Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 6
Sittingwithfoldedlegsonmystraw-mattress,IgazedfixedlyatafragmentofbrightstrawwhichIhadattachedtothewallofmycellnearthedoorwherethemostlightwas.Igazedatthebrightpoint,withmyeyesclosetoit,andtiltedupwardtilltheystrainedtosee.AtthesametimeIrelaxedallthewillofmeandgavemyselftotheswayingdizzinessthatalwayseventuallycametome.AndwhenIfeltmyselfswayoutofbalancebackward,Iclosedmyeyesandpermittedmyselftofallsupineandunconsciousonthemattress.
Andthen,forhalf-an-hour,tenminutes,oraslongasanhourorso,Iwouldwandererraticallyandfoolishlythroughthestoredmemoriesofmyeternalrecurrenceonearth.Buttimesandplacesshiftedtooswiftly.Iknewafterward,whenIawoke,thatI,DarrellStanding,wasthelinkingpersonalitythatconnectedallbizarrenessandgrotesqueness.Butthatwasall.Icouldneverliveoutcompletelyonefullexperience,onepointofconsciousnessintimeandspace.Mydreams,ifdreamstheymaybecalled,wererhymelessandreasonless.
Thus,asasampleofmyrovings:inasingleintervaloffifteenminutesofsubconsciousnessIhavecrawledandbellowedintheslimeoftheprimevalworldandsatbesideHaas—furtherandcleavedthetwentiethcenturyairinagas-drivenmonoplane.Awake,IrememberedthatI,DarrellStanding,intheflesh,duringtheyearprecedingmyincarcerationinSanQuentin,hadflownwithHaasfurtheroverthePacificatSantaMonica.
