Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 11
Thus,withoutopeningmyeyestoverify,Iknewthatthewallsofmynarrowcellhadrecededuntilitwaslikeavastaudience-chamber.AndwhileIcontemplatedthematter,Iknewthattheycontinuedtorecede.Thewhimstruckmeforamomentthatifasimilarexpansionweretakingplacewiththewholeprison,thentheouterwallsofSanQuentinmustbefaroutinthePacificOceanononesideandontheothersidemustbeencroachingontheNevadadesert.Acompanionwhimwasthatsincemattercouldpermeatematter,thenthewallsofmycellmightwellpermeatetheprisonwalls,passthroughtheprisonwalls,andthusputmycelloutsidetheprisonandputmeatliberty.Ofcourse,thiswaspurefantasticwhim,andIknewitatthetimeforwhatitwas.
Theextensionoftimewasequallyremarkable.Onlyatlongintervalsdidmyheartbeat.Againawhimcametome,andIcountedtheseconds,slowandsure,betweenmyheart-beats.Atfirst,asIclearlynoted,overahundredsecondsintervenedbetweenbeats.ButasIcontinuedtocounttheintervalsextendedsothatIwasmadewearyofcounting.
Andwhilethisillusionoftheextensionoftimeandspacepersistedandgrew,Ifoundmyselfdreamilyconsideringanewandprofoundproblem.Morrellhadtoldmethathehadwonfreedomfromhisbodybykillinghisbody—orbyeliminatinghisbodyfromhisconsciousness,which,ofcourse,wasineffectthesamething.
