Чума
Part IV
TheywenttosaygoodbyetoGonzales,whowasstudyingasupervisionrota.Thefootballplayerlaughedasheshookhandswiththem.
"Atleast,I’veseenthedressing-roomsagain,"hesaid."That’ssomething,anyway."
ShortlyafterwardstheadministratorwasshowingTarrouandRambertoutwhenaveryloudcracklingsoundwasheardfromthestands.Thentheloudspeakers,whichinbettertimeshadservedtointroducetheteamsortodeclaretheresultsofgames,announcedinatinnyvoicethattheinterneesshouldgobacktotheirtentssothattheeveningmealcouldbedistributed.Slowlythemenleftthestandsandwentbacktotheirtents,draggingtheirfeet.Whenallofthemwereback,twosmallelectriccars,ofthekindthatyouseeinrailwaystations,travelledbetweenthetentscarryinghugepots.Themenheldouttheirhands,twoladleswereplungedintotwoofthepotsandemergedtounloadtheircontentsontotwotinplates.Thecardroveonandtheprocesswasrepeatedatthenexttent.
"It’sscientific,"Tarroutoldtheadministrator.
"Yes,"herepliedwithsatisfaction,astheyshookhands."It’sscientific."
Duskwasfallingandtheskyhadcleared.Thecampwasbathedinsoft,clearlight.Inthequietoftheevening,soundsofspoonsandplatescouldbeheardonallsides.Batsflittedaroundabovethetentsandsuddenlyvanished.Atramscreechedonitspointsontheothersideofthewall.
