Lifeforce Read Online Free PDF Page B

Violet Mapleson, the daughter of Commander Vic Mapleson, the first man on Mars. When he came back from his first three-month trip in space, she had married the television star Dana Adams. That had lasted only two years; then she’d left him for an Italian shipping magnate. Now, after her third divorce, she was a very rich woman.
    Carlsen heard the girl say: “How mean!” Obviously, she wanted to stay and talk to Carlsen; Seth was equally determined that she should go. He struck Carlsen as the sort of young man who was accustomed to getting what he wanted. A few moments later the girl walked off without looking back. Seth came and sat down, a faint smile on his lips.
    “You must get pretty fed up with adoring females gaping at you?”
    Carlsen suppressed his annoyance. “Oh, I don’t mind. She seemed rather sweet.”
    Seth said magnanimously: “Oh, yes. Nice girl. But look, I really had to talk to you. I was furious when mother told me you’d taken her to dinner and she hadn’t introduced me.”
    “Er… no. We just had a quiet little meal.” In fact, Violet had contacted him the moment he got back to earth, and asked him to dinner. He knew her well enough to know that it would be a big dinner party, and that he was to be the showpiece. He had quickly countered by explaining that he was exhausted — which was true — but had asked her to dinner at the Savoy. She had accepted with a fairly good grace, and they had spent a pleasant evening talking about old times. Ever since then, he had been inventing excuses to avoid going to dinner at her house.
    Seth leaned forward. “Look, I think I’d better put my cards on the table. I’m working for a newspaper.”
    “Ah, I see.”
    “That probably surprises you. But the fact is that my father’s broke, and mother’s as mean as hell. All she thinks about is her rotten weekend parties. Now I’m getting paid a lousy hundred a week on the gossip column of the Gazette .”
    Carlsen made sympathetic noises. Ten years ago he would have taken a violent dislike to this spoilt young man with his wavy black hair and sensual mouth. Now he listened detachedly and wondered how he could escape. He said: “You want to interview me?”
    “Well, that would be marvellous, of course…” His tone indicated that he had something more in mind. He glanced quickly at Carlsen, assessing his sympathy. “Would that be possible?”
    Carlsen smiled. “I dare say. But there is a problem. The S.R.I.‘s called a press conference for ten o’clock tomorrow morning. I shall be there. I don’t think your editor would care for two interviews.”
    “I know. That’s why I want to interview you first.”
    “You think your story would be given preference?”
    “It might, if I had some more interesting stuff than the other man.”
    “Of course. What had you in mind?”
    “Well, look, what really would be a tremendous scoop” — he had adopted the tone of an admiring schoolboy speaking to a football hero — “and I don’t mind if you tell me to go to hell — but what would be really terrific is if I could get into the lab and get a look at those creatures.”
    Carlsen chuckled. “Well, you’ve got ambition.”
    “I suppose.” Seth’s face darkened; he took it as criticism. “But Oscar Phipps of the Tribune has seen them.”
    “He happens to be an old friend of the director.”
    “I know. And let’s face it, you’re an old friend of my mother’s.”
    Seth’s smile said more than his words; Carlsen realised with mild astonishment that the boy thought he and his mother were lovers. In fact, for all he knew, Seth thought Carlsen was his real father. Playing for time, he said: “It’s hardly gossip-column material.”
    “Of course it’s not. That’s the whole point. Let’s face it, a gossip columnist’s a nobody. But if I could get an exclusive interview with you and see the space lab, I’d be writing features tomorrow.”
    Carlsen looked out over the park, reflecting on how