О мышах и людях

           Thewhitekidscometoplayatourplace,an’sometimesIwenttoplaywiththem,andsomeofthemwasprettynice.Myol’mandidn’tlikethat.Ineverknewtilllonglaterwhyhedidn’tlikethat.ButIknownow.»Hehesitated,andwhenhespokeagainhisvoicewassofter.«Therewasn’tanothercoloredfamilyformilesaround.Andnowthereain’tacoloredmanonthisranchan’there’sjus’onefamilyinSoledad.»Helaughed.«IfIsaysomething,whyit’sjustaniggersayin’it.»

           Lennieasked,«Howlongyouthinkit’llbebeforethempupswillbeoldenoughtopet?»

           Crookslaughedagain.«Aguycantalktoyouan’besureyouwon’tgoblabbin’.Coupleofweeksan’thempups’llbeallright.Georgeknowswhathe’sabout.Jus’talks,an’youdon’tunderstandnothing.»Heleanedforwardexcitedly.«Thisisjustaniggertalkin’,an’abusted-backnigger.Soitdon’tmeannothing,see?Youcouldn’trememberitanyways.Iseenitoveran’over—aguytalkin’toanotherguyanditdon’tmakenodifferenceifhedon’thearorunderstand.Thethingis,they’retalkin’,orthey’resettin’stillnottalkin’.Itdon’tmakenodifference,nodifference.»Hisexcitementhadincreaseduntilhepoundedhiskneewiththishand.«Georgecantellyouscrewythings,anditdon’tmatter.It’sjustthetalking.It’sjustbein’withanotherguy.That’sall.»Hepaused.

           Hisvoicegrewsoftandpersuasive.«S’poseGeorgedon’tcomebacknomore.S’posehetookapowderandjustain’tcomingback.What’llyoudothen?»

           Lennie’sattentioncamegraduallytowhathadbeensaid.«What?»hedemanded.