О дивный новый мир

           Whatdidthewordsexactlymean?Heonlyhalfknew.Buttheirmagicwasstrongandwentonrumblinginhishead,andsomehowitwasasthoughhehadneverreallyhatedPopébefore;neverreallyhatedhimbecausehehadneverbeenabletosayhowmuchhehatedhim.Butnowhehadthesewords,thesewordslikedrumsandsingingandmagic.Thesewordsandthestrange,strangestoryoutofwhichtheyweretaken(hecouldn’tmakeheadortailofit,butitwaswonderful,wonderfulallthesame)–theygavehimareasonforhatingPopé;andtheymadehishatredmorereal;theyevenmadePopéhimselfmorereal.

           Oneday,whenhecameinfromplaying,thedooroftheinnerroomwasopen,andhesawthemlyingtogetheronthebed,asleep–whiteLindaandPopéalmostblackbesideher,withonearmunderhershouldersandtheotherdarkhandonherbreast,andoneoftheplaitsofhislonghairlyingacrossherthroat,likeablacksnaketryingtostrangleher.Popé’sgourdandacupwerestandingonthefloornearthebed.Lindawassnoring.

           Hisheartseemedtohavedisappearedandleftahole.Hewasempty.Empty,andcold,andrathersick,andgiddy.Heleanedagainstthewalltosteadyhimself.Remorseless,treacherous,lecherous...Likedrums,likethemensingingforthecorn,likemagic,thewordsrepeatedandrepeatedthemselvesinhishead.Frombeingcoldhewassuddenlyhot.Hischeeksburntwiththerushofblood,theroomswamanddarkenedbeforehiseyes.Hegroundhisteeth."I’llkillhim,I’llkillhim,I’llkillhim,"hekeptsaying.