"Henry Kuttner - Mimsy Were The Borogoves" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kuttner Henry)

smiled rather hesitantly and got up. He vanished into the hall. Emma returned to the abacus.
Paradine rose and glanced down at the paper, with some mad thought that Emma might abruptly have mastered
calligraphy. But she hadnтАЩt. The paper was covered with meaningless scrawls, of a type familiar to any parent.
Paradine pursed his lips.
It might be a graph showing the mental variations of a manic-depressive cockroach, but probably wasnтАЩt. Still, it no
doubt had mean-ing to Emma. Perhaps the scribble represented Mr. Bear.
Scott returned, looking pleased. He met EmmaтАЩs gaze and nodded. Paradine felt a twinge of curiosity.
тАЬSecrets?тАЭ
тАЬNope. EmmaтАФuhтАФasked me to do something for her.тАЭ
тАЬOh.тАЭ Paradine, recalling instances of babies who had babbled in unknown tongues and baffled linguists, made a
note to pocket the paper when the kids had finished with it. The next day he showed the scrawl to Elkins at the
university. Elkins had a sound working knowledge of many unlikely languages, but he chuckled over EmmaтАЩs venture
into literature.
тАЬHereтАЩs a free translation, Dennis. Quote. I donтАЩt know what this means, but I kid the hell out of my father with it.
Unquote.тАЭ
The two men laughed and went off to their classes. But later Paradine was to remember the incident. Especially after
he met Holloway. Before that, however, months were to pass, and the situation to develop even further towards its
climax.

Perhaps Paradine and Jane had evinced too much interest in the toys. Emma and Scott took to keeping them hidden,
playing with them only in private. They never did it overtly, but with a certain unobtrusive caution. Nevertheless, Jane
especially was somewhat troubled.
She spoke to Paradine about it one evening. тАЬThat doll Harry gave Emma.тАЭ
тАЬYeah?тАЭ
тАЬI was downtown today and tried to find out where it came from. No soap.тАЭ
тАЬMaybe Harry bought it in New York.тАЭ
Jane was unconvinced. тАЬI asked them about the other things, too.
They showed me their stockтАФJohnsonтАЩs a big store, you know. But thereтАЩs nothing like EmmaтАЩs abacus.тАЭ
тАЬHm-m-m.тАЭ Paradine wasnтАЩt much interested. They had tickets for a show that night, and it was getting late. So the
subject was dropped for the nonce.
Later it cropped up again, when a neighbor telephoned Jane.
тАЬScottyтАЩs never been like that, Denny. Mrs. Burns said he frightened the devil out of her Francis.тАЭ
тАЬFrancis? A little fat bully of a punk, isnтАЩt he? Like his father. I broke BurnsтАЩs nose for him once, when we were
sophomores.тАЭ
тАЬStop boasting and listen,тАЭ Jane said, mixing a highball. тАЬScott showed Francis something that scared him. HadnтАЩt
you betterтАФтАЭ
тАЬI suppose so.тАЭ Paradine listened. Noises in the next room told him the whereabouts of his son. тАЬScotty!тАЭ
тАЬBang,тАЭ Scott said, and appeared smiling. тАЬI killed тАШem all. Space p1-rates. You want me, Dad?тАЭ
тАЬYes. If you donтАЩt mind leaving the space pirates unburied for a few minutes. What did you do to Francis Burns?тАЭ
ScottтАЩs blue eyes reflected incredible candor. тАЬHuh?тАЭ
тАЬTry hard. You can remember, IтАЩm sure.тАЭ
тАЬUh. Oh, that. I didnтАЩt do nothing.тАЭ
тАЬAnything,тАЭ Jane corrected absently.
тАЬAnything. Honest. I just let him look into my television set, and itтАФ it scared him.тАЭ
тАЬTelevision set?тАЭ
Scott produced the crystal cube. тАЬIt isnтАЩt really that. See?тАЭ
Paradine examined the gadget, startled by the magnification. All he could see, though, was a maze of meaningless
colored designs.
тАЬUncle HarryтАФтАЭ
Paradine reached for the telephone. Scott gulped. тАЬIsтАФis Uncle Harry back in town?тАЭ