Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 3
Yes,asIlookbackuponit,amanmustbegreatlyaphilosophertosurvivethecontinualimpactofsuchbrutishexperiencesthroughtheyearsandyears.Iamsuchaphilosopher.Ihaveenduredeightyearsoftheirtorment,andnow,intheend,failingtogetridofmeinallotherways,theyhaveinvokedthemachineryofstatetoputaropearoundmyneckandshutoffmybreathbytheweightofmybody.Oh,Iknowhowtheexpertsgiveexpertjudgmentthatthefallthroughthetrapbreaksthevictim’sneck.Andthevictims,likeShakespeare’straveller,neverreturntotestifytothecontrary.Butwewhohavelivedinthestirknowofthecasesthatarehushedintheprisoncrypts,wherethevictim’snecksarenotbroken.
Itisafunnything,thishangingofaman.Ihaveneverseenahanging,butIhavebeentoldbyeye-witnessesthedetailsofadozenhangingssothatIknowwhatwillhappentome.Standingonthetrap,leg-manacledandarm-manacled,theknotagainsttheneck,theblackcapdrawn,theywilldropmedownuntilthemomentumofmydescendingweightisfetchedupabruptlyshortbythetauteningoftherope.Thenthedoctorswillgrouparoundme,andonewillrelieveanotherinsuccessiveturnsinstandingonastool,hisarmspassedaroundmetokeepmefromswinginglikeapendulum,hisearpressedclosetomychest,whilehecountsmyfadingheart-beats.Sometimestwentyminuteselapseafterthetrapissprungeretheheartstopsbeating.
