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| VJETAR | The Wind |
| Te je večeri u pet i pol zazvonio telefon. Bio je prosinac, i kad je Thompson digao slušalicu, već se odavna bio spustio mrak. | The phone rang at five-thirty that evening. It was December, and long since dark as Thompson picked up the phone. |
| "Halo." | "Hello." |
| "Halo, Herb?" | "Hello, Herb?" |
| "O, ti si, Allin." | "Oh, it's you, Allin." |
| "Je li ti žena kod kuće?" | "Is your wife home, Herb?" |
| "Naravno. Zašto?" | "Sure. Why?" |
| "Ah, kvragu." | "Damn it." |
| Herb Thompson je tiho držao slušalicu. "Što je bilo? Nešto mi je tu čudno." | Herb Thompson held the receiver quietly. "What's up? You sound funny." |
| "Mislio sam te večeras pozvati." | "I wanted you to come over tonight." |
| "Već imamo goste." | "We're having company." |
| "Htio sam i da prenoćiš. Kad ti žena odlazi?" | "I wanted you to spend the night. When's your wife going away?" |
| "Sljedeći tjedan", rekao je Thompson. "Ostaje u Ohiu možda devet dana. Mati joj je bolesna. Dođem ti tada." | "That's next week," said Thompson. "She'll be in Ohio for about nine days. Her mother's sick. I'll come over then." |
| "Volio bih da dođeš večeras." | "I wish you could come over tonight." |
| "I ja bih to volio. Ali dolazi društvo i sve to, žena bi me ubila." | "Wish I could. Company and all, my wife'd kill me." |
| "Volio bih da možeš doći." | "I wish you could come over." |
| "Što je bilo? Opet vjetar?" | "What's it? the wind again?" |
| "O, ne. Ne." | "Oh, no. No." |
| "Ma je li vjetar?" upitao je Thompson. | "Is it the wind?" asked Thompson. |
| Glas je na telefonu oklijevao. "Da. Da, vjetar." | The voice on the phone hesitated. "Yeah. Yeah, it's the wind." |
| "Noć je vedra, ne bi ga smjelo biti puno." | "It's a clear night, there's not much wind." |
| "Ima ga sasvim dovoljno. Ulazi na prozor i malo puše u zavjese. To mi govori sasvim dovoljno." | "There's enough. It comes in the window and blows the curtains a little bit. Just enough to tell me." |
| "Čuj, zašto ti ne bi došao k meni i prenoćio ovdje?" upitao je Herb Thompson i osvrnuo se po osvijetljenu predsoblju. | "Look, why don't you come and spend the night here?" said Herb Thompson looking around the lighted halt. |
| "O, ne. Za to je već prekasno. Mogao bi me uhvatiti dok budem dolazio. Do tebe je tri dana jahanja. Ne bih se usudio, no svejedno ti hvala. Do tebe je trideset milja, ali hvala." | "Oh, no. It's too late for that. It might catch me on the way over. It's a damned long distance. I wouldn't dare, but thanks, anyway. It's thirty miles, but thanks." |
| "Uzmi tabletu za spavanje." | "Take a sleeping-tablet." |
| "Herb, čitav sam sat prostajao na vratima. I vidim kako se skuplja na zapadu. Ima tamo nešto oblaka, i vidio sam kako se jedan razderao. Znači da dolazi vjetar, baš tako." | "I've been standing in the door for the past hour, Herb. I can see it building up in the west. There are some clouds there and I saw one of them kind of rip apart. There's a wind coming, all right." |
| "No dobro, samo uzmi jednu krasnu malu pilulicu. I nazovi kad hoćeš. I večeras, kasnije, ako hoćeš." | "Well, you just take a nice sleeping-tablet. And call me any time you want to call. Later this evening if you want." |
| "U svako doba?" rekao je glas na telefonu. | "Any time?" said the voice on the phone. |
| "Naravno." | "Sure." |
| "Hoću, ali bi mi ipak bilo drago da možeš doći. Ali ne bih volio da zbog mene imaš problema. Ti si moj najbolji prijatelj i ne bih to volio. Možda će ipak biti najbolje da se s tim suočim sam. Oprosti na gnjavaži." | "I'll do that, but I wish you could come out. Yet I wouldn't want you hurt. You're my best friend and I wouldn't want that. Maybe it's best I face this thing alone. I'm sorry I bothered you." |
| "Kvragu, pa zašto čovjek ima prijatelja? Reći ću ti što da radiš, sjedni i večeras nešto napiši", rekao je Herb Thompson i u predvorju se premjestio s noge na nogu. "Pa ćeš zaboraviti i na Himalaju i na Dolinu vjetrova i svoju obuzetost olujama i uraganima. Napiši još jedno poglavlje svog sljedećeg putopisa." | "Hell, what's a friend for? Tell you what you do, sit down and get some writing done this evening," said Herb Thompson, shifting from one foot to the other in the hall. "You'll forget about the Himalayas and the Valley of the Winds and this preoccupation of yours with storms and hurricanes. Get another chapter done on your next travel book." |
| "Pa mogao bih. A možda i hoću, tko zna. Možda hoću. Mogao bih baš to. Puno ti hvala što si se dao gnjaviti." | "I might do that. Maybe I will, I don't know. Maybe I will. I might do that. Thanks a lot for letting me bother you." |
