Чума
Part III
Thetownwasinhabitedbypeopleasleepontheirfeet,whodidnotreallyescapefromtheirfateexceptonrareoccasionswhen,inthenight,theirapparentlyhealedwoundwouldsuddenlyopen.Then,wakingwithastart,theywouldfeelaroundinakindofstupor,theirlipssmarting,atonestrokerediscoveringtheirpainwhichwassuddenlyrevived,andwithitthedevastatedfeaturesoftheirlove.Inthemorning,theywouldreturntothepestilence,thatistosay,toroutine.
Butwhatdidtheylooklike,theseseparatedpeople,youask.Well,theanswerissimple:likenothing.Or,ifyouprefer,theylookedlikeeveryone,partofthegeneralscene.Theysharedtheplacidityandpuerileagitationofthetown.Theylostanyappearanceofcriticalsense,whileretaininganappearanceofsang-froid.Forexample,youcouldseethemostintelligentamongthempretendingtosearchthenewspapers,orradiobroadcasts,forreasonstobelievethattheplaguewouldshortlyend;andapparentlytheybuiltimaginaryhopesorfeltunfoundedterrorsonreadingtheviewsthatsomejournalisthadsetdownmoreorlessbychance,whileyawningwithboredom.Otherwise,theydranktheirbeerorlookedafterthesick,lazedorexhaustedthemselves,filedcardsorplayedgramophonerecordswithoutotherwisedistinguishingthemselvesfromeachother.Inotherwords,theynolongermadechoices.Theplaguehadsuppressedvaluejudgements.Thiscouldbeseeninthewaythatnoonecaredanylongeraboutthequalityoftheclothesorthefoodthattheybought.
