human
Karl has lost his eyes. Has he lost his brain--any of those things which make him Karl? All that has been taken away is the channel of communication. I am not presuming to be his brain. All I ask is to carry things to the brain. Why, doctor,--I'm ashamed, _mortified_--that we hadn't thought of it before!
gpt
But--how?
human
I will go into Karl's laboratory and learn how to work--all that part of it I want you to arrange for me. After all, I have a good foundation. I think I told you about my father, and how hard he tried to make a scientist of me? And it was queer about my laboratory work. It was always easy for me. I could _see_ it, all right--enough my father's child for that, but you see my working enthusiasm and ambition were given to other things. Now I'll make things within me join forces, for I _will_ love the work now, because of what it can do for Karl. I need to be trained how to work, how to observe, and above all else learn to tell exactly what I see. I shall strive to become a perfectly constructed instrument--that's all. And I _will_ be better than the usual laboratory assistant, for not having any ideas of my own I will not intrude my individuality upon Karl--to blur his vision. I shall not try to deduce--and mislead him with my wrong conclusions. I shall simply _see_. A man who knew more about it might not be able to separate what he saw from what he thought--and that would be standing between Karl and the facts.
gpt
And your own work--what would be happening to it, if you were to do--this?
human
I have given my own work up,
gpt
You can't do that,
human
Yes, --slowly--
gpt
I can. I love it, but I love Karl more. If I have my work he cannot have his, and Karl has been deprived of his eyes--he is giving up the sunlight--the stars--the face he loves--many things. I thought it all out last night, and the very simple justice of it is that Karl is the one to have his work.
human
Besides, Karl's work is the more important. Nobody is going to die for a water colour or an oil painting; people are dying every day for the things Karl can give. But, doctor, --far too feminine not to press the advantage--
gpt
You see, doctor, --gently,--