| "Ma što hvala. Skini mi se s linije, smjesta, no daj. Žena me zove na večeru." | "Thanks, hell. Get off the line, now, you. My wife's calling me to dinner." |
| Herb Thompson je spustio slušalicu. | Herb Thompson hung up. |
| Otišao je u blagovaonicu i sjeo za večeru, a žena mu je sjela sučelice. "To je bio Allin?" upitala je. On je kimnuo glavom. "On i njegovi vjetrovi što pušu gore i pušu dolje i pušu vruće i pušu hladno", rekla je i pružila mu tanjur s hrpom hrane. | He went and sat down at the supper table and his wife sat across from him. "Was that Allin?" she asked. He nodded. "Him and his winds that blow up and winds that blow down and winds that blow hot and blow cold," she said, handing him his plate heaped with food. |
| "Gadno se proveo na Himalaji, u ratu", rekao je Herb Thompson. | "He did have a time in the Himalayas, during the war," said Herb Thompson. |
| "Ta valjda ne vjeruješ u sve što ti je napričao o toj dolini?" | "You don't believe what he said about that valley, do you?" |
| "Priča je krasna." | "It makes a good story." |
| "Pentranje tu i tamo, uz ovo i ono. Zašto se ljudi uopće veru po brdima i utjeruju si strah u kosti?" | "Climbing around, climbing up things. Why do men climb mountains and scare themselves?" |
| "Sniježilo je", rekao je Herb Thompson. | "It was snowing," said Herb Thompson. |
| "Zaista?" | "Was it?" |
| "I kišilo i tuklo gradom i puhalo, sve odjednom, u toj dolini. Allin mi je to ispričao bar deset puta. I lijepo to priča. A bio se uspeo prilično visoko. Oblaci, i sve to. Dolina je silno hučala." | "And raining and hailing and blowing all at once, in that valley. Allin's told me a dozen times. He tells it well. He was up pretty high. Clouds, and all. The valley made a noise." |
| "Kladim se da jest", odgovorila je ona. | "I bet it did," she said. |
| "Kao da je u njoj mnoštvo vjetrova, a ne samo jedan. Vjetrova sa svih strana svijeta." Stavio je zalogaj u usta. 'Tako veli Allin." | "Like a lot of winds instead of just one. Winds from all over the world." He took a bite. "So says Allin." |
| "On, kao prvo, nije trebao ni ići i nije imao što gledati", odgovorila je ona. "Kad čovjek ide po svijetu i u sve zabada nos, onda mu svašta dođe u glavu. Onda se vjetrovi naljute što si im upao, i onda te slijede." | "He shouldn't have gone there and looked, in the first place," she said. "You go poking around and first thing you know you get ideas. Winds start getting angry at you for intruding, and they follow you." |
| "Daj nemoj se zezati, on mi je najbolji prijatelj", oštro joj je odgovorio Herb Thompson. | "Don't joke, he's my best friend," snapped Herb Thompson. |
| "Sve je to tako šašavo!" | "It's all so silly!" |
| "No sad, bilo kako bilo, prošao je on kroz sito i rešeto. Ona oluja potom u Bombayu, i tajfun u Novoj Gvineji dva mjeseca potom. I onaj put u Cornwallu." | "Nevertheless he's been through a lot. That storm in Bombay, later, and the typhoon off New Guinea two months after that. And that time, in Cornwall." |
| "Ja nemam nikakva razumijevanja za čovjeka koji stalno ulijeće u vjetrove, oluje i uragane, i onda zbog toga dobije kompleks proganjanja." | "I have no sympathy for a man who continually runs into wind storms and hurricanes, and then gets a persecution complex because of it." |
| I baš je u tom trenutku zazvonio telefon. | The phone rang just then. |
| "Nemoj se javiti", rekla je ona. | "Don't answer it," she said. |
| "Možda je važno." | "Maybe it's important." |
| "To je opet on." | "It's only Allin, again." |
| I sjedili su tako, i telefon je zazvonio devet puta, a oni se nisu odazvali. Napokon je utihnuo. Povečerali su. A u kuhinji, prozorske su se zavjese blago zaljulale u sitnom lahoru što je dolazio kroz odškrinuti prozor. | They sat there and the phone rang nine times and they didn't answer. Finally, it quieted. They finished dinner. Out in the kitchen, the window curtains gently moved in the small breeze from a slightly opened window. |
| Ponovno je zazvonio telefon. | The phone rang again. |
| "Ne mogu ga pustiti da samo zvoni", rekao je on i javio se. "O, zdravo, Allin." | "I can't let it ring," he said, and answered it. "Oh, hello, Allin." |
| "Herb! Evo ga tu! Tu je!" | "Herb! It's here! It got here!" |
| "Preblizu si slušalici, daj se malo odmakni." | "You're too near the phone, back up a little." |
| "Stajao sam u otvorenim vratima i čekao na nj. Vidio sam ga kako dolazi niz autocestu, kako trese stablima, sve jedno po jedno, sve dok nije zatresao i stablima pred samom kućom i sunovratio se prema vratima i ja sam mu ih zalupio pred nosom!" | "I stood in the open door and waited for it. I saw it coming down the highway, shaking all the trees, one by one, until it shook the trees just outside the house and it dived down toward the door and I slammed the door in its face!" |
