Девять рассказов
Teddy
"There’snoriskyou’dberaisingalittlegenerationofignoramuses?"
"Why?Theywouldn’tanymorebeignoramusesthananelephantis.Orabirdis.Oratreeis,"Teddysaid."Justbecausesomethingisacertainway,insteadofjustbehavesacertainway,doesn’tmeanit’sanignoramus."
"No?"
"No!"Teddysaid."Besides,iftheywantedtolearnallthatotherstuff—namesandcolorsandthings—theycoulddoit,iftheyfeltlikeit,lateronwhentheywereolder.ButI’dwantthemtobeginwithalltherealwaysoflookingatthings,notjustthewayalltheotherapple-eaterslookatthings—that’swhatImean."HecameclosertoNicholson,andextendedhishanddowntohim."Ihavetogonow.Honestly.I’veenjoyed—"
"Justonesecond-sitdownaminute,"Nicholsonsaid."Everthinkyoumightliketodosomethinginresearchwhenyougrowup?Medicalresearch,orsomethingofthatkind?Itseemstome,withyourmind,youmighteventually—"
Teddyanswered,butwithoutsittingdown."Ithoughtaboutthatonce,acoupleofyearsago,"hesaid."I’vetalkedtoquiteafewdoctors."Heshookhishead."Thatwouldn’tinterestmeverymuch.Doctorsstaytoorightonthesurface.They’realwaystalkingaboutcellsandthings."
"Oh?Youdon’tattachanyimportancetocellstructure?"
"Yes,sure,Ido.Butdoctorstalkaboutcellsasiftheyhadsuchunlimitedimportanceallbythemselves.Asiftheydidn’treallybelongtothepersonthathasthem."Teddybrushedbackhishairfromhisforeheadwithonehand."Igrewmyownbody,"hesaid.
