Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 4
Itisacruelandunusualpunishment,andnomodernstatewouldbeguiltyofsuchalaw.Nevertheless,inthehistoryofCaliforniaIamthethirdmanwhohasbeencondemnedforlifetosolitaryconfinement.TheothertwowereJakeOppenheimerandEdMorrell.Ishalltellyouaboutthemsoon,forIrottedwiththemforyearsinthecellsofsilence.
Oh,anotherthing.Theyaregoingtotakemeoutandhangmeinalittlewhile—no,notforkillingProfessorHaskell.Igotlife-imprisonmentforthat.TheyaregoingtotakemeoutandhangmebecauseIwasfoundguiltyofassaultandbattery.Andthisisnotprisondiscipline.Itislaw,andaslawitwillbefoundinthecriminalstatutes.
IbelieveImadeaman’snosebleed.Ineversawitbleed,butthatwastheevidence.Thurston,hisnamewas.HewasaguardatSanQuentin.Heweighedonehundredandseventypoundsandwasingoodhealth.Iweighedunderninetypounds,wasblindasabatfromthelongdarkness,andhadbeensolongpentinnarrowwallsthatIwasmadedizzybylargeopenspaces.Really,mimewasawell-definedcaseofincipientagoraphobia,asIquicklylearnedthatdayIescapedfromsolitaryandpunchedtheguardThurstononthenose.
Istruckhimonthenoseandmadeitbleedwhenhegotinmywayandtriedtocatchholdofme.Andsotheyaregoingtohangme.