| Thompson na ovo nije rekao ni riječi. Nije znao smisliti nikakav odgovor, a žena ga je promatrala iz vrata predsoblja. "Doista zanimljivo", rekao je napokon. | Thompson didn't say anything. He couldn't think of anything to say, his wife was watching him in the hail door. "How interesting," he said, at last. |
| "On je posvuda oko kuće, Herb. I sad ne mogu izaći, ne mogu ništa. Ali sam ga prešao, pustio sam ga neka misli da me već ima, i baš kad se stuštio na mene da me uhvati, zalupio sam i zaključao vrata! Na to sam bio spreman, jer sam se spremao već tjednima." | "It's all around the house, Herb. I can't get out now, I can't do anything. But I fooled it, I let it think it had me, and just as it came down to get me I slammed and locked the door! I was ready for it, I've been getting ready for weeks." |
| "Sad te već bolje čujem; daj mi pričaj o tome, Allin, staro momče." Herb je u telefon glumio dobrodušnost, dok ga je žena nastavljala gledati, a šija mu se počinjala znojiti. | "Have you, now; tell me about it, Allin, old man." Herb Thompson played it jovially into the phone, while his wife looked on and his neck began to sweat. |
| "Počelo je to prije šest tjedana..." | "It began six weeks ago. . . ." |
| "O, da? Vidi, vidi." | "Oh, yes? Well, well." |
| "... Mislio sam da sam mu dao po repu. Mislio sam da je odustao od progona i pokušaja da me ščepa. Ali on je i dalje čekao. Prije šest tjedana čuo sam vjetar kako se smije i šapuće oko uglova moje kuće, vani. Možda samo sat vremena, ne baš jako dugo, ne baš jako glasno. A onda je otišao." | ". . . I thought I had it licked. I thought it had given up following and trying to get me. But it was just waiting. Six weeks ago I heard the wind laughing and whispering around the corners of my house, out here. Just for an hour or so, not very long, not very loud. Then it went away." |
| Thompson je kimnuo glavom u telefon. "Drago mi je što to čujem, drago mi je što to čujem." Žena se zapiljila u njega. | Thompson nodded into the phone. "Glad to hear it, glad to hear it." His wife stared at him. |
| "Ali se vratio, sljedeće noći. Tresnuo je kapcima i šutnuo iskre iz dimnjaka. Vraćao se pet noći za redom, svaki put sve jači. Kad sam otvorio kućna vrata, bacio se na mene i pokušao me izvući, ali nije bio dovoljno jak. Ali noćas jest." | "It came back, the next night. It slammed the shutters and kicked sparks out of the chimney. It came back five nights in a row, a little stronger each time. When I opened the front door, it came in at me and tried to pull me out, but it wasn't strong enough. Tonight it is." |
| "Drago mi je što čujem da ti je bolje", rekao je Thompson. | "Glad to hear you're feeling better," said Thompson. |
| "Nije mi ništa bolje, koji ti je vrag? Tvoja nas žena sluša?" | "I'm not better, what's wrong with you? Is your wife listening to us?" |
| "Da." | "Yes." |
| "O, shvaćam. Jasno mi je da govorim kao luđak." | "Oh, I see. I know I sound like a fool." |
| "Baš ni najmanje. Samo nastavi." | "Not at all. Go on." |
| Thompsonova se žena vratila u kuhinju. On se opustio. Sjeo je na stoličicu kraj telefona. | Thompson's wife went back into the kitchen. He relaxed. He sat down on a little chair near the phone. "Go on, Allin, get it out of you, you'll sleep better." |
| "Samo nastavi, Allin, istresi to iz sebe, bolje ćeš spavati." "Sad je posvuda oko kuće, kao kakav veliki usisavač što njuška sve zabate. I sad okolo trese drvećem." | "It's all around the house now, like a great big vacuum machine nuzzling at all the gables. It's knocking the trees around." |
| "To je čudno, Allin, tu ga uopće nema." | "That's funny, there's no wind here, Allin." |
| "Naravno da ga nema, briga njega za tebe, samo sam mu ja na pameti." | "Of course not, it doesn't care about you, only about me." |
| "Čini mi se da se to dade objasniti i tako." | "I guess that's one way to explain it." |
| "Herb, on je ubojica, najveći vražji pretpovijesni ubojica što je ikad tražio plijen. Veliko njuškavo lovačko pseto, koje me pokušava nanjušiti, ući mi u trag. On gura svoj veliki hladni nos sve do kuće, i srče zrak, i kad otkrije da sam u salonu, onda u nj prebacuje svoj tlak, a kad sam u kuhinji, i on se seli u nju. Sad pokušava provaliti prozore, ali sam ih ojačao, a na vrata sam stavio nove stožere, i kračune. A kuća je čvrsta. Jer su ih u staro doba pravili čvrsto. Sad su mi u kući upaljena sva svjetla. I čitava je kuća osvijetljena, jarko. Vjetar me slijedi iz prostorije u prostoriju, i gleda kroza sve prozore, kad sam upalio svjetla. O!" | "It's a killer, Herb, the biggest damnedest prehistoric killer that ever hunted prey. A big sniffling hound, trying to smell me out, find me. It pushes its big cold nose up to the house, taking air, and when it finds me in the parlor it drives its pressure there, and when I'm in the kitchen it goes there. It's trying to get in the windows, now, but I had them reinforced and I put new hinges on the doors, and bolts. It's a strong house. They built them strong in the old days. I've got all the lights in the house on, now. The house is all lighted up, bright. The wind followed me from room to room, looking through all the windows, when I switched them on. Oh!" |
