Повелитель мух
A View to a Death
Onlysometimesasheliftedtheropesofcreeperasideandchosehisdirectionfromthetrendoftheland,hemouthedwordsthatdidnotreachtheair.
Presentlythecreepersfestoonedthetreeslessfrequentlyandtherewasascatterofpearlylightfromtheskydownthroughthetrees.Thiswasthebackboneoftheisland,theslightlyhigherlandthatlaybeneaththemountainwheretheforestwasnolongerdeepjungle.Heretherewerewidespacesinterspersedwiththicketsandhugetreesandthetrendofthegroundledhimupastheforestopened.Hepushedon,staggeringsometimeswithhiswearinessbutneverstopping.Theusualbrightnesswasgonefromhiseyesandhewalkedwithasortofglumdeterminationlikeanoldman.
Abuffetofwindmadehimstaggerandhesawthathewasoutintheopen,onrock,underabrassysky.Hefoundhislegswereweakandhistonguegavehimpainallthetime.Whenthewindreachedthemountain-tophecouldseesomethinghappen,aflickerofbluestuffagainstbrownclouds.Hepushedhimselfforwardandthewindcameagain,strongernow,cuffingtheforestheadstilltheyduckedandroared.Simonsawahumpedthingsuddenlysituponthetopandlookdownathim.Hehidhisface,andtoiledon.
Theflieshadfoundthefiguretoo.Thelife-likemovementwouldscarethemoffforamomentsothattheymadeadarkcloudroundthehead.Thenasthebluematerialoftheparachutecollapsedthecorpulentfigurewouldbowforward,sighing,andthefliessettleoncemore.
Simonfelthiskneessmacktherock.Hecrawledforwardandsoonheunderstood.Thetangleoflinesshowedhimthemechanicsofthisparody;heexaminedthewhitenasalbones,theteeth,thecolorsofcorruption.
