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

it scores us good when it laughs."

Her eyes narrowed. "Probably," she said. "George, do you think if you fell heavily on the sidewalkтАФ?"

"No," said George convulsively. Mrs.McCardle looked at him for a moment and held her peace. I
("Note, young gentlemen," said the history professor, "the turning point, the seed of rebellion." They
noted.)

TheMcCardles and the Toddler drove off down Sunrise Highway, which was lined with filling stations;
since their '98Landcruiser made only two miles to the gallon, it was not long before they had to stop at
one.

The Toddler began its ripsaw shriek when they stopped. A hollow-eyed attendant shambled over and
peered into the car. "Just get it?" he asked apathetically.

"Yes," said Mrs.McCardle , frantically trying to joggle the Toddler, to change it, to burp it, to do
anything that would end the soul-splitting noise.

"Half pint of white 90-octane gas is what it needs," mumbled the attendant."Few drops of SAE 40 oil.
Got one myself. Two weeks to go. I'll never make it. I'll crack. I'llтАФI'll . . ." He tottered off and returned
with the gasoline in a nursing bottle, the oil in an eye-dropper.

The Toddler grabbed the bottle and began to gulp the gas down contentedly.

"Where do you put the oil?" asked Mrs.McCardle .

He showed her.

"Oh," she said.

"Fill her up," said George. "The car, I mean.I ...

ah... I'm going to wash my hands, dear."

He cornered the attendant by the cash register. "Look," he said. "What, ah, would happen if you just let
it run out of gas? The Toddler, I mean?"

The man looked at him and put a compassionate hand on his shoulder. "It wouldscream,buddy," he said.
"The main motors run off an atomic battery. The gasengine's just for a sideshow and for having
breakdowns."

"Breakdowns?Oh, my God! How do you fix a breakdown?"

"The best way 'you can," the man said. "And buddy, when you burp it, watch out for the fumes. I've
seen some ugly explosions . . ."

They stopped at five more filling stations along the way when the Toddler wanted gas.

"It'll be better-behaved when it's used to the house," said Mrs.McCardle apprehensively as she carried it
over the threshold.