Чума
Part I
I’llphonethehospitalandwe’llgethimtherebyambulance."
Twohourslater,intheambulance,thedoctorandthewifewereleaningoverthepatient.Brokenwordsemergedfromhismouth,whichwascoveredinafungoidgrowth."Therats!"hesaid.Greenish,withwaxylips,leadeneyelidsandshort,pantingbreath,tormentedbyhislymphnodesandpressedagainstthebackofthestretcherbedasthoughhewantedtocloseitaroundhimorasifsomethingrisingfromthedepthsoftheearthwereconstantlycallinghim,theconciergewasstiflingbeneathsomeinvisibleweight.Hiswifewept.
"Istherenohopethen,doctor?"
"Heisdead,"Rieuxsaid.
***
Youmightsaythatthedeathoftheconciergemarkedtheendofthisperiodfulloftroublingsigns,andthestartofanother,comparativelymoredifficult,inwhichtheoriginalsenseofsurprisegraduallygavewaytopanic.Ourfellow-citizens,astheynowrealized,hadneverthoughtthatourlittletownmightbeaplaceparticularlychosenasonewhereratsdieinthesunandconciergesperishfrompeculiarillnesses.Fromthispointofview,indeed,theyweremistakenanddiscoveredthattheyhadtoadjusttheirideas.Ifithadallstoppedthere,oldhabitswouldnodoubthaveregainedtheupperhand.Butothersofourfellow-citizens,whowerenotconciergesorpoorpeople,weretofollowM.Micheldownthatsamepath.Thiswaswherefearbegan—andwithit,seriousreflection.
