"P. J. Plauger - Child of All Ages" - читать интересную книгу автора (Plauger P J)

and the girl. May always wanted a child, George rationalized, perhaps this will be good for her. He
exchanged a tentative smile with his father.

May was still hugging Melissa enthusiastically. Over his wifeтАЩs shoulder, George could see the childтАЩs
tear-streaked face. For just one brief moment, he thought he detected an abstracted expression there, as
though the child was already calculating how long this particular episode would last. But then the look
was drowned in another flood of happy tears and George found himself smiling at his new daughter.



The child sat under the tree with her hands folded neatly on her lap. She looked up as George, Sr.
approached. His gait had grown noticeably less confident in the last year; the stiffness and teetery
uncertainty of age could no longer be ignored. George, Sr. was a proud man, but he was no fool He
lowered himself carefully onto a tree stump.

тАЬHello, Grandpa,тАЭ Melissa said with just a hint of warmth. She sensed his mood, George, Sr. realized,
and was being carefully disarming.

тАЬMortimer died,тАЭ was all he said.

тАЬI was afraid he might. HeтАЩd lived a long time, for a white rat Did you learn anything from the last blood
sample?тАЭ

тАЬNo.тАЭ Wearily. тАЬUsual decay products. He died of old age. I could put it fancier, but thatтАЩs what it
amounts to. And I donтАЩt know why he suddenly started losing ground, after all these months. So I donтАЩt
know where to go from here.тАЭ

They sat in silence, Melissa patient as ever.

тАЬYou could give me some of your potion.тАЭ

тАЬNo.тАЭ

I know you have some to spareтАФyouтАЩre cautious. ThatтАЩs why you spend so much time back in the
woods, isnтАЩt it? YouтАЩre making the stuff your father told you aboutтАЬ
тАЬI told you it wouldnтАЩt help you any and you promised not to ask.тАЭ There was no accusation in her voice,
it was a simple statement.

тАЬWouldnтАЩt you like to grow up, sometime?тАЭ he asked at length.

тАЬWould you choose to be Emperor of the World if you knew you would be assassinated in two weeks?
No, thank you. I'll stick with what IтАЩve gotтАЭ

тАЬIf we studied the make-up of your potion, we might figure out a way to let you grow up and still remain
immortal.тАЭ

Tm not all that immortal. Which is why I donтАЩt want too many people to know about me or my methods.
Some jealous fool might decide to put a bullet through my head out of spiteтАж I can endure diseases. I
even regrew a finger onceтАФtook forty years. But I couldnтАЩt survive massive trauma.тАЬ She drew her
knees up and hugged them protectively.