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

тАЬYou have to realize that most of my defenses are prophylactic. IтАЩve learned to anticipate damage and
avoid it as much as possible. But my bodyтАЩs defenses are just extensions of a childтАЩs basic resource,
growth. ItтАЩs a tricky business to grow out of an injury without growing up in the process. Once certain
glands take over, thereтАЩs no stopping them.

тАЬTake teeth, for instance. They were designed for a finite lifetime, maybe half a century of gnawing on
bones. When mine wear down, all I can do is pull them and wait what seems like forever for
replacements to grow in. Painful, too. So I brash after meals and avoid abrasives. I stay well clear of
dentists and their drills. That way I only have to suffer every couple of hundred years.тАЭ

George, Sr. felt dizzy at tie thought of planning centuries the way one might lay out semesters. Such
incongruous words from the mouth of a little girl sitting under a tree hugging her knees. He began to
understand why she almost never spoke of her age or her past unless directly asked.

тАЬI know a lot of biochemistry, too,тАЭ she went on. тАЬYou must have recognized that by now.тАЭ He nodded,
reluctantly. тАЬWell, I've studied what you call my тАШpotionтАЩ and I donтАЩt think we know enough biology or
chemistry yet to understand it. Certainly not enough to make changes.

тАЬI know how to hold onto childhood. ThatтАЩs not the same problem as restoring youth.тАЭ

тАЬBut donтАЩt you want badly to be able to grow up? You said yourself what a nuisance it is being a child in
the Twentieth Century.тАЭ

тАЬSure, itтАЩs a nuisance. But itтАЩs what IтАЩve got and I donтАЩt want to risk it.тАЭ She leaned forward, chin resting
on kneecaps.

тАЬLook, IтАЩve recruited other kids in the past Ones I liked, ones I thought I could spend a long time with.
But sooner or later, every one of them snatched at the bait youтАЩre dangling. They all decided to grow up
тАШjust a little bit.тАЩ Well, they did. And now theyтАЩre dead. IтАЩll stick with my childrenтАЩs games, if it please
you.тАЭ

тАЬYou donтАЩt mind wasting all that time in school? Learning the same things over and over again?
Surrounded by nothing but children? Real children?тАЭ He put a twist of malice in the emphasis.

тАЬWhat waste? Time? Got lots of that. How much of your life have you spent actually doing research,
compared to the time spent writing reports and driving to work? How much time does Mrs. Foster get to
spend talking to troubled kids? SheтАЩs lucky if she averages five minutes a day. We all spend most of our
time doing routine chores. It would be unusual if any of us did not.
тАЬAnd I donтАЩt mind being around kids. I like them.тАЭ

тАЬT never have understood that,тАЭ George, Sr. said half abstractedly. тАЬHow well you can mix with children
so much younger than you. How you can act like them.тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩve got it backward,тАЭ she said softly. тАЬThey act like me. All children are immortal, until they grow
up.тАЭ

She let that sink in for a minute.

тАЬNow I ask you, Grandpa, you tell me why I should want to grow up.тАЭ