I Sing the Body Electric by Ray Bradbury Read Free Book Online

Won't it be nice when he learns to talk later? We'll give him Hamlet's soliloquy to memorize and he'll say it but it'll come out like something from James Joyce! Aren't we lucky? Give me a drink."
    "You've had enough," he said.
    "Thanks, I'll help myself," she said and did.
    October, and then November. Py was learning to talk now. He whistled and squealed and made a bell-like tone when he was hungry. Dr. Wolcott visited. "When his color is a constant bright blue," said the doctor, "that means he's healthy. When the color fades, dull—the child is feeling poorly. Remember that."
    "Oh, yes, I will, I will," said Polly. "Robin's-egg blue for health, dull cobalt for illness."
    "Young lady," said Wolcott. "You'd better take a couple of these pills and come see me tomorrow for a little chat. I don't like the way you're talking. Stick out your tongue. Ah-hmm. You been drinking? Look at the stains on your fingers. Cut the cigarettes in half, See you tomorrow."
    "You don't give me much to go on," said Polly. "It's been almost a year now."
    "My dear Mrs. Horn, I don't want to excite you continually. When we have our mechs ready we'll let you know. We're working every day. There'll be an experiment soon. Take those pills now and shut that nice mouth." He chucked Py under the "chin." "Good healthy baby, by God! Twenty pounds if he's an ounce!"
    Baby was conscious of the goings and comings of the two nice White Cubes who were with him during all of his waking hours. There was another cube, a gray one, who visited on certain days. But mostly it was the two White Cubes who cared for and loved him. He looked up at the one warm, rounder, softer White Cube and made the low warbling soft sound of contentment. The White Cube fed him. He was content. He grew. All was familiar and good.
    The New Year, the year 1989, arrived.
    Rocket ships flashed on the sky, and helicopters whirred and flourished the warm California winds.
    Peter Horn carted home large plates of specially poured blue and gray polarized glass, secretly. Through these, he peered at his "child." Nothing. The pyramid remained a pyramid, no matter if he viewed it through X-ray or yellow cellophane. The barrier was unbreakable. Horn returned quietly to his drinking.
    The big thing happened early in February. Horn, arriving home in his helicopter, was appalled to see a crowd of neighbors gathered on the lawn of his home. Some of them were sitting, others were standing, still others were moving away, with frightened expressions on their faces.
    Polly was walking the "child" in the yard.
    Polly was quite drunk. She held the small blue pyramid by the hand and walked him up and down. She did not see the helicopter land, nor did she pay much attention as Horn came running up.
    One of the neighbors turned. "Oh, Mr. Horn, it's the cutest thing. Where'd you find it?"
    One of the others cried, "Hey, you're quite the traveler, Horn. Pick it up in South America?"
    Polly held the pyramid up. "Say Father!" she cried, trying to focus on her husband.
    "Wheel!" cried the pyramid.
    "Polly!" Peter Horn said.
    "He's friendly as a dog or a cat," said Polly moving the child with her. "Oh, no, he's not dangerous. He's friendly as a baby. My husband brought him from Afghanistan."
    The neighbors began to move off.
    "Come back!" Polly waved at them. "Don't you want to see my baby? Isn't he simply beautiful!"
    He slapped her face.
    "My baby," she said, brokenly.
    He slapped her again and again until she quit saying it and collapsed. He picked her up and took her into the house. Then he came out and took Py in and then he sat down and phoned the Institute.
    "Dr. Wolcott, this is Horn. You'd better have your stuff ready. It's tonight or not at all."
    There was a hesitation. Finally Wolcott sighed. "All right. Bring your wife and the child. We'll try to have things in shape."
    They hung up.
    Horn sat there studying the pyramid.
    "The neighbors thought he was grand," said his wife, lying on the couch, her eyes shut,