"The Giver Quartet" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lowry, Lois)

тАЬI feel a little sorry for him,тАЭ Jonas said, тАЬeven though I donтАЩt even know him. I feel sorry for anyone who is in a place where he feels strange and stupid.тАЭ



тАЬHow do you feel now, Lily?тАЭ Father asked. тАЬStill angry?тАЭ



тАЬI guess not,тАЭ Lily decided. тАЬI guess I feel a little sorry for him. And sorry I made a fist.тАЭ She grinned.



Jonas smiled back at his sister. LilyтАЩs feelings were always straightforward, fairly simple, usually easy to re-solve. He guessed that his own had been, too, when he was a Seven.



He listened politely, though not very attentively, while his father took his turn, describing a feeling of worry that heтАЩd had that day at work: a concern about one of the newchildren who wasnтАЩt doing well. JonasтАЩs fatherтАЩs title was Nurturer. He and the other Nurturers were responsible for all the physical and emotional needs of every new-child during its earliest life. It was a very important job, Jonas knew, but it wasnтАЩt one that interested him much.



тАЬWhat gender is it?тАЭ Lily asked.



тАЬMale,тАЭ Father said. тАЬHeтАЩs a sweet little male with a lovely disposition. But he isnтАЩt growing as fast as he should, and he doesnтАЩt sleep soundly. We have him in the extra care section for supplementary nurturing, but the committeeтАЩs beginning to talk about releasing him.тАЭ



тАЬOh, no,тАЭ Mother murmured sympathetically. тАЬI know how sad that must make you feel.тАЭ



Jonas and Lily both nodded sympathetically as well. Release of newchildren was always sad, because they hadnтАЩt had a chance to enjoy life within the community yet. And they hadnтАЩt done anything wrong.



There were only two occasions of release which were not punishment. Release of the elderly, which was a time of celebration for a life well and fully lived; and release of a newchild, which always brought a sense of what-could-we-have-done. This was especially troubling for the Nurturers, like Father, who felt they had failed somehow. But it happened very rarely.



тАЬWell,тАЭ Father said, тАЬIтАЩm going to keep trying. I may



ask the committee for permission to bring him here at night, if you donтАЩt mind. You know what the night-crew Nurturers are like. I think this little guy needs something extra.тАЭ