"Bradbury, Ray - The Illustrated Man" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bradbury Ray)

УWait a minute, Pickard!Ф

УStop it, stop it!Ф Pickard screamed. He fired off his gun six times at the night sky. In the flashes of powdery illumination they could see armies of raindrops, suspended as in a vast motionless amber, for an instant, hesitating as if shocked by the explosion, fifteen billion droplets, fifteen billion tears, fifteen billion ornaments, jewels standing out against a white velvet viewing board. And then, with the light gone, the drops which had waited to have their pictures taken, which had suspended their downward rush, fell upon them, stinging, in an insect cloud of coldness and pain.

УStop it! Stop it!Ф

УPickard!Ф

But Pickard was only standing now, alone. When the lieutenant switched on a small hand lamp and played it over PickardТs wet face, the eyes of the man were dilated, and his mouth was open, his face turned up, so the water hit and splashed on his tongue, and hit and drowned the wide eyes, and bubbled in a whispering froth on the nostrils.

УPickard!Ф

The man would not reply. He simply stood there for a long while with the bubbles of rain breaking out in his whitened hair and manacles of rain jewels dripping from his wrists and his neck.

УPickard! WeТre leaving. WeТre going on. Follow us.Ф

The rain dripped from PickardТs ears.

УDo you hear me, Pickard!Ф

It was like shouting down a well.

УPickard!Ф

УLeave him alone,Ф said Simmons.

УWe canТt go on without him.Ф

УWhatТll we do, carry him?Ф Simmons spat. УHeТs no good to us or himself. You know what heТll do? HeТll just stand here and drown.Ф

УWhat?Ф

УYou ought to know that by now. DonТt you know the story? HeТll just stand here with his head up and let the rain come in his nostrils and his mouth. HeТll breathe the water.Ф

УThatТs how they found General Mendt that time. Sitting on a rock with his head back, breathing the rain. His lungs were full of water.Ф

The lieutenant turned the light back to the unblinking face. PickardТs nostrils gave off a tiny whispering wet sound.

УPickard!Ф The lieutenant slapped the face.

УHe canТt even feel you,Ф said Simmons. УA few days in this rain and you donТt have any face or any legs or hands.Ф

The lieutenant looked at his own hand in horror. He could no longer feel it.

УBut we canТt leave Pickard here.Ф

УIТll show you what we can do.Ф Simmons fired his gun.

Pickard fell into the raining earth.