451 по фаренгейту
The Sieve and the Sand
"Why’dyouaskasillyquestionlikethat?"
Hefelthewantedtocry,butnothingwouldhappentohiseyesorhismouth.
"Ifyouseethatdogoutside,"saidMildred,"givehimakickforme."
Hehesitated,listeningatthedoor. Heopeneditandsteppedout.
Therainhadstoppedandthesunwassettingintheclearsky. Thestreetandthelawnandtheporchwereempty.Helethisbreathgoinagreatsigh.
Heslammedthedoor.
Hewasonthesubway.
I’mnumb,hethought.Whendidthenumbnessreallybegininmyface?Inmybody? ThenightIkickedthepill-bottleinthedark,likekickingaburiedmine.
Thenumbnesswillgoaway,hethought.It’lltaketime,butI’lldoit,orFaberwilldoitforme. Someonesomewherewillgivemebacktheoldfaceandtheoldhandsthewaytheywere. Eventhesmile,hethought,theoldburnt-insmile,that’sgone. I’mlostwithoutit.
Thesubwayfledpasthim,cream-tile,jet-black,cream-tile,jet-black,numeralsanddarkness, moredarknessandthetotaladdingitself.
Onceasachildhehadsatuponayellowdunebytheseainthemiddleoftheblueandhotsummerday, tryingtofillasievewithsand,becausesomecruelcousinhadsaid, "Fillthissieveandyou’llgetadime!" Andthefasterhepoured,thefasteritsiftedthroughwithahotwhispering. Hishandsweretired,thesandwasboiling,thesievewasempty.
