Червона чума
Chapter 6
“Thereisanotherlittledevicethatmeninevitablywillrediscover. Itiscalledgunpowder. Itwaswhatenabledustokillsurelyandatlongdistances. Certainthingswhicharefoundintheground,whencombinedintherightproportions,willmakethisgunpowder. Whatthesethingsare,Ihaveforgotten,orelseIneverknew. ButIwishIdidknow. ThenwouldImakepowder,andthenwouldIcertainlykillCross-Eyesandridthelandofsuperstition—”
“AfterIamman-grownIamgoingtogiveCross-Eyesallthegoats,andmeat,andskinsIcanget,sothathe’llteachmetobeadoctor,”Hoo-Hooasserted. “AndwhenIknow,I’llmakeeverybodyelsesitupandtakenotice. They’llgetdowninthedirttome,youbet.”
Theoldmannoddedhisheadsolemnly,andmurmured:
“StrangeitistohearthevestigesandremnantsofthecomplicatedAryanspeechfallingfromthelipsofafilthylittleskin-cladsavage. Alltheworldistopsy-turvy. Andithasbeentopsy-turvyeversincetheplague.”
“Youwon’tmakemesitup,”Hare-Lipboastedtothewould-bemedicine-man. “IfIpaidyouforasendingofthedeath-stickanditdidn’twork,I’dbustinyourhead—understand,youHoo-Hoo,you?”
“I’mgoingtogetGransertorememberthisheregunpowderstuff,”Edwinsaidsoftly,“andthenI’llhaveyouallontherun. You,Hare-Lip,willdomyfightingformeandgetmymeatforme,andyou,Hoo-Hoo,willsendthedeath-stickformeandmakeeverybodyafraid.
