"Lafferty, R A - Nine Hundred Grandmothers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lafferty R A)

"We do less and less then. We come to a deficiency of energy. Is it not
the same with you?"

"Of course. But where do you go when you become exceedingly old?"

"Nowhere. We stay at home then. Travel is for the young and those of
the active years."

"Let's try it from the other end," Ceran said. "Where are your mother
and father, Nokoma?"

"Out and about. They aren't really old."

"And your grandfathers and grandmothers?"

"A few of them still get out. The older ones stay home."

"Let's try it this way. How many grandmothers do you have, Nokoma?"

"I think I have nine hundred grandmothers in my house. Oh, I know
that isn't many, but we are the young branch of a family. Some of our
clan have very great numbers of ancestors in their houses."

"And all thse ancestors are alive?"

"What else? Who would keep things not alive? How would such be
ancestors?"

Ceran began to hop around in his excitement.

"Could I see them?" he twittered.

"It might not be wise for you to see the older of them," Nokoma
cautioned. "It could be an unsettling thing for strangers, and we guard
it. A few tens of them you can see, of course."

Then it came to Ceran that he might be onto what he had looked for all
his life. He went into a panic of expectation.

"Nokoma, it would be finding the key!" he fluted. "If none of you has
ever died, then your entire race would still be alive!"

"Sure. Is like you count fruit. You take none away, you still have them
all."

"But if the first of them are still alive, then they might know their
origin! They would know how it began! Do they? Do you?"

"Oh, not I. I am too young for the Ritual."