Межзвёздный скиталец

           InpassingIshallmerelystatethatnooneofthosefortyliferswaseverthesameagain.LuigiPolazzoneverrecoveredhisreason.LongBillHodgeslowlylosthissanity,sothatayearlater,he,too,wenttoliveinBughouseAlley.Oh,andothersfollowedHodgeandPolazzo;andothers,whosephysicalstaminahadbeenimpaired,fellvictimstoprison-tuberculosis.Fully25percent.ofthefortyhavediedinthesucceedingsixyears.

           Aftermyfiveyearsinsolitary,whentheytookmeawayfromSanQuentinformytrial,IsawSkysailJack.Icouldseelittle,forIwasblinkinginthesunshinelikeabat,afterfiveyearsofdarkness;yetIsawenoughofSkysailJacktopainmyheart.ItwasincrossingthePrisonYardthatIsawhim.Hishairhadturnedwhite.Hewasprematurelyold.Hischesthadcavedin.Hischeeksweresunken.Hishandsshookaswithpalsy.Hetotteredashewalked.Andhiseyesblurredwithtearsasherecognizedme,forI,too,wasasadwreckofwhathadoncebeenaman.Iweighedeighty-sevenpounds.Myhair,streakedwithgray,wasafive-years’growth,asweremybeardandmoustache.AndI,too,totteredasIwalked,sothattheguardshelpedtoleadmeacrossthatsun-blindingpatchofyard.AndSkysailJackandIpeeredandkneweachotherunderthewreckage.

           Mensuchasheareprivileged,eveninaprison,sothathedaredaninfractionoftherulesbyspeakingtomeinacrackedandquaveringvoice.