Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 11
Hestoppedabruptlyatthethreshold.
“Thetimeforthinkingispast,”hesaid.“ItisdecisionIcamefor.”
“Iwillthinkthematterover,”Irepeated,thenadded,asafterthought:“Ifthelady’splansdonotaccordwithmine,thenmayhaptheplansofyourmastermayfruitashedesires.Forremember,priest,heisnomasterofmine.”
“Youdonotknowmymaster,”hesaidsolemnly.
“NordoIwishtoknowhim,”Iretorted.
AndIlistenedtothelithe,lightstepofthelittleintriguingpriestgodownthecreakingstairs.
DidIgointotheminutiæofdetailofallthatIsawthishalfadayandhalfanightthatIwasCountGuillaumedeSainte-Maure,nottenbooksthesizeofthisIamwritingcouldcontainthetotalityofthematter.MuchIshallskip;infact,Ishallskipalmostall;forneveryethaveIheardofacondemnedmanbeingreprievedinorderthathemightcompletehismemoirs—atleast,notinCalifornia.
WhenIrodeoutinParisthatdayitwastheParisofcenturiesagone.Thenarrowstreetswereanunsanitaryscandaloffilthandslime.ButImustskip.
