О мышах и людях

           Crooksremovedhisglassesandwipedhiseyeswithhisfingers.«Jus’setdown,"hesaid.«Georgeain’thurt.»

           Lenniegrowledbacktohisseatonthenailkeg.«Ain’tnobodygoin’totalknohurttoGeorge,"hegrumbled.

           Crookssaidgently,«Maybeyoucanseenow.YougotGeorge.Youknowhe’sgoin’tocomeback.S’poseyoudidn’thavenobody.S’poseyoucouldn’tgointothebunkhouseandplayrummy‘causeyouwasblack.How’dyoulikethat?S’poseyouhadtositoutherean’readbooks.Sureyoucouldplayhorseshoestillitgotdark,butthenyougottoreadbooks.Booksain’tnogood.Aguyneedssomebody—tobenearhim.»Hewhined,«Aguygoesnutsifheain’tgotnobody.Don’tmakenodifferencewhotheguyis,long’she’swithyou.Itellya,"hecried,«Itellyaaguygetstoolonelyan’hegetssick.»

           «Georgegonnacomeback,"Lenniereassuredhimselfinafrightenedvoice.«MaybeGeorgecomebackalready.MaybeIbettergosee.»

           Crookssaid,«Ididn’tmeantoscareyou.He’llcomeback.Iwastalkin’aboutmyself.Aguysetsaloneouthereatnight,maybereadin’booksorthinkin’orstufflikethat.Sometimeshegetsthinkin’,an’hegotnothingtotellhimwhat’ssoan’whatain’tso.Maybeifheseessomethin’,hedon’tknowwhetherit’srightornot.Hecan’tturntosomeotherguyandasthimifheseesittoo.Hecan’ttell.Hegotnothingtomeasureby.Iseenthingsouthere.Iwasn’tdrunk.Idon’tknowifIwasasleep.Ifsomeguywaswithme,hecouldtellmeIwasasleep,an’thenitwouldbeallright.ButIjus’don’tknow.»Crookswaslookingacrosstheroomnow,lookingtowardthewindow.

           Lenniesaidmiserably,«Georgewun’tgoawayandleaveme.IknowGeorgewun’tdothat.»