Чужак в чужой стране

           "Jill,istheladsleepingwithyou?Orwithoneofyou?"

           Shebarelyhesitated,thenansweredflatly,"SofarasIknow,Mikedoesn’tsleep."

           "Youevadedmyquestion."

           "ThenperhapsyouhadbetterassumethatIintendedtoevadeit.However,heisnotsleepingwithme."

           "Mmm?damnit,myinterestisscientific.However,we’llpursueanotherlineofinquiry.Mike,whatelsehaveyoulearnedtoday?"

           "Ihavelearnedtwowaystotiemyshoes.Onewayisonlygoodforlyingdown.Theotherwayisgoodforwalking.AndIhavelearnedconjugations.‘Iam,thouart,heis,weare,youare,theyare,Iwas,thouwast-‘"

           "Okay,that’senough.Whatelse?"

           Mikesmileddelightedly."ToyesterdayIamlearningtodrivethetractor,brightly,brightly,andwithbeauty."

           "Eh?"JubalturnedtoJill.‘Whendidthishappen?"

           "Yesterdayafternoonwhileyouwerenapping,Jubal.It’sallright–Dukewasverycarefulnottolethimgethurt."

           "Umm?well,obviouslyhedidnotgethurt.Mike,haveyoubeenreading?"

           "Yes,Jubal."

           "What?"

           "Ihaveread,"Mikerecitedcarefully,"threemorevolumesoftheEncyclopedia,MarybtoMushe,MushrtoOzon,PtoPlanti.YouhavetoldmenottoreadtoomuchoftheEncyclopediaatonereading,soIthenstopped.IthenreadtheTragedyofRomeoandJulietbyMasterWilliamShakespeareofLondon.IthenreadtheMemoirsofJacquesCasanovadeSeingaitastranslatedintoEnglishbyArthurMachen.IthenreadTheArtofCross-ExaminationbyFrancisWeilman.