| "Što je bilo?" | "What's wrong?" |
| "Upravo je iščupao prednja vanjska vrata!" | "It just snatched off the front screen door!" |
| "Žao mi je, Allen, što nisi došao prespavati." | "I wish you'd come over here and spend the night, Allin." |
| "Ali kad ne mogu! O, Bože, ne mogu izaći iz kuće, ne mogu ništa. Poznajem taj vjetar. Bože, kako je velik i mudar. Maločas sam htio zapaliti cigaretu, ali mi je malo propuha ugasilo šibicu. Taj se vjetar voli poigravati, voli mi se rugati, i sad mu se nimalo ne žuri; pred njim je čitava noć. No, daj! O, Bože, ovaj čas, jedan od mojih starih putopisa, na stolu u knjižnici, da ti je to bilo vidjeti. Malo vjetra iz bogzna kakve rupice u kući, to je tek malo vjetra - i sad lista stranicu sve jednu po jednu. Da ti je to vidjeti. Tu je moj uvod. Sjećaš li se, Herbe, uvoda u knjigu o Tibetu?" | "I can't! God, I can't leave the house. I can't do anything. I know this wind. Lord, it's big and it's clever. I tried to light a cigarette a moment ago, and a little draft sucked the match out. The wind likes to play games, it likes to taunt me, it's taking its time with me; it's got all night. And now! God, right now, one of my old travel books, on the library table, I wish you could see it. A little breeze from God knows what small hole in the house, the little breeze is-- blowing the pages one by one. I wish you could see it. There's my introduction. Do you remember the introduction to my book on Tibet, Herb?" |
| "Da." | "Yes." |
| "Ova je knjiga posvećena onima koji su izgubili utakmicu s elementima, a napisao ju je čovjek koji je te elemente gledao u oči, ali im je uvijek uspio pobjeći." | "This book is dedicated to those who lost the game of elements, written by one who has seen, but who has always escaped." |
| "Da, sjećam se." | "Yes, I remember." |
| "Svjetla su se ugasila!" | "The lights have gone out!" |
| Telefon je zakrčao. | The phone crackled. |
| "Upravo su se srušili električni vodovi. Herb, jesi li još tu?" | "The power lines just went down. Are you there, Herb?" |
| "Još te čujem." | "I still hear you." |
| "Vjetru se ne dopada toliko svjetla u mojoj kući, pa je počupao električne vodove. Sad je vjerojatno na redu telefon. O, to se zove bal, samo ja i vjetar, kad ti velim! Samo čas." | "The wind doesn't like all that light in my house, it tore the power lines down. The telephone will probably go next. Oh, it's a real party, me and the wind, I tell you! Just a second." |
| "Allin?" Tišina. Herb se naslonio na mikrofon. Žena ga je kratko pogledala iz kuhinje. Herb Thompson je čekao. "Allin?" | "Allin?" A silence. Herb leaned against the mouthpiece. His wife glanced in from the kitchen. Herb Thompson waited. "Allin?" |
| "Vratio sam se", rekao je glas iz telefona. "Od vrata je dolazilo malo propuha, pa sam ispod nagurao krpa, da mi ne puše po nogama. Na koncu mi je čak i drago, Herb, što nisi došao, ne bih volio da si u tom kravalu. Evo! Baš je razbio prozor na dnevnom boravku, i sad u kući imam olujni vjetar, koji mi baca slike sa zidova! Čuješ ga?" | "I'm back," said the voice on the phone. "There was a draft from the door and I shoved some wadding under it to keep it from blowing on my feet. I'm glad you didn't come out after all, Herb, I wouldn't want you in this mess. There! It just broke one of the living-room windows and a regular gale is in the house, knocking pictures off the wall! Do you hear it?" |
| Herb Thompson je oslušnulo. Iz telefona se začula divlja sirena, pa zvižduk i treskanje. Allin je povikao u slušalicu: "Da li ga čuješ?" | Herb Thompson listened. There was a wild sirening on the phone and a whistling and banging. Allin shouted over it. "Do you hear it?" |
| Herb Thompson je nasuho progutao slinu. "Čujem ga." | Herb Thompson swallowed drily. "I hear it." |
| "Herb, on me želi živog. Ne usuđuje se srušiti kuću jednim razornim udarcem. To bi me ubilo. Ali on me hoće živog, tako da me može razvući, prst po prst. On želi to što je u meni. Moje misli, moj mozak. On hoće moju životnu snagu, moju psihičku moć, moj ego. On hoće intelekt." | "It wants me alive, Herb. It doesn't dare knock the house down in one fell blow. That'd kill me. It wants me alive, so it can pull me apart, finger by finger. It wants what's inside me. My mind, my brain. It wants my life-power, my psychic force, my ego. It wants intellect." |
