"Robert A. Heinlein - Space Family Stone" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

on, ‘Edith, bring the barrel. This time we use it.’ Mr Stone had a theory, often
expressed, that boys should be raised in a barrel and fed through the
bunghole. The barrel had no physical existence.
Dr Stone said, ‘Yes, dear,’ and went on modelling.
Grandmother Stone said, ‘Don’t waste your money on a Detroiter. They’re
unstable; the gyro system is no good. Wouldn’t have one as a gift. Get a
Douglas.’
Mr Stone turned to his mother. ‘Hazel, if you are going to encourage the boys
in this nonsense -‘


9
‘Not at all! Not at all! Merely intellectual discussion. Now with a Douglas they
could make some money. A Douglas has a very favorable -‘
‘Hazel!’
His mother broke off, then said thoughtfully, as if to herself, ‘I know there is
free speech on the Moon: I wrote it into the charter myself.’
Roger Stone turned back to his sbns. ‘See here, boys - when the Chamber of
Commerce decided to include pilot training in their Youth-Welfare program I
was all for it. I even favored it when they decided to issue junior licenses to
anybody who graduated high in the course. When you two got your jets I was
proud as could be. It’s a young man’s game; they license commercial pilots
at eighteen and -‘
‘And they retire them at thirty,’ added Castor. ‘We haven’t any time to waste.
We’ll be too old for the game before you know it.’
‘Pipe down. I’ll do the talking for a bit. If you think I’m going to draw that
money out of the bank and let you two young yahoos go gallivanting around
the system in a pile of sky junk that will probably blow the first time you go
over two g’s, you had better try another think. Besides, you’re going down to
Earth for school next September.’
‘We’ve been to Earth,’ answered Castor.
‘We didn’t like it’ added Pollux.
‘Too dirty
‘Likewise too noisy.’
‘Groundhogs everywhere,’ Castor finished.
Mr Stone brushed it aside. ‘Two weeks you were there - not time enough to
find out what the place is like. You’ll love it, once you get used to it. Learn to
ride horseback, play baseball, see the Ocean’
‘A lot of impure water,’ Castor answered.
‘Horses are to eat’
‘Take baseball,’ Castor continued. ‘It’s not practical. How can you figure a
one-g trajectory and place your hand at the point of contact in the free-flight
time between bases? We’re not miracle men.’
‘I played it.’
‘But you grew up in a one-g field; you’ve got a distorted notion of physics.
Anyhow, why would we want to learn to play baseball? When we come back,
we wouldn’t be able to play it here. Why, you might crack your helmet’
Mr Stone shook his head. ‘Games aren’t the point. Play base-ball or not, as
suits you. But you should get an education.’
‘What does Luna City Technical lack that we need? And if so, why? After all,