The Cataaaa - A. E. Van Vogt(1), ebook, Temp
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THE CATAAAATHE CATAAAABy A. E. Van VogtGet any book for free on: www.Abika.comGet any book for free on: www.Abika.com1THE CATAAAATHE CATAAAAby A. E. Van VogtA Little Classic By One Of The Most Brilliant Science-Fiction Writers of Our Day.Several years ago this startling story appeared in a Los Angeles publication, FANTASY BOOK,and it immediately created o furor among the local stf faithful. With the resumption ofMARVEL, we thought it should be brought to a larger audience, particularly since its author hasmeantime won recognition as one of America's most brilliant science-fiction writers. We thinkyou'll agree that "The Cataaaa" is a masterpiece.THE USUAL group was gathering in the bar. Cathy was already pretending she was far gone.Ted was busy putting on his stupid look. Myra giggled three times the way a musician tunes hisinstrument for the evening. Jones was talking to Gord in his positive fashion. Gord said "Glub!"every few seconds, just as if he was listening. And Morton tried to draw attention to himself byremaining aloof and intellectual looking far down in his chair.No one noticed the slight, slim man sitting on a stool before the bar. The man kept glancing atthe group; but just when he joined them, or who invited him, no one had any clear idea. Nor didit occur to anyone to tell him to go away.The stranger said, "You were talking about the basic characteristics of human nature--"Myra giggled, "Is that what we were talking about? I wondered."The laughter that followed did not deter the newcomer."It so happens that I have had an experience which illustrates the point. It began one day when Iwas glancing through the newspaper, and I ran across a circus advertisement . . . "At the top of the ad (he went on) was a large question mark followed by some equally largeexclamation marks. Then:Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com2The cat turned and touched Silkey's face gently.THE CATAAAAWHAT IS IT?IT'S THE CATCOME AND SEE THE CATTHE CAT WILL STARTLE YOUTHE CAT WILL AMAZE YOUSEE THE CAT AT THE CIRCUSFREAK SHOWIn smaller letters at the bottom of the ad was the information that the cat was being "shown underthe personal direction of Silkey Travis."Until that point I had been reading with a vague interest and curiosity. The name made me jump."Good lord!" I thought. "It's him. It's Silkey Travis on that card."I hurried to my desk, and took out a card that had come in the mail two days before. At the timeit had made no sense to me at all. The words written on the back in a fine script seemed puregibberish, and the photograph on the front, though familiar, unlocked no real memory. It was of aman with a haunted look on his face, sitting in a small cage. I now recognized it as being alikeness of Silkey Travis, not as I had known him fifteen or so years before, but plumper, older,as he would be now.I returned to my chair, and sat musing about the past.Even in those days, his name had fitted Silkey Travis. At high school he organized the bathingbeauty contest, and gave the first prize to his cousin and the second prize to the girl who was theteacher's pet of most of the teachers. The students' science exhibition, a collection of locallizards, snakes, insects and a few Indian artifacts was an annual affair, which brought a turnoutof admiring parents. Invariably, it was Silkey who organized it. Plays, holiday shows and otherparaphernalia of school pastimes felt the weight of his guiding hand and circus spirit.After graduating from high school, I went on to State college to major in biology, and I lost sightof Silkey for seven years. Then I saw an item in one of the papers to the effect that local boySilkey Travis was doing well in the big town, having just purchased a "piece" of a vaudevilleshow, and that he also owned a "piece" in a beach concession in New Jersey.Again, there was silence. And now, here he was, no doubt "piece" owner of the circus freakshow.Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com3THE CATAAAA 4Having solved the mystery of the postcard, so it seemed to me, I felt amused and tolerant. Iwondered if Silkey had sent the card to all his former school companions. I decided not to puzzleany more about the meaning of the words written on the back. The scheme behind them was alltoo obvious.Sitting there, I had absolutely no intention of going to the circus. I went to bed at my usual hour,and woke up with a start some hours later to realize that I was not alone. The sensations thatcame to me as I lay there have been described by Johnson in his book on morbid fears.I lived in a quiet neighborhood, and the silence was intense. Presently, I could hear the laboredpounding of my heart. Poisons surged into my