"C M Kornbluth - The Education Of Tigress Mccardle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kornbluth C M)

without it.

"No," said the receptionist.:

"But for the testsтАФ"

"There aren't any tests."

"Then the interviews, the deep probing of our physical and psychological fitness for parenthood, cur
heredityтАФ"

"No interviews."

"But the evaluation of our financial and moral standing without whichno permission can beтАФ"

"No evaluation.Just Room 100." She resumed buffing her nails.

In Room 100 a cheerful woman took a Toddler out of a cabinet, punched the non-reversible activating
button between itsshoulderblades , and handed it to Mrs.McCardle with a cheery: "It's all yours,madame
. Return with it in three months and, depending on its condition, you will, or will not,be issued a breeding
permit. Simple, isn't it?"

"The little darling!"gurgled Mrs.McCardle , looking down into the Toddler's pretty face.

It spit in her eye, punched her in the nose and sprang a leak.

"Gracious!" said the cheerful' woman. "Get it out of our nice clean office,ifyou please."

"How do you work it?" yelled Mrs.McCardle , juggling the Toddler like a hot potato. "How do you turn
it off?"

"Oh, youcan'tturn it off," said the woman. "And you'd better not swing it like that. Rough handling goes
down on the tapes inside it and we read them in three months and now if youplease,you're getting our
nice officeall wetтАФ"

She shepherded them out.

"Do something, George!" yelled Mrs.McCardle . George took the Toddler. It stopped leaking and
began a ripsaw scream that made the lighting fixtures tremble.

"Give the poor thing to me!" Mrs.McCardle shouted. "You're hurting it holding it like thatтАФ"

She took the Toddler back. It stopped screaming and resumed leaking.

It quieted down in the car. The sudden thought seized them bothтАФtooquiet? Their heads crashed
together as they bent simultaneously over the glassy-eyed little object. It laughed delightedly and waved
its chubby fists.

"Clumsy oaf!" snapped Mrs.McCardle , rubbing her head.
 "Sony, dear," said George. "But at least we must have got a good mark out of it on the tapes. I suppose