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Read Ebook: What Rough Beast? by Highe Jefferson Francis Dick Illustrator
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Ebook has 183 lines and 9260 words, and 4 pages
"I've taught you all the math I know," Ward said. "Differential, integral, topology, Maddow's Theory of Transfinite Domains--that's as far as I go. What's next?"
"I don't know, John. I was thinking of going in for nuclear physics, but...."
"Go on, but what?" Ward prompted.
"Well...." Bobby gave him an embarrassed look. "I'm kind of tired of that stuff. It's easy and not very interesting. What I'd really like--" He broke off and began fiddling with the slide rule again.
"Yes, Bobby, what would you like?"
"You won't be mad?"
"No." Ward smiled.
"Well, I'd really like to try to write a poem--a real poem, I mean, not advertiverse--a real poem, with rhymes and everything." He paused and looked to see how Ward was taking it and then went on with a rush. "I know it's almost illegal, but I want to try. I really want to."
"But why?"
"Oh, I dunno--I just want to. I remember that an old poet named Yeats said something about writing poems--the fascination with what's difficult. Maybe that's it."
"Well," Ward said, "it's a dangerous occupation." He looked at the boy with wonder and pride. "Sure, Bobby, give it a try if you want to."
"Gee, thanks!" the boy said. He jumped out of the chair and started toward the door of the study.
"Bobby," Ward called. "Tell me--can you teleport?"
"Not exactly," Bobby said. The papers on the desk in front of Ward suddenly fluttered into the air. They did a lazy circle of the room, swung into an echelon and performed a slow chandelle, before dropping into Bobby's hand. "I can do that stuff. But I didn't do the tigers."
"I'm sure you didn't."
"It was a good stunt, but I wouldn't do that to you, John."
"I know. Do you know who did?"
"I'm not sure." Bobby didn't look at him now. "Anyway, it'd be snitching."
"I'm not asking you to tell."
"Gee, I'm sorry," Bobby said. "I wanted to tell you in the yard. I knew there was going to be a rumble, but I couldn't snitch."
"No, of course not." Ward shooed him off. "Go write your poem."
"But tigers!" Ann said. "Why tigers, John?"
"I suppose they were convenient."
"Tigers are never convenient."
He crossed the room, picked up the phone and dialed. After a brief conversation, he turned back to her. "Well, now we know where they came from," he said. "The zoo. Disappeared for about half an hour. Then reappeared again."
"I don't care where they came from," his wife said. Her dark head was bent over some work in her lap. "What difference does it make whether they came from the zoo or from Burma? The point is, bringing them in is dangerous--it's hooliganism, and don't tell me that boys will be boys."
"It doesn't show very mature judgment," he admitted. "But Bobby and his pals aren't very old."
"Bobby isn't the only genius we've got. There's Danny, remember, and William Tender--and Bobby said he couldn't teleport big stuff."
"Well?"
John Ward had to confide his theory. He felt that he had to tell Ann everything, all the speculation and suspicion he'd carried around with him for so long.
"I think we're being invaded," he said.
Ann looked at him steadily for a moment. "You mean the Outspacers?"
"Yes--but not in the way you're thinking. It's been reported that the Saucers are Russian or Argentine or Brazilian or Chinese--that's what we're told. But that's simply Pretend War propaganda and almost no one believes it any longer. Most of us think of them as Outspacers."
"And you think they're moving in?"
"I think they're watching--sort of--well, sort of monitoring."
"Monitoring us? What for?"
Ann got briskly to her feet. "I think," she said, "that we'll take your temperature and see if perhaps you shouldn't be in bed."
"Wait, Ann, I'm serious. I know it sounds crazy, but it isn't. Think of it this way--here's a race, obviously humanoid, on another star system. For some reason, overpopulation or whatever, they have to find room on another planet. Let's assume they're a highly civilized race--they'd have to be to have interstellar travel--so, of course, they can't simply take over Earth in an act of aggression. That would be repugnant to them.
"And you think Bobby is one of these--these seedlings?"
"What has that to do with it?"
"I've looked up the statistics on foundlings. When the Saucers first began to appear, back in the 20th Century, the number of foundlings began to increase. Not a lot, but some. Then the Saucers disappeared for almost two and a half centuries and the number decreased. Now, since the Outspacers are once more evident, the number of foundlings has increased very greatly."
"And your other geniuses? All foundlings?"
"Not all. But that doesn't mean anything--plenty of foundlings are adopted. And who knows which child is an adopted one?"
Ann Ward sat down again. "You're quite serious about this, John?"
"There's no way of being sure, but I am convinced."
"It's frightening."
"Is Bobby frightening? In all the time I've been tutoring him, has he ever been out of line?"
"Bobby's no alien!"
"He may be."
"They didn't hurt anyone."
"No, but don't you see, John? It's--irresponsible. How do you fit it in with your super-intelligent super-beings?"
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