"The Black Corridor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moorcock Michael)

another stylus from his pocket and underlines this date in red. He
looks up at the blank screen and seems to make a decision.

He writes:

The silence of these infinite spaces frightens me.

He underlines the phrase in red

He writes:

I am lonely, I am controlling a desperate longing. Yet I know that
it is not my function to feel lonely. I almost wish for an emergency so
that I could wake at least one of them up.

Mr Ryan pulls himself together. He takes a deep breath and be
gins a more formal entry, the third of his eight-hourly reports.

When he has finished, he gets up, puts the red log-book away,
replaces his stylii neatly in his pocket, goes over to the main console
and makes a few fine adjustments to the instruments.

He leaves the main control cabin, enters a short companion way,
opens a door.

He is in his living quarters. It is a small compartment and very
tidy. On one wall is a console with a screen that shows him the
interior of the main control cabin. Set in the opposite wall is a
double bunk.

He undresses, disposes of his coveralls, lies down and takes a
sedative. He sleeps. His breathing is heavy and regular at first.

*

He goes into the ballroom. It is dusk. There are long windows
looking out on to a darkening lawn. The floor gleams; the lights
overhead are dim.

On the ballroom floor formally dressed couples slowly rotate in
perfect time to the music. The music is low and rather sombre. All
the couples wear round, very black spectacles. Their faces are pale,
their features almost invisible in the dim light. The round black
glasses give them a masklike appearance.

Around the floor other couples are sitting out. They stare for-
ward through their dark glasses. As the couples move the music
becomes quieter and quieter, slower and slower, and now the
couples revolve more slowly too.