Девять рассказов

           Itwasafterwewereallfinishedwiththeinterviewandmakingthattape,anditwasquitelate,andtheyallkeptsittingaroundsmokingcigarettesandgettingverykittenish."

           "Butyoudidn’ttellWalton,orLarsen,forexample,whenorwhereorhowdeathwouldeventuallycome?"Nicholsonpressed.

           "No.Ididnot,"Teddysaidfirmly."Iwouldn’thavetoldthemanyofthatstuff,buttheykepttalkingaboutit.ProfessorWaltonsortofstartedit.Hesaidhereallywishedheknewwhenhewasgoingtodie,becausethenhe’dknowwhatworkheshoulddoandwhatworkheshouldn’tdo,andhowtousehistimetohisbestadvantage,andalllikethat.Andthentheyallsaidthat...SoItoldthemalittlebit."

           Nicholsondidn’tsayanything.

           "Ididn’ttellthemwhentheywereactuallygoingtodie,though.That’saveryfalserumor,"Teddysaid."Icouldhave,butIknewthatintheirheartstheyreallydidn’twanttoknow.ImeanIknewthateventhoughtheyteachReligionandPhilosophyandall,they’restillprettyafraidtodie."Teddysat,orreclined,insilenceforaminute."It’ssosilly,"hesaid."Allyoudoisgettheheckoutofyourbodywhenyoudie.Mygosh,everybody’sdoneitthousandsandthousandsoftimes.Justbecausetheydon’trememberitdoesn’tmeantheyhaven’tdoneit.It’ssosilly."

           "Thatmaybe.Thatmaybe,"Nicholsonsaid."Butthelogicalfactremainsthatnomatterhowintelligently—"

           "It’ssosilly,"Teddysaidagain."Forexample,Ihaveaswimminglessoninaboutfiveminutes.