"Card, Orson Scott - Heal Thyself" - читать интересную книгу автора (Card Orson Scott)

a degree that they faded out. Like round eyes in China."

"How could they interbreed?" I asked. I was proud of my scientific erudition,
as only eleven-year-olds can be. "Look at how different they are from humans."

"Not so different," said Mother. "They had rudimentary language. Not the
complicated grammar we have now basically just imperative verbs and labeling
nouns. But they could call out to each other across a large expanse and give
warning. They could greet each other by name."

"I was talking about how they look."

"But I was talking about brain function," said Mother, "which is much more
to the point, don't you think?"

"Another theory" said Father, "was that Homo sapiens evolved from the
Neanderthals. That one was discredited and then revived several times.
It turns out that was the closest theory to being right."

"You know, none of this explains why there are Neanderthals out here in
the North American Wild Animal Park."

"You surprise me, Son," said my father. "I thought you would have leaped
to at least some conclusion. Instead you seem to be passively awaiting
our explanation."

I hated it when Father patronized me. He knew that, so he did it whenever
he wanted to goad me into thinking. It always worked. I hated that, too.

"You brought me here because of the way I reacted to Elizio's death," I said.
"And because you're famous scientists yourselves, you got to pull strings
and get me a special tour. Not everybody sees this, right?"

"Actually, anybody can, but few want to," said Father.

"And the biohazard stuff-that suggests some kind of disease agent. What
you said about the evolved-from-Neanderthals scenario being close to correct
suggests ... there's some disease loose in the wild here that causes regular
people to turn into cavemen?"

Father smiled wanly at Mother. "Smart boy," he said.

I looked at Mother. She was crying.

"Just tell me," I demanded. "No more guessing games."

Father sighed, put his arm around Mother, and began to talk It didn't take
long to explain.

"The greatest breakthrough in the medical treatment of disease was the germ