"Mike Resnick - Barnaby in Exile (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

white. And there is a kitten, like I see through the window. And a dog, like
Doctor sometimes brings to the lab. But there is no Dino. Then I see a picture
of a boy. His hair is shorter than Sally's, and not as gray as Doctor's, or as
yellow as Bud's. But he is smiling, and I know he must have many things to
touch. # When Sally comes back the next morning, I have lots of questions
about the pictures. But before I can ask her, she asks me. "What is this?" she
says, holding up a picture. "Roger," I say. "No," she says. "Roger is a name.
What is this animal called?" I try to remember. "Rabbit," I say at last. "Very
good, Barnaby," she says. "And what is this?" "Kitten," I say. We got through




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the whole book. "Where is Barnaby?" I ask. "Barnaby is an ape," she says.
"There is no picture of an ape in the book." I wonder if there are any other
Barnabys in the world, and if they are lonely too. # Later I ask, "Do I have a
father and a mother?" "Of course you do," says Sally. "Everything has a father
and a mother." "Where are they?" I ask. "Your father is dead," says Sally.
"Your mother is in a zoo far away from here." "Barnaby wants to see his
mother," I say. "I'm afraid not, Barnaby." "Why?" "She wouldn't know you. She
has forgotten you, just as you have forgotten her." "If I could see her, I
would say 'I'm Barnaby', and then she would know me." Sally shakes her head.
"She wouldn't understand. You are very special; she is not. She can't sign,
and she can't use a computer." "Does she have any other Barnabys?" I ask. "I
don't know," says Sally. "I suppose so." "How does she speak to them?" "She
doesn't." I think about this for a long time. Finally I say, "But she touches
them." "Yes, she touches them," says Sally. "They must be very happy," I say.
# Today I will find out more about being Barnaby. "Good morning," says Sally
when she comes into the lab. "How are you today, Barnaby?" "What is a zoo?" I
ask. "A zoo is a place where animals live," says Sally. "Can I see a zoo
through the window?" "No. It is very far away." I think about my next question
for a long time. "Are Barnabys animals?" "Yes." "Are Sallys animals?" "In a
way, yes." "Does Sally's mother live in a zoo?" Sally laughs. "No," she says.
"Does she live in a cage?" "No," says Sally. I think for awhile. "Sally's
mother is dead," I say. "No, she is alive." I get very upset, because I do not
know how to ask why Sally's mother is different from Barnaby's mother, and the
harder I try the worse I do it, and Sally cannot understand me. Finally I
start hitting the floor with my fist. Roger and his family all jump, and
Doctor opens the door. Sally gives me a little toy that squeeks when I hit it,
and very soon I forget to be mad and start playing with the toy. Sally says
something to Doctor, and he smiles and leaves. "Do you want to ask anything
else before we begin our lesson?" asks Sally. "Why?" I ask. "Why what?" "Why
is Barnaby an ape and Sally a man?" "Because that is the way God made us," she
says. I start getting very excited, because I think I am very close to
learning more about Barnabys. "Who is God?" I ask. She tries to answer, but I
do not understand again. # When it gets black and I am all alone except for
Roger and his family, and Bud has already cleaned my cage, I sit and think
about God. Thinking can be very interesting. If he made Sally and he made me,
why didn't he make me as smart as Sally? Why can she talk, and do things with