Спрут: Калифорнийская история

           Atsuchmomentsshesawveryplainlythegallopingterrorofsteamandsteel,withitssingleeye,cyclopean,red,shootingfromhorizontohorizon,symbolofavastpower,hugeandterrible;theleviathanwithtentaclesofsteel,toopposewhichmeanttobegroundtoinstantdestructionbeneaththeclashingwheels.No,itwasbettertosubmit,toresignoneselftotheinevitable.Sheobliteratedherself,shrinkingfromtheharshnessoftheworld,striving,withvainhands,todrawherhusbandbackwithher.

           JustbeforeAnnixter’sarrival,shehadbeensitting,thoughtful,inherlongchair,anopenvolumeofpoemsturneddownuponherlap,herglancelosingitselfintheimmensityofLosMuertosthat,fromtheedgeofthelawncloseby,unrolleditself,gigantic,towardthefar,southernhorizon,wrinkledandserratedaftertheseason’sploughing.Theearth,hithertogreywithdust,wasnowupturnedandbrown.Asfarastheeyecouldreach,itwasemptyofalllife,bare,mournful,absolutelystill;and,asshelooked,thereseemedtohermorbidimagination—diseasedanddisturbedwithlongbrooding,sickwiththemonotonyofrepeatedsensation—tobedisengagedfromallthisimmensity,asenseofavastoppression,formless,disquieting.Theterrorofsheerbignessgrewslowlyinhermind;lonelinessbeyondwordsgraduallyenvelopedher.Shewaslostinalltheselimitlessreachesofspace.Hadshebeenabandonedinmid-ocean,inanopenboat,herterrorcouldhardlyhavebeengreater.