第8章

Stumbling，andpowerlesstoretainmyfooting，Iblundereddownuponmykneesinhelplessastonishment；andthen，asIglancedupstream，feargrippedatmythroat，deprivedmeofspeech，anddarkenedallmyvision。Forthewholesubstanceofthegreyice-corehadcometolifeandbeguntoheaveitselfupwards！ Yes，thehithertolevelsurfacewasthrustingforthsharpangularridges，andtheairseemedfullofastrangesoundlikethetramplingofsomeheavybeingoverbrokenglass。 Withaquiettrickletherecameaswirlofwateraroundme，whileanadjacentpineboughcrackedandsqueakedasthoughittoohadcometolife。Mycompanionsshouted，andcollectedintoaknot；whereupon，atoncedominatingandquellingthetense，painfulhubbubofsounds，thererangforththevoiceofOssip。 “MotherofGod！“heshouted。“Scatter，lads！Getawayfromoneanother，andkeepeachtohimself！Now！Courage！“ Withthat，springingtowardsusasthoughwaspshadbeenafterhim，andgraspingthespirit-levelasthoughithadbeenaweapon，hejabbedittoeveryside，asthoughfightinginvisiblefoes，while，justasthequiveringtownbegan，seemingly，toglidepastus，andtheiceatmyfeetgaveascreechandcrumbledtofragmentsbeneathme，sothatwaterbubbledtomyknees。IleaptupfromwhereIwas，andrushedblindlyinOssip’sdirection。 “Whereareyoucomingto，fool？“washisshoutashebrandishedthespirit-level。“Standstillwhereyouare！“ Indeed，OssipseemednolongertobeOssipatall，butapersoncuriouslyyounger，apersoninwhomallthathadbeenfamiliarinOssiphadbecomeeffaced。Yes，theonceblueeyeshadturnedtogrey，andthefigureaddedhalfanarshintoitsstatureas，standingaserectasanewlymadenail，andpressingbothfeettogether，theforemanstretchedhimselftohisfullheight，andshoutedwithhismouthopentoitswidestextent: “Don’tshuffleabout，norcrowdupononeanother，orI’llbreakyourheads！“ Whereafter，ofmyselfinparticular，heinquiredasheraisedthespirit-level: “WhatisthematterwithYOU，pray？“ “Iamfeelingfrightened，“Imutteredinresponse。 “FeelingfrightenedofWHAT，indeed？“ “Ofbeingdrowned。“ “Pooh！Justyouholdyourtongue。“ Yetthenextmomentheglancedatme，andaddedinagentler，quietertone: “Nonebutafoolgetsdrowned。Pickyourselfupandcomealong。“ Thenoncemoreheshoutedfull-throatedwordsofencouragementtohismen；andashedidso，hischestswelledandhisheadrockedwiththeeffort。 Yet，cracklingandcracking，theicewasbreakingup；andsoonitbeganslowlytobearuspastthetown。’Twasasthoughsomeunknownforceashorehadawakened，andwasstrivingtotearthebanksoftheriverintwo，somuchdidtheportionofthelandscapedownstreamseemtobestandingstillwhiletheportionlevelwithusseemedtoberecedingintheoppositedirection，andthuscausingabreaktotakeplaceinthemiddleofthepicture。 Andsoonthismovement，amovementagonisinglyslow，deprivedmeofmysenseofbeingconnectedwiththerestoftheworld，until，asthewholereceded，despairagaingrippedmyheartandunnervedmylimbs。Roseatecloudswereglidingacrosstheskyandcausingstrayfragmentsoftheice，which，seemingly，yearnedtoengulfme，toassumereflectedtintsofasimilarhue。Yes，itwasasthoughthebirthofspringhadreawakenedtheuniverse，andwascausingittostretchitself，andtoemitdeep，hurried，brokenpantsthatcrackeditsbonesastheriver，embeddedintheearth’sstoutframework，revivifiedthewholewiththick，turbulent，ebullientblood。 Andthissenseoflittleness，ofimpotenceamidthecalm，assuredmovementoftheearth’svastbulk，weigheduponmysoul，andevoked，andmomentarilyfannedtoflameinme，theshamelesshumanquestion:“WhatifIshouldstretchforthmyhandandlayituponthehillandthebanksoftheriver，andsay，’HaltuntilIcometoyou！’？“ Meanwhilethebellscontinuedthemournfulmoaningoftheirresonant，copperynotes；andthatmoaningledmetoreflectthatwithintwodays(onthenightofthemorrow)theywouldbepealingajoyouswelcometotheResurrectionFeast。 “Ohthatallofusmaylivetohearthatsound！“wasmyunspokenthought。 Beforemyvisiontherekeptquaveringsevendarkfigures——figuresshufflingovertheice，andbrandishingplankslikeoars。And，wrigglinglikealampreyinfrontofthemwasalittleoldfellow，anoldfellowresemblingSaintNicholastheWonder-Worker，anoldfellowwhokeptcryingsoftly，butauthoritatively: “Donotstareaboutyou！