| "Allin, zove me žena. Zove me da brišem suđe." | "My wife's calling me, Allin. I have to go wipe the dishes." |
| "To je veliki oblak para, vjetrovi iz čitava svijeta. To je isti onaj vjetar što je prije godinu dara razderao Celebes, isti pampero koji je ubijao u Argentini, tajfun što se hranio po Havajima, uragan što je početkom godine lupio po obali Afrike. To je dio svih onih oluja kojima sam pobjegao. Slijedio me sve od Himalaje zato što nije želio da znam to što znam o Dolini vjetrova gdje se oni skupljaju i dogovaraju razaranja. Nešto ga je, i to nekoć davno, uputilo prema životu. Ja znam njegove pašnjake. Znam gdje se rodio i gdje izdišu njegovi dijelovi. I on me zbog toga mrzi; kao i moje knjige koje govore kako ga pobijediti. On ne želi da više o tome propovijedam. Želi me ugraditi u svoje golemo tijelo, da mu dadem znanje. On me želi dobiti na svoju stranu!" | "It's a big cloud of vapors, winds from all over the world. The same wind that ripped the Celebes a year ago, the same pampero that killed in Argentina, the typhoon that fed on Hawaii, the hurricane that knocked the coast of Africa early this year. It's part of all those storms I escaped. It followed me from the Himalayas because it didn't want me to know what I know about the Valley of the Winds where it gathers and plans its destruction. Something, a long time ago, gave it a start in the direction of life. I know its feeding grounds, I know where it is born and where parts of it expire. For that reason, it hates me; and my books that tell how to defeat it. It doesn't want me preaching any more. It wants to incorporate me into its huge body, to give it knowledge. It wants me on its own side!" |
| "Allin, sad moram prekinuti, žena me..." | "I have to hang up, Allin, my wife--" |
| "Kako?" Stanka, i onda puhanje vjetra u telefon, iz daljine. "Što si rekao?" | "What?" A pause, the blowing of the wind in the phone, distantly. "What did you say?" |
| "Allin, nazovi me za sat vremena." | "Call me back in an hour, Allin." |
| Spustio je slušalicu. | He hung up. |
| Otišao je obrisati suđe. Žena je gledala u nj, a on u tanjure, dok ih je trljao krpom. | He went out to wipe the dishes. His wife looked at him and he looked at the dishes, rubbing them with a towel. |
| "Kako je večeras vani?" upitao je. | "What's it like out tonight?" he said. |
| "Lijepo. Ne baš jako svježe. Zvijezde", odgovorila je. "Zašto?" | "Nice. Not very chilly. Stars," she said. "Why?" |
| "Ma ništa." | "Nothing." |
| Za sljedećih je sat vremena telefon triput zazvonio. U osam je došlo i društvo. Stoddard sa ženom. Sjedili su i pričali do osam i pol, a onda ustali i postavili kartaški stolić i zaigrali kanastu. | The phone rang three times in the next hour. At eight o'clock the company arrived, Stoddard and his wife. They sat around until eight-thirty talking and then got out and set up the card table and began to play Gin. |
| Herb Thompson je miješao i miješao karte, uz lupkanje i tupkanje, pa ih tresnuo na stol, sve jednu po jednu, pred ostala tri igrača. Razgovor je išao amo-tamo. Zapalio je cigaru i razgorio je u fini sivi pepeo na vrhu, namjestio karte u ruci, pa iskoristio zgodu da podigne glavu i oslušne. Izvan kuće nije bilo ni zvuka. Žena je vidjela što radi, pa je zato s smjesta prestao, i odbacio tref dečka. | Herb Thompson shuffled the cards over and over, with a clittering, shuttering effect and clapped them out, one at a time before the three other players. Talk went back and forth. He lit a cigar and made it into a fine gray ash at the tip, and adjusted his cards in his hand and on occasion lifted his head and listened. There was no sound outside the house. His wife saw him do this, and he cut it out immediately, and discarded a Jack of Clubs. |
| Polako je pućkao cigaru, i svi su tiho pričali uz povremene male erupcije smijeha, a onda je sat u predsoblju milozvučno odzvonio devet sati. | He puffed slowly on his cigar and they all talked quietly with occasional small eruptions of laughter, and the clock in the hall sweetly chimed nine o'clock. |
| "Tu smo gdje jesmo", rekao je Herb Thompson, izvadivši cigaru i zamišljeno se u nju zagledavši. "I život je zaista čudan." | "Here we all are," said Herb Thompson, taking his cigar out and looking at it reflectively. "And life is sure funny." |
| "Molim?" rekao je gospodin Stoddard. | "Eh?" said Mr. Stoddard. |
