Чума
Part V
NowRieuxhadinfrontofhimjustastillmaskfromwhichthesmilehadfaded.Thishumanform,whichhadbeensoclosetohim,wasnowpiercedwithspears,burntupwithasuperhumanfireandtwistedbyallthemalevolentwindsoftheskies;itwassinkingbeforehiseyesintothewatersoftheplagueandhecoulddonothingtopreventitswreck.Hehadtostayontheshore,hishandsemptyandhisheartwrenched,withnomeans,oncemore,topreventthisdisaster.IntheenditwastearsoffrustrationwhichstoppedRieuxfromseeingTarrouquicklyturntowardsthewallandexpirewithahollowmoanasthough,somewhereinhim,someessentialcordhadsnapped.
Thenightthatfollowedwasnotoneofstrugglebutofsilence.Inthisroom,Rieux,nowdressed,cutofffromtheworldandstandingoverthisdeadbody,feltthesurprisingcalmthatmanynightsagohehadfeltontherooftopsabovetheplague,aftertheattackonthegates.Alreadyatthattimehehadbeenthinkingaboutthesilencethatrosefromthebedswherehehadleftmentodie.Itwasalwaysthesamepause,thesamesolemninterval,thesamelullthatfollowedabattle,itwasthesilenceofdefeat.Butinthecaseofthesilencethatenfoldedhisfriend,itwassocompact,andharmonizedsocloselywiththesilenceofthestreetsandthetownliberatedfromtheplague,thatRieuxreallyfeltthatthistimeitwasthedefinitivedefeat,theonethatendswarsandmakesofpeaceitselfanirremediablesuffering.
