0200 58 00

“Look how his chest is heaving,” Dawson said. “Good God, his lungs will burst!”

Writhing continuously but a degree less violently than he had been a moment ago, Kingman began to chew on his lower lip. In seconds his chin was covered with blood.

“An epileptic seizure?” the general asked.

Salsbury said, “No.”

At 2:59, the left-hand screen began a new line print from the top of the tube: TEST NORMAL FOR THIS SUBJECT VALUE

TEMPERATURE 98.6 98.8

RESPIRATION 18 PER MIN 48 PER MIN

PULSE 70 PER MIN 190 PER MIN

BLOOD PRESSURE

SYSTOLIC CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL

CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL

On the black-and-white screen, Kingman convulsed and was almost perfectly still.

His feet twitched, and his right hand

opened and closed, opened and closed; but otherwise he was motionless. Even his eyes had stopped rolling; they were squeezed tightly shut.

The readout screen went blank, then an instant later flashed an emergency message.