"Judith Merril - That Only A Mother UC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Merril Judith)

She glanced through the paper with indifferent interest. Today at least there was no need to read the national
news. There was an article by a geneticist. The same geneticist. Mutations, he, said, were increasing Сdisproportionately. It was too soon for recessives; even the first mutants, born near Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1946 and 1947 were not old enough yet to breed. But my babyТs all right. Apparently, there Was some degree of free radiation from atomic explosions causing the trouble. My babyТs fine. Precocious, but normal. If more attention had been paid to the first Japanese mutations, he said...
There was that little notice in the paper in the spring of С47. That was when Hank quit at Oak Ridge. УOnly two or three per cent of those guilty of infanticide are Хbeing caught and punished in Japan today. . .У But MY BABYТS all right.
She was dressed, combed, and ready to the last light brush-on of lip paste, when the door chime sounded. She dashed for the door, atid heard, for the first time in eighteen months the almost-forgotten sOund of a key turning in the lock before the chime had quite died away.
УHank!Ф
УMaggie!Ф
And then there was nothing to say. So many days, so many months, of small news piling up, so many things to tell him, and now she just stood there, staring at a khaki uniform and a strangerТs pale face. She traced the features with the finger of memory. The same high-bridged nose, wide-set eyes, fine feathery brows; the same Сlong jaw, the hair a little farther back now on the high forehead, the same tilted curve to his mouth. Pale. . . Of course, heТd been underground all this time. And strange, stranger because of lost familiarity than any newcomerТs face could be.
She had time to think all that before his band reached out to touch her, and spanned the gap of eighteen months. Now, again, there was nothing to say, because there was no need. They were together, and for the moment that was enough.
УWhereТs the baby?
УSleeping. SheТll be up any minute.Ф
No urgency. Their voices were as casual as though It were a daily exchange, as though war and separation did not exist. Margaret picked up the coat heТd thrown on
the chair near the door, and hung it carefully in the hail closet. She went to check the roast, leaving him to wander th▒oi)gh the rooms by himself, remembering and coming back. She found him, finally, standing over the babyТs ndb.
She couldnТt see his face, but she had no need to.
УI think we can wake her just this once.Ф Margaret pulled the covers down, and lifted the white bundle from the bed. Sleepy lids pulled back heavily from smoky brown eyes.
УHello.Ф HankТs voice was tentative.
УHello.Ф The babyТs assurance was more pronounced.
He had heard about it, of course, but that wasnТt the same as hearing it. He turned eagerly to Margaret. УShe really canЧ?Ф
СУOf course she can, darling. But whatТs more important, she can even do nice normal things like other babies do, evenТstupid ones. Watch her crawl!Ф Margaret Set the baby cnТtheblgbed.
For a moment young Henrietta lay and eyed her parents dubiously.
УCrawl? she asked.
УIliatТs the idea. Your Daddy is ~new around here, you know. He wants to see you show off.Ф
УThen put me on my tummy.Ф
УOh, of course.Ф Margaret obligingly rolled the baby over.
УWhatТs the matter?Ф HankТs voice was still casual, but an undercurrent in it began to charge the air of the room. УI thought they turned over first.Ф
УThis baby,Ф Margaret would not notice Сthe tension,
УThis baby does things when she wants to.Ф
This babyТs father watched with softening eyes while the bead advanced and the ~body hunched up propelling Itself across the bed.
УWhy the little rascal,Ф he burst into relieved laughter. УShe looks like one of those potato-sack racers they used to have on picnics. Got her arms pulled out ~f the sleeves already.Ф He reached over and grabbed the knot at the bottom of the long nightie.
УI'll do it, darling.Ф Margaret tried to get there first.
УDonТt be silly, Maggie. This may be your first baby, but I had five kid brothers.Ф He laughed her away, and reached with his other hand for the string that closed one sleeve. lie opened the sleeve bow, and groped for an arnt
УThe way you wriggle,Ф he addressed his child sternly, as his hand touched a moving knob of flesh at the shoulder, Уanyone might think you are a worm, using your tummy to crawl on, insfead of your hands and feet.Ф
Margaret stood and watched, smiling. СWait till you hear her sing,ТdarlingЧФ
His right hand traveled down from the shoulder to where he thought an arm would be, traveled down, and straight down, over firm small muscles that writhed in an attempt to move against the pressure of his band. As let his fingers drift up again to the shoulder. With infinite, care, he opened the knot at the bottom of the nightgown, His wife was standing by the bed, saying: УShe canТdo СJingle Bells,Т andЧФ
His left band felt along the soft knitted fabric of Сthe gown, up towards the diaper that folded, flat and smooth, across the bottom end of his child.. No wrinkles. No kicking. No...
УMaggie.Ф He tried to pull his hands from the neat fold in the diaper, from the wriggling body. УMТaggi~.Ф His throat was dry; words came hard, low and g~ating. He spoke very slowly, thinking the sound at each word to make himself say it. His head was spinning, but be had to know before he let it Сgo. УMaggie, why. . . didnТt you.. . tell me?Ф
УTell you what, darling?Ф MargaretТs poise was the irnmemorial patience of woman confronted with manТs childish impetuosity. Her sudden laugh sounded fantastically easy and natural in that room; it was all clear to her now.
УIs she wet? I didnТt know.1Т
She didnТt know. His hands, beyond control, ran up and down the soft-skinned ,baby body, the sinuous, limbless body. Oh God, dear GodЧhis head shook and his muscle contracted, in a bitter spasm of hysteria. flis fingers tightened on his childЧOh God, she didnТt know...