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Authors: Graham Masterton
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impressed.
‘It’s kind of early to tell what the primary COD was,’ Richard told him. ‘But so far I think that you’re probably right. Or mostly right. We are dealing with a Group A Streptococcus. But maybe something else, too.’
‘Did you read my article, Richard?’ Patti interrupted him. She was sitting on the corner of Nathan’s desk and her skirt was hiked up so high that he could see her pink polka-dot panties, so he immediately looked away.
Richard wiped his nose again, and sniffed. ‘On the Web ? Sure. I read it.’
‘And what did you think? Didn’t you think it was great?’
Richard thought for a moment, but then he said, ‘I have to admit it, yes, it was reasonably accurate. Apart from the headline, that is. We’ve never actually tried to breed dragons as such.’
‘Well – dragons, gargoyles, gryphons,’ said Patti. ‘They’re all the same kind of thing, aren’t they? It’s just that your average Web reader wouldn’t have a clue what a gryphon is.’
Nathan’s phone rang. He picked it up and said, ‘Cee-Zee Lab.’
‘Oh, hi! This is Kevin McNamara, senior science editor on The Philadelphia Inquirer . Can I speak to Professor Nathan Underhill, please?
‘I’m sorry, Mr McNamara. Professor Underhill isn’t here today.’
‘Oh. Pity. I just wanted to ask him a couple of questions about his work on mythical creatures. In particular, the gryphon that just hatched.’
‘The gryphon was stillborn. You can read all about it on the Web .’
‘Yes, I know that. But I wanted to ask Professor Underhill if he intends to continue his research, of if he’s ready to admit that it’s never going to come to anything, and throw in the towel.’
Nathan said, ‘My impression is that Professor Underhill is pretty much determined to carry on.’
‘Oh, really? He told you that?’
‘That’s the impression he gave me. But of course the ultimate decision rests with the zoo, whether they’re prepared to fund him or not. You’ll have to ask Doctor Burnside about that. He’s in charge of the purse strings.’
‘I already did.’
‘And?’
‘I don’t think that Doctor Burnside has said anything to Professor Underhill yet, but I don’t think that Professor Underhill is going to like it, when he does.’
‘Oh, really? What did Doctor Burnside have to say?’
‘He didn’t mince his words, let’s put it that way. He said that Professor Underhill has spent five years and more than two million dollars and yet he still hasn’t produced a single viable hybrid. He said that the zoo isn’t prepared to invest a single penny more into Professor Underhill’s project. He called it a “wild gryphon chase”. A complete waste of valuable resources. And I quote.’
Nathan looked across at Richard and Patti. He could feel a muscle in his left cheek begin to twitch. He said, as calmly as he could manage, ‘For your information, Mr McNamara, Professor Underhill is recognized as one of the most imaginative and ground-breaking research zoologists since Thomas Hunt Morgan.’
‘Well, that’s as may be. But he’s trying to recreate creatures that lived hundreds of years in the past, isn’t he? That’s if they ever lived at all.’
‘You’re right, yes. You’re absolutely right. But if he’s successful, he could single-handedly take medical science hundreds of years into the future, overnight. He could cure multiple sclerosis, for Christ’s sake.’
There was a pause on the other end of the phone. Nathan could almost hear the Inquirer reporter grinning.
‘I’m talking to Professor Underhill, aren’t I? Come on, Professor, admit it!’
Nathan grimaced. He should have kept his mouth shut.
‘Come on, Professor! Tell me how you feel about your project being deep-sixed.’
‘I told you,’ said Nathan. ‘Professor Underhill isn’t here today. He won’t be here tomorrow, either. Or the day after.’
‘Professor – all I want is one short quote. “Dr Burnside is a
‘It’s kind of early to tell what the primary COD was,’ Richard told him. ‘But so far I think that you’re probably right. Or mostly right. We are dealing with a Group A Streptococcus. But maybe something else, too.’
‘Did you read my article, Richard?’ Patti interrupted him. She was sitting on the corner of Nathan’s desk and her skirt was hiked up so high that he could see her pink polka-dot panties, so he immediately looked away.
Richard wiped his nose again, and sniffed. ‘On the Web ? Sure. I read it.’
‘And what did you think? Didn’t you think it was great?’
Richard thought for a moment, but then he said, ‘I have to admit it, yes, it was reasonably accurate. Apart from the headline, that is. We’ve never actually tried to breed dragons as such.’
‘Well – dragons, gargoyles, gryphons,’ said Patti. ‘They’re all the same kind of thing, aren’t they? It’s just that your average Web reader wouldn’t have a clue what a gryphon is.’
Nathan’s phone rang. He picked it up and said, ‘Cee-Zee Lab.’
‘Oh, hi! This is Kevin McNamara, senior science editor on The Philadelphia Inquirer . Can I speak to Professor Nathan Underhill, please?
‘I’m sorry, Mr McNamara. Professor Underhill isn’t here today.’
‘Oh. Pity. I just wanted to ask him a couple of questions about his work on mythical creatures. In particular, the gryphon that just hatched.’
‘The gryphon was stillborn. You can read all about it on the Web .’
‘Yes, I know that. But I wanted to ask Professor Underhill if he intends to continue his research, of if he’s ready to admit that it’s never going to come to anything, and throw in the towel.’
Nathan said, ‘My impression is that Professor Underhill is pretty much determined to carry on.’
‘Oh, really? He told you that?’
‘That’s the impression he gave me. But of course the ultimate decision rests with the zoo, whether they’re prepared to fund him or not. You’ll have to ask Doctor Burnside about that. He’s in charge of the purse strings.’
‘I already did.’
‘And?’
‘I don’t think that Doctor Burnside has said anything to Professor Underhill yet, but I don’t think that Professor Underhill is going to like it, when he does.’
‘Oh, really? What did Doctor Burnside have to say?’
‘He didn’t mince his words, let’s put it that way. He said that Professor Underhill has spent five years and more than two million dollars and yet he still hasn’t produced a single viable hybrid. He said that the zoo isn’t prepared to invest a single penny more into Professor Underhill’s project. He called it a “wild gryphon chase”. A complete waste of valuable resources. And I quote.’
Nathan looked across at Richard and Patti. He could feel a muscle in his left cheek begin to twitch. He said, as calmly as he could manage, ‘For your information, Mr McNamara, Professor Underhill is recognized as one of the most imaginative and ground-breaking research zoologists since Thomas Hunt Morgan.’
‘Well, that’s as may be. But he’s trying to recreate creatures that lived hundreds of years in the past, isn’t he? That’s if they ever lived at all.’
‘You’re right, yes. You’re absolutely right. But if he’s successful, he could single-handedly take medical science hundreds of years into the future, overnight. He could cure multiple sclerosis, for Christ’s sake.’
There was a pause on the other end of the phone. Nathan could almost hear the Inquirer reporter grinning.
‘I’m talking to Professor Underhill, aren’t I? Come on, Professor, admit it!’
Nathan grimaced. He should have kept his mouth shut.
‘Come on, Professor! Tell me how you feel about your project being deep-sixed.’
‘I told you,’ said Nathan. ‘Professor Underhill isn’t here today. He won’t be here tomorrow, either. Or the day after.’
‘Professor – all I want is one short quote. “Dr Burnside is a
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