Убить пересмешника
Chapter 1
Thereafterthesummerpassedinroutinecontentment. Routinecontentmentwas: improvingourtreehousethatrestedbetweengianttwinchinaberrytreesinthebackyard, fussing,runningthroughourlistofdramasbasedontheworksofOliverOptic,VictorAppleton,andEdgarRiceBurroughs. InthismatterwewereluckytohaveDill. Heplayedthecharacterpartsformerlythrustuponme—theapeinTarzan,Mr.CrabtreeinTheRoverBoys,Mr.DamoninTomSwift. ThuswecametoknowDillasapocketMerlin,whoseheadteemedwitheccentricplans,strangelongings,andquaintfancies.
ButbytheendofAugustourrepertoirewasvapidfromcountlessreproductions,anditwasthenthatDillgaveustheideaofmakingBooRadleycomeout.
TheRadleyPlacefascinatedDill. Inspiteofourwarningsandexplanationsitdrewhimasthemoondrawswater,butdrewhimnonearerthanthelight-poleonthecorner,asafedistancefromtheRadleygate. Therehewouldstand,hisarmaroundthefatpole,staringandwondering.
TheRadleyPlacejuttedintoasharpcurvebeyondourhouse. Walkingsouth,onefaceditsporch; thesidewalkturnedandranbesidethelot. Thehousewaslow,wasoncewhitewithadeepfrontporchandgreenshutters,buthadlongagodarkenedtothecoloroftheslate-grayyardaroundit. Rain-rottedshinglesdroopedovertheeavesoftheveranda; oaktreeskeptthesunaway. Theremainsofapicketdrunkenlyguardedthefrontyard—a"swept"yardthatwasneverswept-wherejohnsongrassandrabbit-tobaccogrewinabundance.
Insidethehouselivedamalevolentphantom. Peoplesaidheexisted,butJemandIhadneverseenhim.
