Марсианские хроники
June 2001: — and the Moon Be Still as Bright
"I’dhaveshothisbloodybrainsout,that’swhatI’dhavedone,byGod!"
CaptainWildernoddedattwoofhismen."Getshovels,"hesaid.
Itwashotdiggingthegraves.AwarmwindcamefromoverthevacantseaandblewthedustintotheirfacesasthecaptainturnedtheBiblepages.Whenthecaptainclosedthebooksomeonebeganshovelingslowstreamsofsanddownuponthewrappedfigures.
Theywalkedbacktotherocket,clickedthemechanismsoftheirrifles,putthickgrenadepacketsontheirbacks,andcheckedthefreeplayofpistolsintheirholsters.Theywereeachassignedpartofthehills.Thecaptaindirectedthemwithoutraisinghisvoiceormovinghishandswheretheyhungathissides.
"Let’sgo,"hesaid.
Spendersawthethindustrisinginseveralplacesinthevalleyandheknewthepursuitwasorganizedandready.Heputdownthethinsilverbookthathehadbeenreadingashesateasilyonaflatboulder.Thebook’spagesweretissue-thin,puresilver,hand-paintedinblackandgold.ItwasabookofphilosophyatleasttenthousandyearsoldhehadfoundinoneofthevillasofaMartianvalleytown.Hewasreluctanttolayitaside.
Foratimehehadthought,What’stheuse?I’llsitherereadinguntiltheycomealongandshootme.
Thefirstreactiontohiskillingthesixmenthismorninghadcausedaperiodofstunnedblankness,thensickness,andnow,astrangepeace.Butthepeacewaspassing,too,forhesawthedustbillowingfromthetrailsofthehuntingmen,andheexperiencedthereturnofresentment.
