Спрут: Калифорнийская история
Chapter VI
Canyouimaginethefirst—theveryfirstlittlequiveroflifethatthegrainofwheatmustfeelafteritissown,whenitanswerstothecallofthesun,downthereinthedarkoftheearth,blind,deaf;theveryfirststirfromtheinert,long,longbeforeanyphysicalchangehasoccurred,—longbeforethemicroscopecoulddiscovertheslightestchange,—whentheshellfirsttightenswiththefirstfaintpremonitionoflife?Well,itissomethingasillusiveasthat.”Hepausedagain,dreaming,lostinareverie,then,justaboveawhisper,murmured:
“’Thatwhichthousowestisnotquickenedexceptitdie,’...andshe,Angele...died.”
“Youcouldnothavebeenmistaken?”saidPresley.“Youweresurethattherewassomething?Imaginationcandosomuchandtheinfluenceofthesurroundingswasstrong.HowimpossibleitwouldbethatanythingSHOULDhappen.Andyousayyouheardnothing,sawnothing.”
“Ibelieve,”answeredVanamee,“inasixthsense,or,rather,awholesystemofotherunnamedsensesbeyondthereachofourunderstanding.Peoplewholivemuchaloneandclosetonatureexperiencethesensationofit.Perhapsitissomethingfundamentalthatwesharewithplantsandanimals.Thesamethingthatsendsthebirdssouthlongbeforethefirstcolds,thesamethingthatmakesthegrainofwheatstruggleuptomeetthesun.Andthissenseneverdeceives.Youmayseewrong,hearwrong,butoncetouchthissixthsenseanditactswithabsolutefidelity,youarecertain.No,IhearnothingintheMissiongarden.Iseenothing,nothingtouchesme,butIamCERTAINforallthat.
