Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 14
Youwillsee,myreader,thatitwasnotallhopelesslybadinsolitary.Giventhreemindssuchasours,therewasmuchwithwhichtowhileawaythetime.Itmightwellbethatwekeptoneanotherfrominsanity,althoughImustadmitthatOppenheimerrottedfiveyearsinsolitaryentirelybyhimself,ereMorrelljoinedhim,andyethadremainedsane.
Ontheotherhand,donotmakethemistakeofthinkingthatlifeinsolitarywasonewildorgyofblithecommunionandexhilaratingpsychologicalresearch.
Wehadmuchandterriblepain.Ourguardswerebrutes—yourhang-dogs,citizen.Oursurroundingswerevile.Ourfoodwasfilthy,monotonous,innutritious.Onlymen,byforceofwill,couldliveonsounbalancedaration.Iknowthatourprizecattle,pigs,andsheepontheUniversityDemonstrationFarmatDaviswouldhavefadedawayanddiedhadtheyreceivednomorescientificallybalancedarationthanwhatwereceived.
Wehadnobookstoread.Ourveryknuckle-talkwasaviolationoftherules.Theworld,sofaraswewereconcerned,practicallydidnotexist.Itwasmoreaghost-world.Oppenheimer,forinstance,hadneverseenanautomobileoramotor-cycle.Newsdidoccasionallyfilterin—butsuchdim,long-after-the-event,unrealnews.OppenheimertoldmehehadnotlearnedoftheRusso-Japanesewaruntiltwoyearsafteritwasover.