| "Ništa, osim da smo tu gdje jesmo, da živimo svoje živote, a na nekom drugom kraju svijeta milijardu drugih ljudi živi svoje živote." | "Nothing, except herç we are, living our lives, and some place else on earth a billion other people live their lives." |
| "Pa mislim da je to prilično očito." | "That's a rather obvious statement." |
| "Život", rekao je i vratio cigaru među usne, "je nešto vrlo samotno. Čak i za oženjene ljude. Pokatkad, kad se nađeš u nečijem zagrljaju, osjećaš da si milijun milja daleko." | "Life," he put his cigar back in his lips, "is a lonely thing. Even with married people. Sometimes when you're in a person's arms you feel a million miles away from them." |
| "Hvala na komplimentu", rekla je njegova žena. | "I like that," said his wife. |
| "Nisam to tako mislio", objasnio je on, ali nimalo žurno; zato što se nije osjećao krivim, dao si je vremena. "Hoću reći da svi mi vjerujemo u to što vjerujemo i živimo naše male živote dok drugi ljudi žive posve drukčije. Hoću reći, mi sad sjedimo tu u sobi dok tisuću ljudi umire. Neki od raka, neki od upale pluća, neki od tuberkuloze. Pretpostavljam da u ovom času u Sjedinjenim Državama bar netko umire u slupanom automobilu." | "I didn't mean it that way," he explained, not with haste; because he felt no guilt, he took his time. "I mean we all believe what we believe and live our own little lives while other people live entirely different ones. I mean, we sit here in this room while a thousand people are dying. Some of cancer, some of pneumonia, some of tuberculosis. I imagine someone in the United States is dying right now in a wrecked car." |
| "Taj razgovor baš i nije jako stimulativan", rekla je njegova žena. | "This isn't very stimulating conversation," said his wife. |
| "Hoću reći, svi mi živimo i ne razmišljamo o tome što drugi ljudi misle ili kako žive ili umiru. Mi samo čekamo dok smrt ne dođe i nama. Hoću reći da tu sjedimo, na našim samouvjerenim turovima, dok trideset milja dalje, u velikoj staroj kućerini, sa svih strana okružen noću i Bog bi ga znao čime sve ne, jedan od najboljih ljudi pod kapom nebeskom..." | "I mean to say, we all live and don't think about how other people think or live their lives or die. We wait until death comes to us. What I mean is here we sit, on our self-assured butt-bones, while, thirty miles away, in a big old house, completely surrounded by night and God-knows-what, one of the finest guys who ever lived is--" |
| "Herb!" | "Herb!" |
| On je pućkao i žvakao cigaru i slijepo zurio u svoje karte. "Oprosti." Brzo je zažmirkao, pa zagrizao cigaru. "Sad sam ja na redu?" | He puffed and chewed on his cigar and stared blindly at his cards. "Sorry." He blinked rapidly and bit his cigar. "Is it my turn?" |
| "Sad si ti na redu." | "It's your turn." |
| Igra se nastavila oko stola, uz lepetanje karata, mrmljanje, razgovor. Herb Thompson je utonuo dublje u naslonjač a na licu mu se pojavio bolestan izraz. | The playing went around the table, with a flittering of cards, murmurs, conversation. Herb Thompson sank lower into his chair and began to look ill. |
| Zazvonio je telefon. Thompson je skočio i potrčao prema njemu i s vilice strgnuo slušalicu. | The phone rang. Thompson jumped and ran to it and jerked it off the hook. |
| "Herb! A ja zovem i zovem. Kakva je kod tebe situacija?" | "Herb! I've been calling and calling. What's it like at your house, Herb?" |
| "Kako to misliš, kakva je situacija?" | "What do you mean, what's it like?" |
| "Je li ti došlo društvo?" | "Has the company come?" |
| "Kvragu, da, došlo je..." | "Hell, yes, it has--" |
| "I sad pričate i smijete se i kartate?" | "Are you talking and laughing and playing cards?" |
| "Isuse, da, ali kakve to veze..." | "Christ, yes, but what has that got to do with--" |
| "I ti pušiš svoju cigaru od deset centi?" | "Are you smoking your ten-cent cigar?" |
| "O, kvragu, da, ali..." | "God damn it, yes, but. . ." |
| "Divota", rekao je glas na telefonu. "To je zaista prava divota. Volio bih da sam i ja s vama. I volio bih da ne znam sve što znam. Mnogo bih toga volio." | "Swell," said the voice on the phone. "That sure is swell. I wish I could be there. I wish I didn't know the things I know. I wish lots of things." |
| "Jesi dobro?" | "Are you all right?" |
| "Zasad sve u redu. Sad sam se zaključao u kuhinju. Dio se fasade srušio pod naletom vjetra. Ali sam ja već isplanirao odstup. Kad popuste i kuhinjska vrata, krećem u podrum. Budem li imao sreće, tu bih se mogao održati to jutra. Da bi došao do mene, morat će srušiti čitavu prokletu kuću, a pod je u podrumu prilično solidan. A imam i lopatu, i mogu kopati - dublje..." | "So far, so good. I'm locked in the kitchen now. Part of the front wall of the house blew in. But I planned my retreat: When the kitchen door gives, I'm heading for the cellar. If I'm lucky I may hold out there until morning. It'll have to tear the whole damned house down to get to me, and the cellar floor is pretty solid. I have a shovel and I may dig--deeper. . . ." |
