though I admit that I'm not quite satisfied that I have done it the best way. I suspect that an approach on parthenogenetic lines would have been... However, there it is. And I have promised her a mate. I must say I find it a fascinating speculation..."
"He will do," interrupted the rumbling voice, while the creature continued to gaze fixedly at Alfred.
"Of course," Dixon went on to us, a little hurriedly, "Una has never seen herself to know what she looks like. She probably thinks she —"
"I know what I want," said the deep voice, firmly and loudly, "I want—"
"Yes, yes," Dixon interposed, also loudly. "I'll explain to you about that later."
"But I want—" the voice repeated.
"Will you be quiet!" Dixon shouted fiercely.
The creature gave a slight rumbling protest, but desisted.
Alfred drew himself up with the air of one who after communing seriously with his principles is forced into speech.
"I cannot approve of this," he announced. "I will concede that this creature may be your own creation —nevertheless, once created it becomes, in my opinion, entitled to the same safeguards as any other dumb—er, as any other creature."
"I say nothing whatever about your application of your discovery—except to say that it seems to me that you have behaved like an irresponsible child let loose with modelling clay, and that you have produced an unholy—and I use that word advisedly—unholy mess; a monstrosity, a perversion.
However, I say nothing about that."
"What I do say is that in law this creature can be regarded simply as an unfamiliar species of animal. I intend to report that in my professional opinion it is being confined in too small a cage, and clearly without proper opportunities for exercise. I am not able to judge whether it is being adequately nourished, but it is easy to perceive that it has needs that are not being met. Twice already when it has attempted to express them to us you have intimidated it."
"Alfred," I put in, "don't you think that perhaps —" but I was cut short by the creature thrumming like a double bass.
"I think he's wonderful! The way his glass eyes flash! I want him!" It sighed in a kind of deep vibrato that ran along the floor. The sound certainly was extremely mournful, and Alfred's onetrack mind pounced on it as additional evidence.
"If that is not the plaint of an unhappy creature," he said, stepping closer to the cage, "then I have never—"
"Look out!" shouted Dixon, jumping forward.
One of the creature's hands made a darting snatch through the bars. Simultaneously Dixon caught him by the shoulders, and pulled him back. There was a rending of cloth, and three buttons pattered on to the linoleum.
"Phew!" said Dixon.
For the first time, Alfred looked a little alarmed.
"What—?" he began.
A deep, threatening sound from the cage obliterated the rest of it.
"Give him to me! I want him!" rumbled the voice, angrily.
All four arms caught hold of the bars. Two of them rattled the gate violently. The two visible eyes were fixed unwaveringly on Alfred. He began to show signs of reorientating his outlook. His own eyes opened a little more widely behind his glasses.
"Er—it—it doesn't mean—?" he started, incredulously.
"Gimme!" bellowed Una, stamping from one foot to another, and shaking the building as she did so.
Dixon was regarding his achievement with some concern.
"I wonder—I wonder, could I have overdone the hormones a bit?" he speculated, thoughtfully.
Alfred had begun to get to grips with the idea now. He backed a little farther away from the cage. The move did not have a good effect on Una.
"Gimme!" she cried, like a kind of sepulchral publicaddress system. "Gimme! Gimme!"
It was an intimidating sound.
"Mightn't it be better if we—?" I suggested.
"Perhaps, in the circumstances—" Dixon agreed.
"Yes!" said Alfred, quite decisively.
The pitch on which Una operated made it difficult to be certain of the finer shades of feelings; the windowrattling
"He will do," interrupted the rumbling voice, while the creature continued to gaze fixedly at Alfred.
"Of course," Dixon went on to us, a little hurriedly, "Una has never seen herself to know what she looks like. She probably thinks she —"
"I know what I want," said the deep voice, firmly and loudly, "I want—"
"Yes, yes," Dixon interposed, also loudly. "I'll explain to you about that later."
"But I want—" the voice repeated.
"Will you be quiet!" Dixon shouted fiercely.
The creature gave a slight rumbling protest, but desisted.
Alfred drew himself up with the air of one who after communing seriously with his principles is forced into speech.
"I cannot approve of this," he announced. "I will concede that this creature may be your own creation —nevertheless, once created it becomes, in my opinion, entitled to the same safeguards as any other dumb—er, as any other creature."
"I say nothing whatever about your application of your discovery—except to say that it seems to me that you have behaved like an irresponsible child let loose with modelling clay, and that you have produced an unholy—and I use that word advisedly—unholy mess; a monstrosity, a perversion.
However, I say nothing about that."
"What I do say is that in law this creature can be regarded simply as an unfamiliar species of animal. I intend to report that in my professional opinion it is being confined in too small a cage, and clearly without proper opportunities for exercise. I am not able to judge whether it is being adequately nourished, but it is easy to perceive that it has needs that are not being met. Twice already when it has attempted to express them to us you have intimidated it."
"Alfred," I put in, "don't you think that perhaps —" but I was cut short by the creature thrumming like a double bass.
"I think he's wonderful! The way his glass eyes flash! I want him!" It sighed in a kind of deep vibrato that ran along the floor. The sound certainly was extremely mournful, and Alfred's onetrack mind pounced on it as additional evidence.
"If that is not the plaint of an unhappy creature," he said, stepping closer to the cage, "then I have never—"
"Look out!" shouted Dixon, jumping forward.
One of the creature's hands made a darting snatch through the bars. Simultaneously Dixon caught him by the shoulders, and pulled him back. There was a rending of cloth, and three buttons pattered on to the linoleum.
"Phew!" said Dixon.
For the first time, Alfred looked a little alarmed.
"What—?" he began.
A deep, threatening sound from the cage obliterated the rest of it.
"Give him to me! I want him!" rumbled the voice, angrily.
All four arms caught hold of the bars. Two of them rattled the gate violently. The two visible eyes were fixed unwaveringly on Alfred. He began to show signs of reorientating his outlook. His own eyes opened a little more widely behind his glasses.
"Er—it—it doesn't mean—?" he started, incredulously.
"Gimme!" bellowed Una, stamping from one foot to another, and shaking the building as she did so.
Dixon was regarding his achievement with some concern.
"I wonder—I wonder, could I have overdone the hormones a bit?" he speculated, thoughtfully.
Alfred had begun to get to grips with the idea now. He backed a little farther away from the cage. The move did not have a good effect on Una.
"Gimme!" she cried, like a kind of sepulchral publicaddress system. "Gimme! Gimme!"
It was an intimidating sound.
"Mightn't it be better if we—?" I suggested.
"Perhaps, in the circumstances—" Dixon agreed.
"Yes!" said Alfred, quite decisively.
The pitch on which Una operated made it difficult to be certain of the finer shades of feelings; the windowrattling
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