"James White - UnBirthday Boy" - читать интересную книгу автора (White James)

brother Cawn and sister Wana were given smaller presents so that they would
not feel bad because it wasn't their birthday. It wasn't his birthday, either,
it was never ever his birthday, so he was given a present as well. It turned
out to be a well-worn, animal soft toy, a castoff that had been given to Wana
when she had been only two.
He said "Thank you," like the others, and put it down beside his bowl even
though he wanted to pull its legs off and throw it at them. When he saw the
nice things that the others were getting he tried not to speak, but the angry
words came out any way.
"Why don't I get presents like that?" he said, waving his arms and al most
knocking over the food bowl as he tried to point at all of them at once.
"This thing is for, for babies. Why don't you give me toys and games that
light up and make noises and do things? You don't want me here. You don't love
me, not like the way you do the others. I heard them talking about it. You,
you don't even give me nice things to eat!"
This time it was little Wana who pointed. She was the youngest and smallest of
the children and she al ways talked to him as if he wasn't stupid. With her
tiny hand almost touching his face she said, "Why are your eyes all wet?"
"Of course we love you like the others," said his mother. "It is just that-"
"-It isn't easy to have toys sent 'way out here," his father joined in.
"There are weight restrictions on nonessential supplies for personal use, and
we have to take good care of them. If you promise to be very careful and not
lose your temper if the game is too difficult, Danal or Cawn will let you play
with one of their old ones until you're able to-"
"No!" said Danal in a very loud voice. "I let him play with a game last year,
remember? It was a flight simulator, an old one but still working, and he
smashed it into bits before bedtime. He has hands like clumsy feet and he
talks funny and he's got a big head with no brains in it. I won't do it, I
won't."
"Me, too," said Cawn in a quieter voice. "He always breaks things. He's rough
and he's not like us and we don't like him. Why don't you just send him away?"
"Stop talking like that, right now," said his father, "and listen to me. He
can't help what he does and maybe he will learn not to break things one of
these years. Maybe it was the accident when he was a baby, or being so long in
that survival pod with not enough food in the dispenser that made him
slow-witted. He was nearly dead when we found him. You have to make allowances
for him not being..."
An argument started between his mother and father and the two boys; the same
argument that happened at every birthday party for as long as he could
remember. It made him feel very bad. He was wiping his eyes with his fingers
when Wana leaned sideways in her chair towards him.
"I like you," she whispered. "I don't want you to go away. I think you're nice
and fat and cuddly, and you've got a big, funny head."
All at once he felt a warm, sad, glad feeling that made his eyes get wet
again, but he could not find the words to tell her about it. The argument was
still going on between Danal, Cawn, and his parents, but it stopped when his
father stood up.
"Enjoy your presents," he said. "It's time I left for work."
"Coward," said his mother, rising to go to the door with him. The boys stopped
arguing and went back to exploring their presents and deliberately ignoring