Гимн
Part One
AndwhenwecleanedtheyardoftheHomeoftheScholars,wegatheredtheglassvials,thepiecesofmetal,thedriedboneswhichtheyhaddiscarded.Wewishedtokeepthesethingsandtostudythem,butwehadnoplacetohidethem.SowecarriedthemtotheCityCesspool.Andthenwemadethediscovery.
Itwasonadayofthespringbeforelast.WeStreetSweepersworkinbrigadesofthree,andwewerewithUnion5-3992,theyofthehalf-brain,andwithInternational4-8818.NowUnion5-3992areasicklyladandsometimestheyarestrickenwithconvulsions,whentheirmouthfrothsandtheireyesturnwhite.ButInternational4-8818aredifferent.Theyareatall,strongyouthandtheireyesarelikefireflies,forthereislaughterintheireyes.WecannotlookuponInternational4-8818andnotsmileinanswer.ForthistheywerenotlikedintheHomeoftheStudents,asitisnotpropertosmilewithoutreason.Andalsotheywerenotlikedbecausetheytookpiecesofcoalandtheydrewpicturesuponthewalls,andtheywerepictureswhichmademenlaugh.ButitisonlyourbrothersintheHomeoftheArtistswhoarepermittedtodrawpictures,soInternational4-8818weresenttotheHomeoftheStreetSweepers,likeourselves.
International4-8818andwearefriends.Thisisanevilthingtosay,foritisatransgression,thegreatTransgressionofPreference,toloveanyamongmenbetterthantheothers,sincewemustloveallmenandallmenareourfriends.SoInternational4-8818andwehaveneverspokenofit.Butweknow.Weknow,whenwelookintoeachother’seyes.
