Сердце тьмы

           ‘Catch’im,’hesnapped,withabloodshotwideningofhiseyesandaflashofsharpteeth—‘catch’im.Give’imtous.’‘Toyou,eh?’Iasked;‘whatwouldyoudowiththem?’‘Eat’im!’hesaidcurtly,and,leaninghiselbowontherail,lookedoutintothefoginadignifiedandprofoundlypensiveattitude.Iwouldnodoubthavebeenproperlyhorrified,haditnotoccurredtomethatheandhischapsmustbeveryhungry:thattheymusthavebeengrowingincreasinglyhungryforatleastthismonthpast.Theyhadbeenengagedforsixmonths(Idon’tthinkasingleoneofthemhadanyclearideaoftime,asweattheendofcountlessageshave.Theystillbelongedtothebeginningsoftime—hadnoinheritedexperiencetoteachthemasitwere),andofcourse,aslongastherewasapieceofpaperwrittenoverinaccordancewithsomefarcicallaworothermadedowntheriver,itdidn’tenteranybody’sheadtotroublehowtheywouldlive.Certainlytheyhadbroughtwiththemsomerottenhippo-meat,whichcouldn’thavelastedverylong,anyway,evenifthepilgrimshadn’t,inthemidstofashockinghullabaloo,thrownaconsiderablequantityofitoverboard.Itlookedlikeahigh-handedproceeding;butitwasreallyacaseoflegitimateself-defence.Youcan’tbreathedeadhippowaking,sleeping,andeating,andatthesametimekeepyourprecariousgriponexistence.