Пролетая над гнездом кукушки

           AllupthecoastIcouldseethesignsofwhattheCombinehadaccomplishedsinceIwaslastthroughthiscountry,thingslike,forexample—atrainstoppingatastationandlayingastringoffull-grownmeninmirroredsuitsandmachinedhats,layingthemlikeahatchofidenticalinsects,half-lifethingscomingpht-pht-phtoutofthelastcar,thenhootingitselectricwhistleandmovingondownthespoiledlandtodepositanotherhatch.

           Orthingslikefivethousandhousespunchedoutidenticalbyamachineandstrungacrossthehillsoutsideoftown,sofreshfromthefactorythey’restilllinkedtogetherlikesausages,asignsaying"NESTINTHEWESTHOMES—NODWN.PAYMENTFORVETS,"aplaygrounddownthehillfromthehouses,behindachecker-wirefenceandanothersignthatread"ST.LUKE’SSCHOOLFORBOYS"—therewerefivethousandkidsingreencorduroypantsandwhiteshirtsundergreenpulloversweatersplayingcrack-the-whipacrossanacreofcrushedgravel.Thelinepoppedandtwistedandjerkedlikeasnake,andeverycrackpoppedalittlekidofftheend,senthimrollingupagainstthefencelikeatumbleweed.Everycrack.Anditwasalwaysthesamelittlekid,overandover.

           Allthatfivethousandkidslivedinthosefivethousandhouses,ownedbythoseguysthatgotoffthetrain.Thehouseslookedsomuchalikethat,timeandtimeagain,thekidswenthomebymistaketodifferenthousesanddifferentfamilies.Nobodyevernoticed.Theyateandwenttobed.Theonlyonetheynoticedwasthelittlekidattheendofthewhip.