the drug has been administered
to a subject； there's no need to give him a booster dose； not even years later。 When Kingman arrived； I began at once with the subliminal program。 I ran two films for him during the evening。 That night； the night before last； he had a very bad dream。 He woke up； sweating； chilled； shaking； dazed； and nauseated。 He had trouble getting his breath。 He vomited beside the bed。〃
〃Fever？〃 Klinger asked。
〃Do you think he had a delayed reaction to the drug…a month and a half delayed？〃
〃Maybe；〃 Salsbury said。 But he obviously didn't think that was the case。 He got off the stool； went to his desk in a dark corner of the room； and came back with a puter print…out。 〃This is a record of Kingman's sleep patterns between one o'clock and three o'clock this morning。 That's the crucial period。〃 He handed it to Dawson。 〃Yesterday； I showed Kingman two more
