Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 3
I,whoamtobehangedthisyear,thenineteen-hundred-and-thirteenthafterChrist,askthesequestionsofyouwhoareassumablyChrist’sfollowers,ofyouwhosehang-dogsaregoingtotakemeoutandhidemyfaceunderablackclothbecausetheydarenotlookuponthehorrortheydotomewhileIyetlive.
Andnowbacktothesituationinthedungeons.Whenthelastguarddepartedandtheouterdoorclangedshut,allthefortybeaten,disappointedmenbegantotalkandaskquestions.But,almostimmediately,roaringlikeabullinordertobeheard,SkysailJack,agiantsailorofalifer,orderedsilencewhileacensuscouldbetaken.Thedungeonswerefull,anddungeonbydungeon,inorderofdungeons,shoutedoutitsquotatotheroll-call.Thus,everydungeonwasaccountedforasoccupiedbytrustedconvicts,sothattherewasnoopportunityforastooltobehiddenawayandlistening.
Ofme,only,weretheconvictsdubious,forIwastheonemanwhohadnotbeenintheplot.Theyputmethroughasearchingexamination.IcouldbuttellthemhowIhadjustemergedfromdungeonandjacketinthemorning,andwithoutrhymeorreason,sofarasIcoulddiscover,hadbeenputbackinthedungeonafterbeingoutonlyseveralhours.Myrecordasanincorrigiblewasinmyfavour,andsoontheybegantotalk.
AsIlaythereandlistened,forthefirsttimeIlearnedofthebreakthathadbeena-hatching.