| Zazvučalo je kao da je na telefonu još mnoštvo glasova. | It sounded like a lot of other voices on the phone. |
| "Što je to?" upitao je Herb Thompson, osjećajući studen, uzdrhtao. | "What's that?" Herb Thompson demanded, cold, shivering. |
| "To?" upitao je glas iz telefona. "To su glasovi dvanaest tisuća ljudi ubijenih tajfunom, sedam tisuća ubijenih uraganom, tri tisuće pokopanih ciklonom. Dosađujem ti? Eto što je vjetar. To je mnogo mrtvih ljudi. Vjetar ih je pobio, i uzeo njihove umove i tako stekao inteligenciju. Svima im je uzeo glasove i pretvorio ih u jedan glas. Glasove svih tih milijuna ljudi pobijenih u proteklih deset tisuća godina, mučenih i nošenih s kontinenta na kontinent na leđima i u trbusima monsuna i vijavica. O, Kriste, kakva bi se pjesma o tome dala napisati!" | "That?" asked the voice on the phone. "Those are the voices of twelve thousand killed in a typhoon, seven thousand killed by a hurricane, three thousand buried by a cyclone. Am I boring you? That's what the wind is. It's a lot of people dead. The wind killed them, took their minds to give itself intelligence. It took all their voices and made them into one voice. All those millions of people killed in the past ten thousand years, tortured and run from continent to continent on the backs and in the bellies of monsoons and whirlwinds. Oh, Christ, what a poem you could write about it!" |
| U telefonu su odjekivali i zvonili glasovi i povici i cvilež. | The phone echoed and rang with voices and shouts and whinings. |
| "Herb, daj dođi", zazvala je njegova žena od kartaškog stola. | "Come on back, Herb," called his wife from the card table. |
| "Eto zašto vjetar iz godine u godinu postaje sve inteligentniji, jer sebi pridodaje tijelo po tijelo, život po život, smrt po smrt." | "That's how the wind gets more intelligent each year, it adds to itself, body by body, life by life, death by death." |
| "Herb, mi te čekamo", doviknula je njegova žena. | "We're waiting for you, Herb," called his wife. |
| "O, kvragu!" Okrenuo se i gotovo zarežao. "Daj pričekaj čas, ma je li može!" Potom se vratio telefonu. "Allin, ako hoćeš da smjesta dođem k tebi, ja dolazim! Trebao sam već i prije doći..." | "Damn it!" He turned, almost snarling. "Wait just a moment, won't you!" Back to the phone. "Allin, if you want me to come out there now, I will! I should have come earlier. . ." |
| "Da na to nisi ni pomislio. Ovo je ljuta svađa, ne bi bilo dobro da sad u to ulaziš. I bolje da prekinem. Vrata kuhinje djeluju mi jako loše; morat ću u podrum." | "Wouldn't think of it. This is a grudge fight, wouldn't do to have you in it now. I'd better hang up. The kitchen door looks bad; I'll have to get in the cellar." |
| "Nazvat ćeš me kasnije?" | "Call me back, later?" |
| "Možda, ako budem imao sreće. Ali ja vjerujem da ću uspjeti. Toliko sam mu već puta kliznuo iz ruku i izmakao, ali mislim da me sad ima, i nadam se, Herb, da te nisam puno gnjavio." | "Maybe, if I'm lucky. I don't think I'll make it. I slipped away and escaped so many times, but I think it has me now. I hope I haven't bothered you too much, Herb." |
| "O, do sto đavola, nisi ti gnjavio nikoga. Nazovi me opet." | "You haven't bothered anyone, damn it. Call me back." |
| "Pokušat ću..." | "I'll try. . . ." |
| Herb Thompson se vratio kartama. Njegova je žena na nj planula očima. "Kako je Allin, tvoj veliki prijatelj?" upitala je. "Je li trijezan? | Herb Thompson went back to the card game. His wife glared at him. "How's Allin, your friend?" she asked, "Is he sober?" |
| "Nikad u životu nije popio ni kapi", rekao je Thompson potunjeno i sjeo. "Trebao sam otići još prije tri sata." | "He's never taken a drink in his life," said Thompson, sullenly, sitting down. "I should have gone out there hours ago." |
| "Ali on te zove svake večeri, i tako već šest tjedana, i ti si u bar deset navrata otišao da budeš uz njega, i uvijek je sve bilo u redu." | "But he's called every night for six weeks and you've been out there at least ten nights to stay with him and nothing was wrong." |
| "Potrebna mu je pomoć. Mogao bi si učiniti kakvo zlo," | "He needs help. He might hurt himself." |
| "Bio si kod njega pred samo dva dana, i ne možeš stalno trčkarati oko njega." | "You were just out there, two nights ago, you can't always be running after him." |
| "Sutra ujutro, čim otvorim oči, selim ga u sanatorij. A nisam htio. Jer mi se inače činio prilično razuman." | "First thing in the morning I'll move him into a sanatorium. Didn't want to. He seems so reasonable otherwise." |
