О дивный новый мир

           Thedrumsstoppedbeating,lifeseemedtohavecometoanend.Theoldmanpointedtowardsthetwohatchwaysthatgaveentrancetothelowerworld.Andslowly,raisedbyinvisiblehandsfrombelow,thereemergedfromtheoneapaintedimageofaneagle,fromtheotherthatofaman,naked,andnailedtoacross.Theyhungthere,seeminglyself-sustained,asthoughwatching.Theoldmanclappedhishands.Nakedbutforawhitecottonbreech-cloth,aboyofabouteighteensteppedoutofthecrowdandstoodbeforehim,hishandscrossedoverhischest,hisheadbowed.Theoldmanmadethesignofthecrossoverhimandturnedaway.Slowly,theboybegantowalkroundthewrithingheapofsnakes.Hehadcompletedthefirstcircuitandwashalf-waythroughthesecondwhen,fromamongthedancers,atallmanwearingthemaskofacoyoteandholdinginhishandawhipofplaitedleather,advancedtowardshim.Theboymovedonasthoughunawareoftheother’sexistence.Thecoyote-manraisedhiswhip,therewasalongmomentofexpectancy,thenaswiftmovement,thewhistleofthelashanditsloudflat-soundingimpactontheflesh.Theboy’sbodyquivered;buthemadenosound,hewalkedonatthesameslow,steadypace.Thecoyotestruckagain,again;andateveryblowatfirstagasp,andthenadeepgroanwentupfromthecrowd.Theboywalked.Twice,thrice,fourtimesroundhewent.Thebloodwasstreaming.Fivetimesround,sixtimesround.SuddenlyLeninacoveredherfaceshishherhandsandbegantosob."Oh,stopthem,stopthem!"sheimplored.