Ferrante set a metronome at sixty…five beats per minute。 〃That's the goal；〃 he told Remo； 〃but don't be disappointed if you don't make it。 Hardly anyone does。〃
The metronome was ticking； Ferrante was holding Remo's wrist in a running check on his pulse； and Remo was remembering the trick Chiun had taught him。 Set up your own rhythm； wipe out external impulses； speed up your breathing pattern to match the desired heart rate； and let the hyper…ventilation of the lungs slow the heart by flooding the blood with oxygen。
〃Ready？；〃 Ferrante asked。 〃I'll call out your heart rate as we go along so you can try to adjust。〃
〃How bad's the shock？〃 Remo asked。 〃I'm afraid of electric chairs。〃
〃Nothing to worry about；〃 Ferrante said。 〃More like a buzz than a real shock。 Start。。。。 now。〃
The metronome was clicking its sixty…five beats per minute and Remo tuned his breathing pattern into it。
〃Sixty…eight；〃 Ferrante called。 Remo quietly snorted his breath in and out。
〃Sixty…six。〃
Remo closed his eyes to the metronome and blanked the sound of its rhythms out of his mind。 He chose a new lower rhythm； and adjusted his breathing to it。
〃Sixty…four。〃 Ferrante was delighted。 Remo breathed。
〃Sixty。〃
… 〃Fifty…nine。〃。
Remo decided to call a halt when he had dropped his heart rate down to forty…two。 Ferrante didn't know whether to be delighted or upset； or whether he had been cheated。
〃That's incredible；〃 he said。 〃I never saw anything like that。〃
〃I told you； I'm afraid of electric chairs。 And I've got a low tolerance of pain。〃
And then there was Ratchett。 Remo never had a chance to figure out what Ratchett did； or how to get to him； because Ratchett refused to open the door to his cottage which； unlike the other top staff； he used only for an office； preferring to live in his eggshell home a few hundred yards away。
〃Go away；〃 he shouted。 〃I don't like you。〃
〃I thought you wanted to see me；〃 Remo told the closed door。
〃If I never see you； it will be too soon。 Go away。〃
〃Must I assume； Doctor Ratchett； that you don't like me？〃
〃You will be well within the limits of possibility； Mister Pelham； if you assume that I loathe you。 Now go away before I call a cop。 One of your own will know how to deal with you。〃
Remo turned and walked away。 Ratchett too would be easy if the call came。 He did not realize that someone else would issue the call for Ratchett before CURE did。
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Later that day； the staff department heads of Brewster Forum had held their regular weekly meeting in Brewster's office。 Dr。 Deborah Hirshbloom was absent。
Ferrante was talking about the new director of security。 〃So basically； he's a coward。 Terribly afraid of pain。 Just the threat of the electric shock produced an incredible swing hi his pulse rate。〃
He sat down。 Abram Schulter's chuckle broke the silence。 〃Inadequate data； Professor Ferrante。 Incorrect analysis of the inadequate data。 Mr。 Pelham is fearless。 Cold blooded！ In brain wave analysis； he had absolutely no reaction to any of the external stimuli。 None at all。〃
〃Probably；〃 Ratchett snarled； 〃you failed to have the machine plugged in。 Did either of you consider that Pel…ham's intelligence is probably just too low to respond adequately to stimuli which is emotionally charged； but also intellectually powerful？〃
〃Is that your feeling？〃 Boyle asked。 〃That Pelham is of low intelligence？〃
〃Of course；〃 Ratchett said。 〃Isn't it obvious？ And think of his performance out in the courtyard with that awful gang。 Is that a sign of intelligence？〃
Boyle smiled。 〃I might suggest that there is more intelligence involved in chasing them away than there is in calling them here。〃
Ratchett flushed。 Boyle went on。 〃I would say Mr。 Pelham's intelligence is extremely high。 He is also very devious and suspicious。 He answers a question with a question。 It's a yid trick…excuse me； Abram…but it's also the sign of a man used to intellectual sparing； who always looks for a quid before giving away a quo。〃
Nils Brewster listened quietly through all this； sucking on his pipe； his hands resting on his corpulent stomach； his nose encased in more bandage than was really necessary。 If Brewster had a secret for his success； it was this： his ability to dominate a group； keep them splintered and leaderless and unable to challenge his authority。 He finally spoke。
〃Well；〃 he said； 〃I suppose that settles it。 Our new policeman is either very smart or very stupid。 He is either a coward or absolutely fearless。〃 He looked at all of them and sneered。 〃Another victory for intellectual analysis。〃
〃This sounds curiously like the argument about whether a shark is brave； because he will attack anything no matter how big； or cowardly； because he prefers to feed off the crippled； the sick and the dying。 Or is a lion clever； as he shows himself to be in his stalking of prey； or stupid； as he indicates by his irrational behavior when caged in a zoo？
〃The fact is； as all of you should know by now； that the shark is neither brave nor cowardly。 And the lion is neither clever nor stupid。 They exist outside of these concepts。 They are instinctual and those words are meaningless when applied to them。 Did it ever occur to any of you that perhaps our tests are meaningless for Mr。 Pel…ham； because they are designed for normal human beings？ Did it ever occur to you that perhaps Mr。 Pelham is like an animal； showing behavior patterns that once we would characterize as intelligent； another time as stupid； one time as brave； another time as cowardly？ Did it ever occur to you that Dr。 Pelham might be a creature of instinct or a human being programmed to act as a creature of instinct？ And that to study him and understand him； we must approach him as we would approach a beast of the field？ 〃Did any of that every occur to any of you geniuses？〃 He sat back and occupied himself with his pipe and with being Nils Brewster。 No one else spoke。 He puffed rapidly on his pipe； satisfied that he had again won the day； and then went on：
〃Frankly； I don't know why any of us care about this Remo Pelham。 I surely don't。 But…just academically of course…I think he is perhaps best measured against the standards of instinct。 Through his unconscious。 It would seem to be the province of Dr。 Hirshbloom。 I suggest we just forget him； and let him go on doing whatever it is a policeman does around here。 Leave him for Dr。 Hirshbloom if she's interested。
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
But it was obvious that …Dr。 Hirshbloom did not wish to deal with the American。 The new Brewster Forum bobby showered the little Hebrew wench with the typical colonial effusiveness that Americans consider charm； and civilized people understand as undue familiarity。
Geoffrey Hawkins； Brewster Forum sky…diving instructor； and former subaltern of Her Majesty's Royal Marines； refused to bestow the recognition of a glance upon either his pupil or that incredible American who insisted upon trying to make a date with her。
Hawkins sat in the Piper Cub； his parachute a cushion behind him and his legs stretched across the width of the small single…engine plane。
It was his job； a labor for daily purse； to instruct any staff members of the Forum who wished to parachute in the art of parachuting。 Fortunately； that incredible motley crew of the gross technological giant that George III had allowed to wend its crude way into independence； dared not suffer Hawkins' explicit and daily disdain。
Only the Israeli girl； who undoubtedly had to continue her training； participated in the sky diving。 Which was rather a bit of all right； since she had the decency not to attempt a conversation with Geoffrey Hawkins。 Either she knew her place； understood decorum； or had nothing to say。 Which for a Jew was an incredible virtue。 Unfortunately so few other people shared her ability to refrain from conversation。
Like that typically German bore； who pretended to be of another nationality。 He had given Hawkins 5；000 to see that Remo Pelham did not land alive。 But then he had insisted upon trying to justify it to Hawkins。
Geoffrey Hawkins needed no justification。 One had to live。 And anyway； it would not be murder。 Murder was when you depriv