Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 8
OftenIaddressedbodiesofscientistsonabstrusesubjects,readingaloudtothemcarefullypreparedpapersonmyownresearchesoronmyowndeductionsfromtheresearchesandexperimentsofothers.WhenIawakenedmyvoicewouldseemstillringinginmyears,whilemyeyesstillcouldseetypedonthewhitepaperwholesentencesandparagraphsthatIcouldreadagainandmarvelaterethevisionfaded.Inpassing,IcallattentiontothefactthatatthetimeInotedthattheprocessofreasoningemployedinthesedreamspeecheswasinvariablydeductive.
Thentherewasagreatfarmingsection,extendingnorthandsouthforhundredsofmilesinsomepartofthetemperateregions,withaclimateandfloraandfaunalargelyresemblingthoseofCalifornia.Notonce,nortwice,butthousandsofdifferenttimesIjourneyedthroughthisdream-region.ThepointIdesiretocallattentiontowasthatitwasalwaysthesameregion.Noessentialfeatureofiteverdifferedinthedifferentdreams.Thusitwasalwaysaneight-hourdrivebehindmountainhorsesfromthealfalfameadows(whereIkeptmanyJerseycows)tothestragglyvillagebesidethebigdrycreek,whereIcaughtthelittlenarrow-gaugetrain.Everyland-markinthateight-hourdriveinthemountainbuckboard,everytree,everymountain,everyfordandbridge,everyridgeanderodedhillsidewaseverthesame.
Inthiscoherent,rationalfarm-regionofmystrait-jacketdreamstheminordetails,accordingtoseasonandtothelabourofmen,didchange.
