Сердце тьмы

           Itwasunconscious,thissmilewas,thoughjustafterhehadsaidsomethingitgotintensifiedforaninstant.Itcameattheendofhisspeecheslikeasealappliedonthewordstomakethemeaningofthecommonestphraseappearabsolutelyinscrutable.Hewasacommontrader,fromhisyouthupemployedintheseparts—nothingmore.Hewasobeyed,yetheinspiredneitherlovenorfear,norevenrespect.Heinspireduneasiness.Thatwasit!Uneasiness.Notadefinitemistrust—justuneasiness—nothingmore.Youhavenoideahoweffectivesucha...a...facultycanbe.Hehadnogeniusfororganizing,forinitiative,orforordereven.Thatwasevidentinsuchthingsasthedeplorablestateofthestation.Hehadnolearning,andnointelligence.Hispositionhadcometohim—why?Perhapsbecausehewasneverill...Hehadservedthreetermsofthreeyearsoutthere...Becausetriumphanthealthinthegeneralroutofconstitutionsisakindofpowerinitself.Whenhewenthomeonleaveheriotedonalargescale—pompously.Jackashore—withadifference—inexternalsonly.Thisonecouldgatherfromhiscasualtalk.Heoriginatednothing,hecouldkeeptheroutinegoing—that’sall.Buthewasgreat.Hewasgreatbythislittlethingthatitwasimpossibletotellwhatcouldcontrolsuchaman.Henevergavethatsecretaway.Perhapstherewasnothingwithinhim.Suchasuspicionmadeonepause—forouttheretherewerenoexternalchecks.