Кінець рабства
IX
Someofthesefragmentsoflandappeared,indeed,nobiggerthanastrandedship;others,quiteflat,layawashlikeanchoredrafts,likeponderous,blackraftsofstone;several,heavilytimberedandroundatthebase,emergedinsquatdomesofdeepgreenfoliagethatshuddereddarklyallovertotheflyingtouchofcloudshadowsdrivenbythesuddengustsofthesquallyseason.Thethunderstormsofthecoastbrokefrequentlyoverthatcluster;itturnedthenshadowyinitswholeextent;itturnedmoredark,andasifmorestillintheplayoffire;asifmoreimpenetrablysilentinthepealsofthunder;itsblurredshapesvanished—dissolvingutterlyattimesinthethickrain—toreappearclear-cutandblackinthestormylightagainstthegraysheetofthecloud—scatteredontheslatyroundtableofthesea.Unscathedbystorms,resistingtheworkofyears,unfrettedbythestrifeoftheworld,thereitlayunchangedasonthatday,fourhundredyearsago,whenfirstbeheldbyWesterneyesfromthedeckofahigh-poopedcaravel.
Itwasoneofthesesecludedspotsthatmaybefoundonthebusysea,asonlandyoucomesometimesupontheclusteredhousesofahamletuntouchedbymen’srestlessness,untouchedbytheirneed,bytheirthought,andasifforgottenbytimeitself.Thelivesofuncountedgenerationshadpasseditby,andthemultitudesofseafowl,urgingtheirwayfromallthepointsofthehorizontosleepontheouterrocksofthegroup,unrolledtheconvergingevolutionsoftheirflightinlongsomberstreamersupontheglowofthesky.
