Конец вечности
The Earlier Crime
ItgoesformembersoftheAllwhenCouncil.Itgoesforthemparticularly."
HeturnedbacktoHarlan,sayingabstractedly,"They’lldoitbecauseI’moldandseniormemberoftheCouncilandbecausetheythinkI’mcrankyandqueer.TheygiveintomebecauseI’mcrankyandqueer."Foramomenthefellintoaruminativesilence.Thenhesaid,"DoyouthinkI’mqueer?"andhisfaceturnedswiftlyuptoHarlan’slikethatofaseamedmonkey.
Harlanthought:GreatTime,theman’smad.Theshockhasdrivenhimmad.
Hetookastepbackward,automaticallyaghastatbeingtrappedwithamadman.Thenhesteadied.Theman,beheeversomad,wasfeeble,andevenmadnesswouldendsoon.
Soon?Whynotatonce?WhatdelayedtheendofEternity?
Twissellsaid(hehadnocigaretteinhisfingers;hishandmadenomovetotakeone)inaquietinsinuatingvoice,"Youhaven’tansweredme.DoyouthinkI’mqueer?Isupposeyoudo.Tooqueertotalkto.Ifyouhadthoughtofmeasafriendinsteadofasacrotchetyoldman,whimsicalandunpredictable,youwouldhavespokenopenlytomeofyourdoubts.Youwouldhavetakennosuchactionasyoudid."
Harlanfrowned.ThemanthoughtHarlanwasmad.Thatwasit!
Hesaidangrily,"Myactionwastherightone.I’mquitesane."
Twissellsaid,"Itoldyouthegirlwasinnodanger,youknow."
"Iwasafooltobelievethatevenforawhile.
