Белый клык
The Trail of the Meat
ItisnotthewayoftheWildtolikemovement. Lifeisanoffencetoit,forlifeismovement; andtheWildaimsalwaystodestroymovement. Itfreezesthewatertopreventitrunningtothesea; itdrivesthesapoutofthetreestilltheyarefrozentotheirmightyhearts; andmostferociouslyandterriblyofalldoestheWildharryandcrushintosubmissionman —manwhoisthemostrestlessoflife, everinrevoltagainstthedictumthatallmovementmustintheendcometothecessationofmovement.
Butatfrontandrear,unawedandindomitable,toiledthetwomen whowerenotyetdead. Theirbodieswerecoveredwithfurandsoft-tannedleather. Eyelashesandcheeksandlipsweresocoatedwiththecrystalsfromtheirfrozenbreath thattheirfaceswerenotdiscernible. Thisgavethemtheseemingofghostlymasques, undertakersinaspectralworldatthefuneralofsomeghost. Butunderitalltheyweremen,penetratingthelandofdesolation andmockeryandsilence,punyadventurersbentoncolossaladventure,pittingthemselvesagainstthemightofaworld asremoteandalienandpulselessastheabyssesofspace.
Theytravelledonwithoutspeech,savingtheirbreathfortheworkoftheirbodies. Oneverysidewasthesilence,pressinguponthemwithatangiblepresence. Itaffectedtheirmindsasthemanyatmospheresofdeepwateraffectthebodyofthediver. Itcrushedthemwiththeweightofunendingvastnessandunalterabledecree. Itcrushedthemintotheremotestrecessesoftheirownminds,pressingoutofthem,likejuicesfromthegrape, allthefalseardoursandexaltationsandundueself-valuesofthehumansoul, untiltheyperceivedthemselvesfiniteandsmall,specksandmotes, movingwithweakcunningandlittlewisdomamidsttheplay andinter-playofthegreatblindelementsandforces.
Anhourwentby,andasecondhour.