“ Andevertheriverwasgrowingrougherandruder；everitsbackbonewasbeginningtopuiverandflounderlikeawhaleunderfoot，withitsliquescentbodyofcold，grey，murkywaterburstingwithincreasingfrequencyfromitsshellofice，andlappinghungrilyatourfeet。 Yes，wewerehumanbeingstraversing，asitwere，aslenderpoleoverabottomlessabyss；andaswewalked，thewater’ssoft，cantabilesplashsetmeinmindofthedepthsbelow，oftheinfinitetimeduringwhichabodywouldcontinuesinkingthroughdense，chillybulkuntilsightfadedandtheheartstoppedbeating。Yes，beforemymind’seyetherearosemendrownedanddevouredbycrayfish，menwithcrumblingskullsandswollenfeatures，andglassy，bulgingeyesandpuffyhandsandoutstretchedfingersandpalmsofwhichtheskinhadrottedoffwiththedamp。 ThefirsttofallinwasMokeiBudirin。HehadbeenwalkingnextaheadoftheMorduine，and，asamanhabituallysilentandabsorbed，proceedingonhiswaymorequietlythantherest。 Suddenlysomethinghadseemedtocatchathislegs，andhehaddisappeareduntilonlyhisheadandhishands，asthelatterclutchedathisplank，hadbeenleftabove-level。 “Runandhelphim，somebody！“wasOssip’sinstantcry。“Yes，butnotallofyou——justoneortwo。HelphimIsay！“ ThesplutteringMokei，however，saidtotheMorduineandmyself: “No；doyoumoveaway，mates，forIshallbesthelpmyself。 Neveryoumind。“ And，sureenough，hedidsucceedindrawinghimselfoutontotheicewithoutassistance。Whereafterheremarkedasheshookhimself: “Anicepickle，this，tobein！Imightaswellhavebeendrowned！“ And，infact，atthemomenthelooked，withhischatteringteethandgreattonguelickingadrippingmoustache，preciselylikealarge，good-natureddog。 ThenIrememberedhow，amonthearlier，hehadaccidentallydriventhebladeofhisaxethroughthejointofhisleftthumb，and，merelypickingupthewhitefragmentoffleshwiththenailturningblue，andscanningitwithhisunfathomableeyes，hadremarked，asthoughitwashehimselfthathadbeenatfault: “HowoftenbeforeIhaveinjuredthatthumb，Icouldnotsay。 AndwhenonceIdislocatedit，Iwentonworkingwithitlongerthanwasright……NowIwillgoandburyit。“ Withwhich，carefullywrappingupthefragmentinsomeshavings，hehadthrustthewholeintohispocket，andbandagedthewoundedhand，Similarly，afterthat，didBoev，themannextinorderbehindMokei，contrivetowresthimselffromthegraspoftheice，though，onimmersion，hestartedbawling，“Mates，Ishalldrown！Iamdeadalready！Helpme，helpme！“andbecamesocrampedwithterrorastobeextricatedonlywithgreatdifficulty，whileamidthegeneralconfusiontheMorduinetoonearlyslippedintothewater。 “AnarrowshaveofsayingVesperstonightwiththedevilsinHell！“heremarkedasheclamberedback，andstoodgrinningwithanevenmoreangularandattenuatedappearancethanusual。 ThenextmomentBoevachievedasecondplunge，andscreamed，asbefore，forhelp。 “Don’tshout，yougoatofaYashka！“Ossipexclaimedashethreatenedhimwiththespirit-level。“Whyscarepeople？I’llgiveityou！Lookhere，lads。Leteverymantakeoffhisbeltandturnouthispockets。Thenhe’llwalklighter。“ Toothedjawsgapedandcrunchedatusateverystep，andvomitedthickspittle；ateverytenthsteptheirkeenbluefangsreachedforourlives。Meanwhile，thesoakedconditionofourbootsandclotheshadrenderedusasslimyasthoughsmearedwithpaste。Also，itsoweighedusdownastohinderanyactivemovement，andtocauseeachsteptobetakencautiously，slowly，silently，andwithponderousdiffidence。 Yet，soakedthoughwewere，Ossipmightverilyhaveknownthenumberofcracksinadvance，sosmoothandharelikewashisprogressfromfloetofloeasatintervalshefacedabout，watchedus，andcriedsonorously: “That’sthewaytodoit，eh？“ Yes，heabsolutelyplayedwiththeriver，andthoughitkeptcatchingathisdiminutiveform，healwaysevadedit，circumventeditsmovements，andavoideditssnares。Nay，capableevenofdirectingitstrenddidheseem，andofthrustingunderourfeetonlythelargestandfirmestfloes。 “Lads，thereisnoneedtobedownhearted，“hewouldcryatintervals。 “Ah，thatbraveOssip！“theMorduineonceejaculated。“Inverytruthisheaman，andnomistake！Justlookathim！“ Thecloserweapproachedthefurthershore，thethinnerandthemorebrittledidtheicebecome，andthemoreliablewetobreakthroughit。Bythistimethetownhadnearlypassedus，andwewerebiddingfairtobecarriedoutintotheVolga，wheretheicewouldstillbesound，and，aslikelyasnot，drawusunderitself。