Серце темряви

           Ihadnomindforasmash-up.Youcouldn’timagineamoredeadlyplaceforashipwreck.Whetherwedrownedatonceornot,weweresuretoperishspeedilyinonewayoranother.‘Iauthorizeyoutotakealltherisks,’hesaid,afterashortsilence.‘Irefusetotakeany,’Isaidshortly;whichwasjusttheanswerheexpected,thoughitstonemighthavesurprisedhim.‘Well,Imustdefertoyourjudgment.Youarecaptain,’hesaidwithmarkedcivility.Iturnedmyshouldertohiminsignofmyappreciation,andlookedintothefog.Howlongwoulditlast?Itwasthemosthopelesslookout.TheapproachtothisKurtzgrubbingforivoryinthewretchedbushwasbesetbyasmanydangersasthoughhehadbeenanenchantedprincesssleepinginafabulouscastle.‘Willtheyattack,doyouthink?’askedthemanager,inaconfidentialtone.

           "Ididnotthinktheywouldattack,forseveralobviousreasons.Thethickfogwasone.Iftheyleftthebankintheircanoestheywouldgetlostinit,aswewouldbeifweattemptedtomove.Still,Ihadalsojudgedthejungleofbothbanksquiteimpenetrable—andyeteyeswereinit,eyesthathadseenus.Theriversidebusheswerecertainlyverythick;buttheundergrowthbehindwasevidentlypenetrable.However,duringtheshortliftIhadseennocanoesanywhereinthereach—certainlynotabreastofthesteamer.Butwhatmadetheideaofattackinconceivabletomewasthenatureofthenoise—ofthecrieswehadheard.Theyhadnotthefiercecharacterbodingimmediatehostileintention.