Кінець рабства
X
Allhehadtodowastoraisehisvoiceandpronounceasingleshortsentence,andyetthatsimpleactseemedasimpossibletoattemptasmovingthesunoutofitsplaceinthesky.Theoldchapcouldeatinhisterrificmechanicalway;butSterne,frommentalexcitement,couldnot—notthatevening,atanyrate.
Hehadhadampletimesincetogetaccustomedtothestrainofthemeal-hours.Hewouldneverhavebelievedit.Butthenuseiseverything;onlytheverypotencyofhissuccesspreventedanythingresemblingelation.Hefeltlikeamanwho,inhislegitimatesearchforaloadedguntohelphimonhiswaythroughtheworld,chancestocomeuponatorpedo—uponalivetorpedowithashatteringchargeinitsheadandapressureofmanyatmospheresinitstail.Itisthesortofweapontomakeitspossessorcarewornandnervous.Hehadnomindtobeblownuphimself;andhecouldnotgetridofthenotionthattheexplosionwasboundtodamagehimtooinsomeway.
Thisvagueapprehensionhadrestrainedhimatfirst.Hewasablenowtoeatandsleepwiththatfearfulweaponbyhisside,withtheconvictionofitspoweralwaysinmind.Ithadnotbeenarrivedatbyanyreflectiveprocess;butoncetheideahadenteredhishead,theconvictionhadfollowedoverwhelminglyinamultitudeofobservedlittlefactstowhichbeforehehadgivenonlyalanguidattention.
