Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 1
HetracedbacktoAlfredStanding,anindenturedservant,orslaveifyouplease,whowastransportedfromEnglandtotheVirginiaplantationsinthedaysthatwereevenoldwhentheyouthfulWashingtonwenta-surveyinginthePennsylvaniawilderness.
AsonofAlfredStandingfoughtintheWaroftheRevolution;agrandson,intheWarof1812.TherehavebeennowarssinceinwhichtheStandingshavenotbeenrepresented.I,thelastoftheStandings,dyingsoonwithoutissue,foughtasacommonsoldierinthePhilippines,inourlatestwar,andtodosoIresigned,inthefullearlyripenessofcareer,myprofessorshipintheUniversityofNebraska.Goodheavens,whenIsoresignedIwasheadedfortheDeanshipoftheCollegeofAgricultureinthatuniversity—I,thestar-rover,thered-bloodedadventurer,thevagabondishCainofthecenturies,themilitantpriestofremotesttimes,themoon-dreamingpoetofagesforgottenandto-dayunrecordedinman’shistoryofman!
AndhereIam,myhandsdyedredinMurderers’Row,intheStatePrisonofFolsom,awaitingthedaydecreedbythemachineryofstatewhentheservantsofthestatewillleadmeawayintowhattheyfondlybelieveisthedark—thedarktheyfear;thedarkthatgivesthemfearsomeandsuperstitiousfancies;thedarkthatdrivesthem,drivellingandyammering,tothealtarsoftheirfear-created,anthropomorphicgods.
No;IshallneverbeDeanofanycollegeofagriculture.