stomach; gas formed and leaked up to my mouthbringing a bitter taste. I had to fight to keep my breath steady.And still I could see nothing. The dark fears ran their courses, and the first thought came that Imust have had a nightmare. I began to feel ashamed of myself. I mumbled:"Who's there?"No answer.I climbed out of bed, and turned on the light. The room was empty. But still I wasn't satisfied. Iwent out into the hall, then I examined the clothes closet and bathroom. Finally, dissatisfied, Itested the window fastenings--and it was there I received my shock. Painted on the outer side ofthe pane of one of the windows were the letters:"The cat requests that you come to the circus."I went back to bed so furious that I thought of having Silkey arrested. When I woke up in themorning the sign was gone from the window.BY THE TIME breakfast was over, my temper of the night had cooled. I was even able to feel apitying amusement at the desperate desire of Silkey to let his old acquaintances know what a bigshot he was. Before starting off to my morning classes at State, I looked under my bedroomwindow. I found what looked like footprints, but they were not human, so I decided that Silkeymust have taken care to leave no tracks of his own.At class, just before noon, one of the students asked me whether there was any good explanationin biological science for freaks. I gave the usual explanation of variabilities, nutritionaldeficiences[sic], diseases, frustration of brain development affecting the shape of the body, andso on. I finished drily that for further information I would direct him to my old friend, SilkeyTravis, director of freaks at the Pagley-Matterson circus.The offhand remark caused a sensation. I was informed that a freak at this circus had promptedthe original question. "A strange, cat-like creature," the student said in a hushed voice, "thatexamines you with the same interest that you examine it."Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com THE CATAAAA 5The bell rang at that moment, and I was spared the necessity of making a comment. I rememberthinking, however, that people hadn't changed much. They were still primarily interested ineccentricity whereas, as a scientist, the processes of normalcy seemed to me far more fascinating.I still had no intention of going to the circus. But on the way home that afternoon I put my handin my breast pocket, and drew out the postcard with the photograph of Silkey on the front. Iturned it over absently, and read again the message that was on it:"The interspatial problem of delivering mail involves enormous energy problems,which effect time differentials. Accordingly,it is possible that this card will arrive before I know who you are. As a precautionI am sending another one to the circus with your name and address on it, and thetwo cards will go out together."Do not worry too much about the method of delivery. I simply put an instrumentinto a mail box. This precipitates the cards into the box on earth, and they willthen be picked up and delivered in the usual fashion. The precipitator thendissolves.The photograph speaks for itself."It didn't. Which is what began to irritate me again. I jammed the card back into my pocket, halfmindedto phone up Silkey and ask him what the silly thing meant, if anything. I refrained, ofcourse. It wasn't important enough.When I got out of bed the next morning, the words, "The cat wants to talk to you!" werescrawled on the outside of the same window pane. They must have been there a long time.Because, even as I stared at them, they began to fade. By the time I finished breakfast they weregone.I was disturbed now rather than angry. Such persistence on Silkey's part indicated neuroticovertones in his character. It was possible that I ought to go to his show, and so give him thepetty victory that would lay his ghost, which had now haunted me two nights running. However,it was not till after lunch that a thought occurred to me that suddenly clinched my intention. Iremembered Virginia.For two years I had been professor of biology at State. It was an early ambition which, now that Ihad realized it, left me at a loose end for the first time in my life. Accordingly, for the first timein my rather drab existence the mating urge was upon me. Virginia was the girl, and,unfortunately, she regarded me as a cross between a fossil and a precision brain. I felt sure thatthe idea of marrying me had not yet occurred to her.For some time it had seemed to me that if I could only convince her, without loss of dignity, thatI was a romantic fellow she might be fooled into saying yes. What better method than to pretendthat I still got excited over circuses, and, as a grand climax to the evening I would take her in toGet any b...
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