THE DRUG
By C. C. MacAPP
Illustrated by MARTINEZ
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Galaxy Magazine February 1961.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
It could be deadly. It had to be tested. But
Sales wanted a new product this very minute.
Amos Parry, a regional manager for Whelan, Inc. (Farm & Ranch Chemicals& Feeds), had come to work a few minutes early and was waiting in thelab when Frank Barnes arrived. He saw that the division's chief chemistwas even more nervous than usual, so he invested a few minutes insoothing small talk before saying, "Frank, Sales is beginning to pushfor that new hormone."
Immediately, Barnes came unsoothed. "Bill Detrick was on the phoneabout it yesterday, Mr. Parry. I'm sorry I was abrupt with him."
Amos grinned. "If you were, he hasn't had a chance to mention it tome yet. But I think we'd better light a fire under the thing. We'llprobably get a blast from Buffalo before long. How many men do you haveon it?"
"Well, two helping with routine work, but I've done most of it myself,evenings and weekends. I didn't want anybody to know too much about it.Mr. Parry, I'm worried about it."
"Worried? How do you mean?"
"Well—let me show you the litter we've been testing it on."
The pigs were in pens outside the lab. Amos had seen figures onweight gain and general health (the latter was what promised to besensational) but hadn't seen the animals for two weeks. He eyed thefirst bunch. "How old is that boar pig?"
"Not quite four months."
Amos was no expert, but he'd spent many hours on customers' farms andhe thought the animal looked more mature than that. So did the shoatsin the same pen, though they tended more to fat. All of the group hadan odd look, certainly not normal for Yorkshires of their age. Hethought of wild hogs. "Is it just the general health factor?" he asked.
"I don't think so, Mr. Parry. You remember I told you this wasn'tactually a hormone."
"I know. You wanted to call it that for secrecy, you told me."
"Yes, sir, but I didn't tell you what it really was. Mr. Parry, are youfamiliar with hypnotics? Mescaline, especially?"
"No, I'm not, Frank."
"Well, it's a drug that causes strong hallucinations. This is achemical derivative of it."
Amos grinned again. "Pipe dreams for hogs?"
He quit grinning as implications struck him. If this thing didn't panout, after the money they'd spent and the rumors that had seeped out,there'd be some nasty questions from Buffalo. And if it did, and theybegan selling it....
"What would it do to human beings?" asked Amos.
Barnes avoided his eyes. "That's one of the things I'm worried about,"he said. "I want to show you another pig."
This one was isolated in its own pen, and it looked even stranger thanits siblings. In the first place, its hair was thicker, and black.There was an oddness in its shape and a vaguely familiar sinuousness inthe way it moved that made Amos' skin prickle.
"What's wrong with it?" he asked.
"It's healthy except for the way it looks and acts."
"Same litter and dosage?"
"Yes, sir—all of them got just one dose. The effects seem to bepermanent."
They were leaning over t