Поющие в терновнике

           Itdidnotoccurtohertocorrectthevoice,explainitwasFather,notMister.

           "MissO’Neill,Iverymuchregrettosaythatitismyunfortunatedutytogiveyousomebadnews."

           "Badnews?Badnews?Whatisit?What’sthematter?What’shappened?"

           "Iregrettohavetoinformyouthatyourbrother,Mr.DaneO’Neill,wasdrownedyesterdayinCrete,Iunderstandinheroiccircumstances,performingasearescue.However,yourealizethereisarevolutioninGreece,andwhatinformationwehaveissketchyandpossiblynotaccurate."

           ThephonestoodonatablenearthewallandJustineleanedagainstthesolidsupportthewalloffered.Herkneesbuckled,shebegantoslideveryslowlydownward,woundupinacurledheaponthefloor.Notlaughingandnotcrying,shemadenoisessomewhereinbetween,audiblegasps.Danedrowned.Gasp.Danedead.Gasp.Crete,Dane,drowned.Gasp.Dead,dead.

           "MissO’Neill?Areyouthere,MissO’Neill?"askedthevoiceinsistently.

           Dead.Drowned.Mybrother!

           "MissO’Neill,answerme!"

           "Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes!Oh,God,I’mhere!"

           "Iunderstandyouarehisnextofkin,thereforewemusthaveyourinstructionsastowhattodowiththebody.MissO’Neill,areyouthere?"

           "Yes,yes!"

           "Whatdoyouwantdonewiththebody,MissO’Neill?"

           Body!Hewasabody,andtheycouldn’tevensayhisbody,theyhadtosaythebody.Dane,myDane.Heisabody."Nextofkin?"sheheardhervoiceasking,thinandfaint,tornbythosegreatgasps."I’mnotDane’snextofkin.