The Man Who Melted Read Online Free

the world,” Vittorio said, and Melzi chuckled.
    Mantle shook his head as if he had slipped from one world to another and mumbled, “Josiane.” Then he rushed to the psyconductor, grabbed two cowls from the top of the console, and lunged toward her, intent on hooking into her thoughts; but Melzi caught him and pulled him away. “Are you that determined to burn your brain?” Melzi asked. “At least let me look at her first.”
    â€œWe have many customers who wish to hook-into Screamers,” Vittorio said. “But they must pay first. It's a policy of the house.”
    Melzi squatted beside the woman and examined her with an instrument that projected a superimposed holographic image of Josiane over her face. After several minutes, he raised the magnification and disappeared the holographic image.
    â€œWhoever did this work was a real artist,” Melzi said. “Her face corresponds exactly to the hollie. But you see, right there?” He indicated a dry area just below her earlobe. “You see, the pores are open everywhere else but in that tiny spot.” He raised the magnification several more powers. “There you can see the faint thread of a suture. A recent job. He should have been just a little more careful and covered that up.”
    Mantle pushed Melzi out of the way and examined her himself. He felt anger and frustration burning through him, returning more violently than ever before. He began to shake. Once again he had tried to fool himself, this time with a burned-up Screamer, a grido , a crieuse —but she was not his wife!
    â€œI don't think you would wish to hook-into that woman,” Melzi said. “She is not—”
    â€œBut you must admit, Signore ,” Vittorio said, “she looks exactly like the hollies with which we were provided.” Then Vittorio said to Melzi, “She was supposed to have been completely checked out by the man who brought her to me.”
    Melzi only shrugged.
    â€œMy contact is a reputable man; he will be very unhappy—”
    Then Mantle snapped completely—it was as if someone, or something, had suddenly taken him over. He punched Vittorio in the abdomen before Melzi could stop him. At once, the door to the hallway slammed open and one of Vittorio's men entered. The man was big and had the dead look of the street about him. As Mantle turned, the man struck him hard in the chest and pushed him savagely against the wall. Mantle overcame his nausea and tried to free himself, but Vittorio's man was too strong.
    Melzi watched, his mouth pursed as if he were amused. “You must forgive my client,” he said to Vittorio. “He's not right in the head. He—”
    â€œNow he will buy the girl,” Vittorio said, still gasping for breath. He kept smoothing down his suit.
    â€œDon't even argue,” Melzi said to Mantle. Melzi nodded to Vittorio; and Vittorio, in his turn, told his man to release Mantle. Mantle made the credit transaction by applying his hand to the glass face of the computer console.
    He had bought the woman.
    â€œYou realize that this is simply a transfer of funds from one account to another,” Vittorio said, having recovered himself. “It cannot possibly be traced.”
    A matronly domestic entered the room with clothes for the woman and various messages for Vittorio.
    â€œGet her dressed and let's get out of here,” Mantle said impatiently.
    â€œI named her Victoria. She'll answer to that if she'll answer at all,” Vittorio said. He nodded curtly to Melzi and left the room. His man followed.
    Mantle felt his flesh crawl. He was sure that Vittorio had abused her. “Let's get out of here. Now!”
    â€œLet the girl finish dressing,” Melzi said. “I am in no rush to be on the streets. Just a few minutes ago you were going to hook-into her and now—”
    â€œNow,” Mantle repeated. And he held out his hand to Victoria, who