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

life upon this island, also the eventual anguish of a lingering
death, not to mention the likelihood of losing your sanity prior to
that. You might, in addition, hold a heavy stone in each hand. This
is not necessary, however..."



Part 4. "Nearly Nowhere" and "Nowhere"
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"You're mad!" shouted Automatthew, jumping up. "So I'm to drown
myself? You urge me to commit suicide? Some helpful advice, this!
And you call yourself my friend?!"
"Indeed yes!" Alfred replied. "I'm not a bit mad, madness doesn't
lie within my capabilities. I never lose my mental balance. All the
more unpleasant would it then be for me, dear friend, to be there
while you found yourself losing yours and slowly perished in the
rays of this scorching sun. I assure you, I have carefully analyzed
the entire situation and one by one ruled out every possibility of
rescue. You will not make a boat or raft, you haven't the materials
for that; no ship will come and save you, as has been already
pointed out; neither do airplanes fly over the island, and you in
turn cannot build yourself a flying machine. You could, of course,
choose a slow death over one that is swift and easy, but as your
closest friend I strongly advise you against so foolish a decision.
If you would only take a good, deep breath of water..."
"Your good, deep breath of water be damned!! " screamed Automatthew,
quivering with rage. "And to think that for a friend like this I
parted with a beautifully cut diamond! You know what your inventor
is? A common thief, a swindler, a fraud!"
"You'll surely retract those words when you have heard me out," said
Alfred quietly.
"You mean there's more? What now, do you intend regaling me with
tales of the afterlife that waits in store? Just what I need!"
"There is no life after death," said Alfred. "I shall not attempt to
deceive you, for I neither wish nor indeed am able to do so. This is
not how I understand the duty of a friend. Only listen to me
carefully, dear Automatthew! As you are aware, though in general one
gives no thought to it, the world is a place of infinite variety and
richness. In it you have magnificent cities, filled with mingled
voices and fabled treasures, you have royal palaces, hovels,
mountains enchanting and drear, murmuring groves, tranquil lakes,
torrid deserts and the endless snows of the North. Being what you
are, however, you cannot experience at a time more than one single,
solitary place among those I have mentioned and the millions I have
not. It can therefore be said--without exaggeration--that for the
places in which you are not present you represent, as it were, one
who is dead, for you are not enjoying the pleasures of palace
wealth, nor taking part in the dances of the countries of the South,
neither are you feasting your eyes upon the rainbow ices of the
North. They do not exist for you, in exactly the same way that they