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

тАЬYeah.тАЭ
тАШWell, I gotta take a bath.тАЭ Scott headed for the door. Paradline met JaneтАЩs gaze and nodded significantly.
Harry was home, but disclaimed all knowledge of the peculiar toys. Rather grimly, Paradine requested Scott to bring
down from his room all of the playthings. Finally they lay in a row on the tableтАФcube, aba-cus, doll, helmet-like cap,
several other mysterious contraptions. Scott was cross-examined. He lied valiantly for a time, but broke down at last
and bawled, hiccuping his confession.
тАЬGet the box these things came in,тАЭ Paradine ordered. тАЬThen head for bed.тАЭ
 тАЬAre youтАФhup!тАФgonna punish me, Daddy?тАЭ
тАЬFor playing hooky and lying, yes. You know the rules. No more shows for two weeks. No sodas for the same
period.тАЭ
Scott gulped. тАЬYou gonna keep my things?тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt know yet.тАЭ
тАЬWellтАФgтАЩnight, Daddy. GтАЩnight, Mom.тАЭ

After the small figure had gone upstairs, Paradine dragged a chair to the table and carefully scrutinized the box. He
poked thoughtfully at the focused gadgetry. Jane watched.
тАШWhat is it, Denny?тАЭ
тАЬDunno. WhoтАЩd leave a box of toys down by the creek?тАЭ
тАЬIt might have fallen out of a car.тАЭ
тАЬNot at that point. The road doesnтАЩt hit the creek north of the rail-road trestle. Empty lotsтАФnothing else.тАЭ Paradine
lit a cigarette. тАЬDrink, honey?тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll fix it.тАЭ Jane went to work, her eyes troubled. She brought Para-dine a glass and stood behind him, ruffling his
hair with her fingers. тАЬIs anything wrong?тАЭ
тАЬOf course not. OnlyтАФwhere did these toys come from?тАЭ
тАЬJohnsonтАЩs didnтАЩt know, and they get their stock from New York.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩve been checking up, too,тАЭ Paradine admitted. тАЬThat dollтАЭтАФhe poked itтАФтАЭrather worried me. Custom jobs,
maybe, but I wish I knew whoтАЩd made тАШem.тАЭ
тАЬA psychologist? That abacusтАФdonтАЩt they give people tests with such things?тАЭ
Paradine snapped his fingers. тАЬRight! And say, thereтАЩs a guy going to speak at the university next week, fellow
named Holloway, whoтАЩs a child psychologist. HeтАЩs a big shot, with quite a reputation. He might know something
about it.тАЭ
тАЬHolloway? I donтАЩtтАФтАЭ
тАЬRex Holloway. HeтАЩsтАФhm-m-m! He doesnтАЩt live far from here. Do you suppose he might have had these things
made himself?тАЭ
Jane was examining the abacus. She grimaced and drew back. тАЬIf he did, I donтАЩt like him. But see if you can find out,
Denny.тАЭ
Paradine nodded. тАЬ1 shall.тАЭ
He drank his highball, frowning. He was vaguely worried. But he wasnтАЩt scaredтАФyet.

Rex Holloway was a fat, shiny man, with a bald head and thick spec-tacles, above which his thick, black brows lay
like bushy caterpillars. Paradine brought him home to dinner one night a week later. Holloway
did not appear to watch the children, but nothing they did or said was lost on him. His gray eyes, shrewd and bright,
missed little.
The toys fascinated him. In the living room the three adults gathered around the table, where the playthings had
been placed. Holloway studied them carefully as he listened to what Jane and Paradine had to say. At last he broke his
silence.
тАЬIтАЩm glad I came here tonight. But not completely. This is very dis-turbing, you know.тАЭ
тАЬEh?тАЭ Paradine stared, and JaneтАЩs face showed her consternation. HollowayтАЩs next words did not calm them.
тАЬWe are dealing with madness.тАЭ
He smiled at the shocked looks they gave him. тАЬAll children are mad, from an adult viewpoint. Ever read HughesтАЩ