Doc Savage: Glare of the Gorgon (The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage Book 19) by Kenneth Robeson, Lester Dent, Will Murray Page A
Tags: action and adventure
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scalpel tip made the identical scraping sound that the bronze man had produced when he had inserted his own scalpel into the nasal passage of the deceased Ned Gamble.
“That sounds like stone!” blurted out the Medical Examiner.
“Certainly the consistency of stone,” agreed the bronze man. “What it is in actuality remains to be determined. I would like to take a sample of this man’s brain.”
“It is highly irregular,” said the Medical Examiner slowly. He appeared to be dazed. He was not a young man. There were suggestions of gray at his temples. It might be assumed he had been at his job for a number of years. But the discovery that a dead man’s brain had been somehow petrified seemed to have swamped his wits.
Doc Savage said, “I will take responsibility for any repercussions.”
“The big guy has my vote, too,” added Hardboiled Humbolt.
Shrugging rather helplessly, the M.E. said, “Proceed.”
Doc Savage used a small hammer and the kind of chisel that is often used when working with bone, and chipped off a segment of the brain about the size of a tiny cowrie seashell. He wrapped this up in a handkerchief and pocketed it.
Monk, who had been fascinated throughout, ambled up and ran his fingers along the exposed portion and grunted, “Kinda reminds me of calcium carbonate more than stone.”
Doc nodded. “It may be that the brain calcified, rather than petrified. Only chemical analysis will determine that.”
The Medical Examiner spoke up, “I fail to see how the human brain could do either.”
“Yet you see the evidence before your own eyes,” reminded Doc.
The M.E. scratched his chin, began ruminating, “Anything that could petrify the soft tissue of a brain should have petrified the eyes as well.”
Taking a thumb, he lifted both eyelids, and saw that they were sunken in the man’s bony sockets. Sunken unnaturally. For under the overhead lights, it seemed simply that the man’s face had sunken in death. This was commonly true of decaying corpses, but the Medical Examiner realized the man had not been dead very long. The natural processes that would have rendered the facial features hauntingly ghoul-like should not have been very far along.
“This is peculiar,” mused the M.E.
Doc explained, “It is possible that the brain matter has shrunk due to its chemical transformation. You know the human eyeball is directly connected to the brain, so if the brain mass did shrink, it would have tugged on the muscles controlling the eyes, causing them to retreat within their bony sockets.”
The Medical Examiner nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, that makes perfect sense.”
“It is the only thing that does,” complained Ham, who was hanging back in a far corner. The dapper attorney was not normally squeamish, but there was something about this procedure that bothered him greatly. Perhaps it was because it defied easy explanation.
The autopsy having produced all that it might, Doc Savage left the matter in the Medical Examiner’s capable hands, saying, “You can expect another body like this before long.”
The M.E.’s graying eyebrow shot up.
Doc explained, “A visitor to my office succumbed unexpectedly, and my initial examination indicated that his brain had turned into a solid mass of matter. His name was Ned Gamble. I know little else about him, except that he came from Chicago seeking my help.”
“So there were two such victims?” the medico said incredulously.
“It may be,” stated Doc Savage, “there will prove to be three, if not more. It is the more that concerns me. We must be going now.”
OUT on the street, Doc conferred briefly with Inspector Hardboiled Humbolt.
“What do you make of it, Savage?” the official grunted.
“It is,” admitted the bronze man, “too early to tell very much.”
“Well, you got free rein on this case, since it broke on your doorstep.”
“Thank you,” said Doc.
Lowering his voice, the inspector whispered, “Those
“That sounds like stone!” blurted out the Medical Examiner.
“Certainly the consistency of stone,” agreed the bronze man. “What it is in actuality remains to be determined. I would like to take a sample of this man’s brain.”
“It is highly irregular,” said the Medical Examiner slowly. He appeared to be dazed. He was not a young man. There were suggestions of gray at his temples. It might be assumed he had been at his job for a number of years. But the discovery that a dead man’s brain had been somehow petrified seemed to have swamped his wits.
Doc Savage said, “I will take responsibility for any repercussions.”
“The big guy has my vote, too,” added Hardboiled Humbolt.
Shrugging rather helplessly, the M.E. said, “Proceed.”
Doc Savage used a small hammer and the kind of chisel that is often used when working with bone, and chipped off a segment of the brain about the size of a tiny cowrie seashell. He wrapped this up in a handkerchief and pocketed it.
Monk, who had been fascinated throughout, ambled up and ran his fingers along the exposed portion and grunted, “Kinda reminds me of calcium carbonate more than stone.”
Doc nodded. “It may be that the brain calcified, rather than petrified. Only chemical analysis will determine that.”
The Medical Examiner spoke up, “I fail to see how the human brain could do either.”
“Yet you see the evidence before your own eyes,” reminded Doc.
The M.E. scratched his chin, began ruminating, “Anything that could petrify the soft tissue of a brain should have petrified the eyes as well.”
Taking a thumb, he lifted both eyelids, and saw that they were sunken in the man’s bony sockets. Sunken unnaturally. For under the overhead lights, it seemed simply that the man’s face had sunken in death. This was commonly true of decaying corpses, but the Medical Examiner realized the man had not been dead very long. The natural processes that would have rendered the facial features hauntingly ghoul-like should not have been very far along.
“This is peculiar,” mused the M.E.
Doc explained, “It is possible that the brain matter has shrunk due to its chemical transformation. You know the human eyeball is directly connected to the brain, so if the brain mass did shrink, it would have tugged on the muscles controlling the eyes, causing them to retreat within their bony sockets.”
The Medical Examiner nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, that makes perfect sense.”
“It is the only thing that does,” complained Ham, who was hanging back in a far corner. The dapper attorney was not normally squeamish, but there was something about this procedure that bothered him greatly. Perhaps it was because it defied easy explanation.
The autopsy having produced all that it might, Doc Savage left the matter in the Medical Examiner’s capable hands, saying, “You can expect another body like this before long.”
The M.E.’s graying eyebrow shot up.
Doc explained, “A visitor to my office succumbed unexpectedly, and my initial examination indicated that his brain had turned into a solid mass of matter. His name was Ned Gamble. I know little else about him, except that he came from Chicago seeking my help.”
“So there were two such victims?” the medico said incredulously.
“It may be,” stated Doc Savage, “there will prove to be three, if not more. It is the more that concerns me. We must be going now.”
OUT on the street, Doc conferred briefly with Inspector Hardboiled Humbolt.
“What do you make of it, Savage?” the official grunted.
“It is,” admitted the bronze man, “too early to tell very much.”
“Well, you got free rein on this case, since it broke on your doorstep.”
“Thank you,” said Doc.
Lowering his voice, the inspector whispered, “Those
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