— Right. There’s the file, nurse, get it sent round, will you. And call the next patient.
— Doctor. What is the answer?
— This way please.
A nod can mean dismissal. Either the vibration of the voice has been insufficient or the dismissal would anyway have occurred. The fact that Mr. Swaminathan has not nodded and will not nod ever should be viewed in this light. On the other hand the fact that Mr. Swaminathan has not nodded and will not nod ever is of no significance.
The exit door leads into the test cubicles. The test cubicles lead into one another and are for urinating, bleeding, drinking radio-active iodine through a straw, dreaming, conversing with Mrs. Mgulu and having her traced with isotopes, lying at 5 a.m. under a space-man helmet that measures the moment of truth in the blood. The process is known as degradation, out of which the complete molecule must be built up stage by stage, using unambiguous reactions until total synthesis is achieved, which will finally confirm the method of breakdown. The test cubicles lead out into a pale green corridor lined with doors and guiding notices. The doors are white. The guiding notices are white with large red letters. The legs of the waiting females are white, those of the waiting males are trousered in faded denim.
The microscopes are gathered all around, pointing downwards and converging. The heat from the lights induces a state of pyrexia. Between two of the converging microscopes the monitoring screen hangs from the ceiling and shows a fresh white jellyfish on a pale green background, with yellowish white filaments flowing downwards and long black tentacles flowing upwards out of a purple outer skin that covers only the top of the jellyfish. But now the smooth asphalt face of the interviewer is on the screen patched with curved oblongs and blobs of white reflected light.
— Don’t keep looking up at the monitor, it spoils the picture. Look at me or else straight at the viewer, that is, the camera in front of you. Don’t look at the other cameras either.
— I can’t turn my head anyway, with all those wires attached to it.
— That’s for the toposcope. Now you’re not nervous are you? Just relax. We’re going to diagnose first then proceed to treatment, though not necessarily in one session. It depends how much resistance you put up.
— Dr. Lukulwe, says the loudspeaker somewhere.
— Yes, doctor? says the interviewer here.
— Give me a spot of level will you.
— One two three four five Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday.
— Thank you but more natural. Have you briefed the patient?
— I was just doing so, Doctor Benin.
— Carry on, I’m listening.
— Right. Well now, I have to tell you that the lies show up immediately on the oscillograph. No moral judgment is involved so don’t worry about it, the lies are themselves revealing and help diagnosis. One-man truths, that is to say, delusions, will appear on the depth-photography screen, but only in the long run. That’s why we have to give it a long run, but it’s for your own sake. You’re not to worry about a thing, just relax. You ready? Dr. Benin, we’re ready when you are.
— Fine. Stand by recordings. We shoot in … ten seconds … from … now …
— Well, sir, since you’ve heard the discussion, could you give us your views on the situation?
— Er … what situation?
— Come come. Your situation. Just relax, let the drug talk for you.
— It isn’t working yet.
— It will in a second.
— Well … the situation is highly inflammatory and demands a serious reappraisal.
— What exactly do you mean by reappraisal?
— There will have to be an investigation.
— But don’t you think there have been enough investigations?
— I don’t accept that. Though it is certainly a viewpoint.
— What do you accept?
— I would say that if the situation does not visibly improve we shall have to consider taking action.
— What sort of action have you in mind?
— Well of course I would have to consult with my committee. Well of course I would have to consult with my cabinet.
— And what action do you suppose your cabinet has in mind?
— Well of course we do not envisage anything as drastic as breaking diplomatic relations with reality, indeed we rather depend on these good relations. We shall do everything in our power to exhaust all possible constitutional means first.
— And then?
— Well, then we shall have to consider taking action.
— I see. What about you sir, do you vote for the Government in power?
— I am the Government in power.
— And you, do you vote for or against the Government in power?
— Last time I was sweet, lick me now, said the salt.
— What do you have against authority?
— I never said I was against.
— So you vote for the Government?
— I never said that.
— Do you prefer to satisfy demand or demand satisfaction?
— I don’t accept that.
— Do you prefer to satisfy demand or demand satisfaction?
— What’s the catch?
— Just answer the question.
— To satisfy demand.
— Would you rather support medical treatment of criminals or medical treatment of politicians?
— Er … politicians.
— What do you have against criminals, don’t you think they need medical treatment as much as anyone else?
— It is certainly a viewpoint.
Inside the jellyfish on the monitor, which is looking heavenwards, another jellyfish can be seen in profile, with the black tentacles flowing up and backwards, then another in quarter profile. The glowing basalt face immediately ahead smiles like a flash-bulb breaking. The black eyes in the pinkish whites gleam with triumph, the triumph perhaps of the fanatic inventor astonished by his own machine, astonished that it works.
— What about you sir, would you rather support the refugee programme or food for the victims of the population explosion?
— Er … food.
— So you like your food?
— No.
— Why are you against the refugees? Are you afraid they will increase the unemployment problem? Your own personal unemployment problem?
— No, of course not. I didn’t mean –
— Do you like reading books?
— Oh, no, I don’t read books, I assure you.
— But don’t you want to improve yourself? Or do you prefer nine-pin bowling with the gang?
— Oh no, I mean, I suppose, I like some books, it depends.
— So you don’t like nine-pin bowling with the gang?
— I … I like, ideally I would like, best I mean, nine-pin bowling on my own, and, secondly, reading books with the gang.
— Do you like laughing?
— Of course. I mean, not immoderately.
— So you often feel excluded from group laughter? Now will you look up at the monitor screen. Do you like it all in red? Or do you prefer it in blue? Pink? Or brown? Violet? Or white? Green? Yellow? Thank you. Do you prefer wood or metal? The sky or the earth? Fire or water? Thank you. Do you love Mrs. Mgulu or Mr. Swaminathan best?
— I love Mrs. Mgulu best and Mr. Swaminathan a little bit more.
— That’s a very good answer! Has someone told you the way to answer that question?
— No. It’s all my own work. My head hurts.
— It’s the mental enema. Hold it just a little longer, we’re nearly through. Do you put your wife and children above your country?
— Yes. No, I mean. In an emergency –
— You have no children, have you?
— Not … now.
— And your country is? … Humanity? Come come. What did you say? Afro-Eurasia. Good. Tell me, what are those innumerable little monomanias I see in your head, no, don’t look up at the monitor, they’re like crushed pieces of paper, or flowers, half-started letters and daydreams. You are given to writing little notes?