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

тАЬUh,no.тАЭ

тАЬToo bad. The last social worker I dealt with always kept some on hand. You ought to, too. Good for
public relations.тАЭ Melissa looked aimlessly around the room.

May shook herself again. She hadnтАЩt felt so out of control in years. Not since they tried her out on the
black ghetto kids. She dug in her heels.

тАЬThat was a very pretty performance, Melissa. I see you do read a lot But did it ever occur to you that
what Anderson said might still apply to you? Even if you do make a joke out of itтАЭ

тАЬYou mean, do I watch what I eat, because Fm afraid to grow up?тАЭ A nod. тАЬYouтАЩd better believe it. But
not because of that guff Anderson propagates.тАЭ
The girl glanced at the photographs on the desk, looked keenly into MayтАЩs eyes.

тАЬMrs. Foster, how open-minded are you? No, strike that IтАЩve yet to meet a bigot who didnтАЩt think of
himself as Blind Justice, Incarnate. LetтАЩs try a more pragmatic test. Do you read science fiction?тАЭ

тАЬUh,some.тАЭ

тАЬFantasy?тАЭ

тАЬA little.тАЭ

тАЬWell, what do you think of it? I mean, do you enjoy it?тАЭ Her eyes bored.

тАЬWell, uh, I guess I like some of it Quite a bit of it leaves me cold.тАЭ She hesitated. тАЬMy husband reads it
mostly. And my father-in-law. HeтАЩs a biochemist,тАЭ she added lamely, as though that excused something.

Melissa shrugged her adult shrug, made up her mind.

тАЬWhat would you say if I told you my father was a wizard?тАЭ

тАЬFrankly, Td say youтАЩve built up an elaborate delusional system about your unknown parents. Orphans
often do, you know.тАЭ

тАЬYeah, Anderson again. But thanks for being honest; it was the right answer for you. I suspect,
however,тАЭ she paused, fixed the woman with an unwavering sidelong glance, тАЬyouтАЩre willing to believe
that I might be more than your average maladjusted foster child.тАЭ

Under that stare, May could do nothing but nod. Once. Slowly.

тАЬWhat would you say if I told you that I am over twenty-four hundred years old?тАЭ

May felt surprise, fear, elation, an emotion that had no name.

I'd say that you ought to meet my husband.тАЬ