| U deset i pol je bila poslužena kava. Herb Thompson je polako ispijao svoju, i pogledavao na telefon. Pitam se je li sad u podrumu, upitao se. | At ten-thirty coffee was served. Herb Thompson drank his slowly, looking at the phone. I wonder if he's in the cellar now, he thought. |
| Herb Thompson je otišao do telefona, nazvao međugradsku i dao broj. | Herb Thompson walked to the phone, called long-distance, gave the number. |
| "Žao mi je", rekla je telefonistica. "U tom su se rajonu srušile linije. Čim ih poprave, pokušat ćemo vas spojiti." | "I'm sorry," said the operator. "The lines are down in that district. When the lines are repaired, we will put your call through." |
| "Telefonske su se linije, znači, srušile!" kriknuo je Thompson. Pustio je da mu slušalica ispadne iz ruke. Okrenuo se, silovito otvorio vrata ormara, i izvadio kaput. "O, Bože", rekao je. "O, Bože, o, Bože", rekao je zapanjenim gostima i ženi s loncem za kavu u rukama. "Herb!" kriknula je ona. "Moram van!" rekao je on i kliznuo u kaput. | "Then the telephone lines are down!" cried Thompson. He let the phone drop. Turning, he slammed open the closet door, pulled out his coat. "Oh Lord," he said. "Oh, Lord, Lord," he said, to his amazed guests and his wife with the coffee urn in her hand. "Herb!" she cried. "I've got to get out there!" he said, slipping into his coat. |
| Pred vratima se začulo tiho, slabašno komešanje. | There was a soft, faint stirring at the door. |
| Svi su se u prostoriji napeli i uspravili. | Everybody in the room tensed and straightened up. |
| "Tko bi to mogao biti?" upitala je njegova žena. | "Who could that be?" asked his wife. |
| Tiho se komešanje ponovilo, vrlo tiho. | The soft stirring was repeated, very quietly. |
| Thompson je požurio niz hodnik i zastao, sasvim razbuđen. | Thompson hurried down the hall where he stopped, alert. |
| Izvana, vrlo tih, začuo se smijeh. | Outside, faintly, he heard laughter. |
| "Nek me vrag nosi", rekao je Thompson. Stavio je ruku na kvaku, s ugodnim šokom i olakšanjem. "Taj bih smijeh prepoznao i na kraju svijeta. To je Allin. Na koncu je ipak došao autom. Nije mogao dočekati jutro da mi ispriča svoje zbrkane priče." Slabašno se nasmiješio. "Vjerojatno je sa sobom poveo i prijatelje. Kao da ih je podosta..." | "I'll be damned," said Thompson. He put his hand on the doorknob, pleasantly shocked and relieved. "I'd know that laugh anywhere. It's Allin. He came on over in his car, after all. Couldn't wait until morning to tell me his confounded stories." Thompson smiled weakly. "Probably brought some friends with him. Sounds like a lot of other. . ." |
| Otvorio je kućna vrata. | He opened the front door. |
| Na verandi nije bilo nikoga. | The porch was empty. |
| Thompson se nije iznenadio; na licu su mu se pokazale veselost i lukavost. Nasmijao se. "Allin? Samo bez trikova! No daj." Upalio je svjetlo na verandi, pa zirnuo van i osvrnuo se. "Gdje si, Allin? No daj, daj." | Thompson showed no surprise; his face grew amused and sly. He laughed. "Allin? None of your tricks now! Come on." He switched on the porch-light and peered out and around. "Where are you, Allin? Come on, now." |
| U lice mu je puhnuo vjetar. | A breeze blew into his face. |
| Thompson je na trenutak pričekao, najednom sleđen do srži. Zakoračio je na verandu i oglednuo se s nelagodom i jako, jako oprezno. | Thompson waited a moment, suddenly chilled to his marrow. He stepped out on the porch and looked uneasily, and very carefully, about. |
| Nagli zapuh vjetra zamlatarao mu je reverima kaputa, raščupao mu kosu. Učinilo mu se da ponovno čuje smijeh. Vjetar je zakružio oko kuće, i pritisnuo odjednom sa svih strana, jurišajući punu minutu, pa produžio. | A sudden wind caught and whipped his coat flaps, disheveled his hair. He thought he heard laughter again. The wind rounded the house and was a pressure everywhere at once, and then, storming for a full minute, passed on. |
| Vjetar je zamro, tužan, lelečući u visokom krošnjama, prolazeći; vraćajući se na more, na Celebes, na Obalu Bjelokosti, na Sumatru i Cape Horn, na Cornwall i Filipine. Zamirući, zamirući, zamirući. | The wind died down, sad, mourning in the high trees, passing away; going back out to the sea, to the Celebes, to the Ivory Coast, to Sumatra and Cape Horn, to Cornwall and the Philippines. Fading, fading, fading. |
| A Thompson je stajao vani, sleden. Ušao je i zatvorio vrata i naslonio se na njih, i nije se ni pomakao, tako, sklopljenih očiju. | Thompson stood there, cold. He went in and closed the door and leaned against it, and didn't move, eyes closed. |
| "Što nije u redu..?" upitala je žena. | "What's wrong . . .?" asked his wife. |