"Lem - Automathew's Friend" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lem Stanislaw)

entreaties. Alfred however said nothing. The air carried only the
echoes of heavy thuds, trampling, the crumbling of stone and the
panting and swearing of Automatthew. After a long time Automatthew
came to the conclusion that the most terrible blows would in fact
cause Alfred no harm, and, feverish and weak, he sat once more upon
the shore, his electrofriend in his hand.
"Even if I cannot smash you," he said with seeming composure, though
barely able to control his rage, "have no fear, I will take proper
care of you. For that vessel of yours you will have to wait, my good
friend, since I shall throw you to the bottom of the sea and there
you will lie for an eternity or more. You will have abundant time
for pleasant meditations in that so hermetic solitude! I will see to
it you do not gain a new friend!"
"My dear fellow," said Alfred unexpectedly. "And what will it matter
to me, to live on the ocean floor? You think in the categories of an
impermanent being, hence your error. Understand that either the sea
must someday dry up, or else first its entire bottom will rise like
a mountain and become land. Whether this happens in a hundred
thousand years or in a hundred million is of no consequence to me.
Not only am I indestructible, but infinitely patient, as indeed you
might have observed, if only by the calm with which I endured the
manifestations of your blindness. I'll tell you more: I did not
respond to your calls, but rather let you search for me, for I
wished to spare you unnecessary excitement. Also I was silent while
you jumped on me, so as not to increase your fury with an
inadvertent word, since this could have done you further injury."
Automatthew, upon hearing this noble-minded explanation, shook with
renewed anger.
"I'll smash you! I'll grind you to dust, you, you bastard!!" he
bellowed, and that crazy dance among the rocks, the leaps, the
lunges, the stamping in place, began all over again. This time
however the well-wishing squeaks of Alfred joined in:
"I don't think you can do it, but let's give it a try! Go ahead! And
again! No, not that way, you'll tire too quickly! Legs together!
That's right--and up! One-two, and-a-one, and-a-two! Jump higher,
higher, the impact will be greater! What, you can't? Really? Don't
have it in you? Ah yes, yes, now there's an idea! Drop a rock from
above! That's it, good! Try another? Don't have any larger? One more
time, now! Wham! Bam! Go to it, dear friend! What a shame I can't
pitch in and help! Why are you stopping? Worn out so soon? What a
shame... Well, no matter... I can wait, you rest yourself! Let the
breeze cool you off..."
Automatthew collapsed with a clatter on the rocks and gazed with
burning hatred at the metal grain that lay in his open hand, and he
listened--he could not choose but listen--as it spoke:
"If I were not your electrofriend, I would say that you are behaving
disgracefully. The ship went down on account of the storm, you saved
yourself along with me, I gave you what advice I could, but then,
when I failed to come up with a means of rescue, since that was
impossible, you made up your mind--for my words of simple truth and