Читать «Английский язык с Р. Брэдбери. И грянул гром» онлайн - страница 26

He returned, shuddering, five minutes later, his arms soaked and red to the elbows. He held out his hands. Each held a number of steel bullets. Then he fell. He lay where he fell, not moving.

"You didn't have to make him do that," said Lesperance.

"Didn't I? It's too early to tell." Travis nudged the still body. "He'll live. Next time he won't go hunting game like this. Okay." He jerked his thumb wearily at Lesperance. "Switch on. Let's go home."

1492. 1776. 1812.

They cleaned their hands and faces. They changed their caking shirts and pants. Eckels was up and around again, not speaking. Travis glared at him for a full ten minutes.

"Don't look at me," cried Eckels. "I haven't done anything."

"Who can tell?"

"Just ran off the Path, that's all, a little mud on my shoes — what do you want me to do — get down and pray?"

"We might need it. I'm warning you, Eckels, I might kill you yet. I've got my gun ready."

"I'm innocent. I've done nothing!"

1999.2000.2055.

The Machine stopped (машина остановилась).

"Get out (выходите)," said Travis.

The room was there as they had left it (комната была такой же, какой они ее оставили). But not the same as they had left it (но не точно такой же). The same man sat behind the same desk (тот же человек сидел за тем же письменным столом). But the same man did not quite sit behind the same desk (но не совсем тот же человек не совсем за тем же письменным столом). Travis looked around swiftly (огляделся поспешно). "Everything okay here (все нормально)?" he snapped (отрывисто спросил: to snap — разговаривать отрывисто, раздраженно).

"Fine (прекрасно). Welcome home (добро пожаловать домой)!"

Travis did not relax (не расслабился). He seemed to be looking through the one high window (казалось, он смотрит через высокое окно).

"Okay, Eckels, get out (выходите). Don't ever come back (никогда не возвращайтесь)." Eckels could not move (не двигался).

"You heard me (вы меня слышали)," said Travis. "What're you staring at (на что вы уставились)?"

1999.2000.2055.

The Machine stopped.

"Get out," said Travis.

The room was there as they had left it. But not the same as they had left it. The same man sat behind the same desk. But the same man did not quite sit behind the same desk. Travis looked around swiftly. "Everything okay here?" he snapped.

"Fine. Welcome home!"

Travis did not relax. He seemed to be looking through the one high window.

"Okay, Eckels, get out. Don't ever come back." Eckels could not move.

"You heard me," said Travis. "What're you staring at?"

Eckels stood smelling of the air (стоял, нюхая воздух), and there was a thing to the air (и в воздухе что-то было), a chemical taint so subtle, so slight (химическая примесь такая незначительная, такая небольшая: taint — пятно, оттенок), that only a faint cry of his subliminal senses warned him it was there (что только слабый возглас его подсознательных чувств предостерегал его, что она там была). The colors, white, gray, blue, orange (цвета, белый, серый, синий, оранжевый), in the wall, in the furniture, in the sky beyond the window, were (на стене, на мебели, на небе за окном были) … were … And there was a feel (и было /какое-то/ чувство). His flesh twitched (его тело дрожало). His hands twitched. He stood drinking the oddness with the pores of his body (он стоял, впивая странность порами своего тела). Somewhere, someone must have been screaming one of those whistles that only a dog can hear (где-то кто-то как будто свистнул в один из тех свистков, которые только собака может услышать). His body screamed silence in return (его тело закричало молча в ответ). Beyond this room, beyond this wall, beyond this man (за этой комнатой, за этой стеной, за этим человеком) who was not quite the same man seated at this desk that was not quite the same desk (который был не совсем тем же человеком, сидящим за письменным столом, который был не совсем тем же столом) … lay an entire world of streets and people (лежал целый мир улиц и людей). What sort of world it was now, there was no telling (что за мир это был сейчас, никто не мог сказать). He could feel them moving there, beyond the walls (он мог чувствовать, как они двигаются там, за стенами), almost, like so many chess pieces blown in a dry wind (почти как шахматные фигурки, уносимые сухим ветром: so many — столько, chess — шахматы, piece — кусок, штука, шахматная фигура) …