"Cedric Walker - The Guinea Pig" - читать интересную книгу автора (Walker Cedric)

"Why, tradition." Sellon frowned, and looked searchingly at his visitor. Was the
man being deliberately obtuse? He made no sign of having heard, but continued
gazing out of the window at the distant playing-fields. "Tradition," Sellon
repeated, firmly.
Mostyn turned to face him slowly. "Oh," he said, "Tradition." There was no trace
of amusement in his eyes, but Sellon felt suddenly a complete fool.
Of course, he knew the bare statement was ridiculous. He had meant it not as a
statement of fact but as a comment on the vast gulf that separated the androids
from humankind. He had intended--oh the devil!--he knew what he had meant. Not
so this cold, unsmiling devil before him! His dislike of the man deepened.
Why didn't these people get out of their stinking laboratories--out into the sun
amongst ordinary folk? Get married. Have children. Do the things that everyone
else did. Enjoy the bounty of nature--instead of grubbing round in her back
alleys. Great Scientist Mostyn with a girl in his arms.....whispering sweet
nothings.....the picture just would not come. He would probably be able to
explain it all in terms of glands and secretions and what-not.
"Yes, I see what you mean," said Mostyn surprisingly.
Sellon perked up. Well!.....
"But they will have, you know, one day. There will be a time when they will be
absorbed into society on equal terms just as the Negro has been, and their very
origin will be forgotten. Forgive me. I have no wish to preach."
Sellon made a conventional gesture, at the same time hoping he would not
continue.
"Don't you understand, man?" Mostyn leaned forward. It was the first time he had
shown any trace of passion. "We can't keep them out there on Venus forever!
Daily they grow in numbers and knowledge. They can reproduce themselves in their
laboratories. We cannot stop them now--even if we wished to do so. They have
been accepted as humans--in theory. But they cannot live here on Earth. We
smooth our consciences by granting them equal status, but they must not work
with humans, they cannot enter our libraries, our transports, our
restaurants--in fact they cannot--except under very rare circumstances--come to
Earth at all.
"At last what we had dreamed of has come to pass, and the first child had been
born to the androids in the natural way. Can you realize what that means,
Sellon? The first android child! Now in truth they are human!" He paused, and
searched Sellon's face. "That is why this experiment is so important. If it
succeeds there will be no further obstacle: the human race will have to accept
the androids!"
Damn him! Sellon thought. The man's right, after all. It was all entirely
reasonable. But it didn't make him like the idea any better. Not that he had
much choice. He'd got his orders, and he'd carry them out to the best of his
ability.
"You'd like to see the--boy, of course?" he said.
Mostyn nodded. The headmaster spoke into the audio on his desk.
IN A FEW moments there was a knock on the door, and a small figure stood before
them.
Mostyn rose with outstretched hand, smiling. He was human, after all. Even if
his androids weren't.
The boy's face had been glum at first, but it brightened miraculously as his
gaze fell on the scientist.