Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 6
Awake,Ididnotrememberthecrawlingandthebellowingintheancientslime.Nevertheless,awake,IreasonedthatsomehowIhadrememberedthatearlyadventureintheslime,andthatitwasaverityoflong-previousexperience,whenIwasnotyetDarrellStandingbutsomebodyelse,orsomethingelsethatcrawledandbellowed.Oneexperiencewasmerelymoreremotethantheother.Bothexperienceswereequallyreal—orelsehowdidIrememberthem?
Oh,whataflutteringofluminousimagesandactions!InafewshortminutesofloosedsubconsciousnessIhavesatinthehallsofkings,abovethesaltandbelowthesalt,beenfoolandjester,man-at-arms,clerkandmonk;andIhavebeenruleraboveallattheheadofthetable—temporalpowerinmyownswordarm,inthethicknessofmycastlewalls,andthenumbersofmyfightingmen;spiritualpowerlikewiseminebytokenofthefactthatcowledpriestsandfatabbotssatbeneathmeandswiggedmywineandswinedmymeat.
Ihaveworntheironcollaroftheserfaboutmyneckincoldclimes;andIhavelovedprincessesofroyalhousesinthetropic-warmedandsun-scentednight,whereblackslavesfannedthesultryairwithfansofpeacockplumes,whilefromafar,acrossthepalmandfountains,driftedtheroaringoflionsandthecriesofjackals.
