TETOVIRANI ČOVEK

VELIKA KIŠA

VELIKA KIŠA	The Long Rain
Kiša je i dalje padala. Bila je to jaka, neprekidna kiša, znojna i usparena; sipila je, lila kao iz kabla, kao iz česme, šibala po očima, zalivala članke na nogama; kiša da se u njoj potope sve kiše i sećanja na kiše. Padala je na tone i tone, rezala po džungli i sekla drveće kao makazama, brijala travu i prokopavala tunele u zemlji, skidala lišće sa žbunja. Smežuravala ruke ljudi i pretvarala ih u šape zboranih majmuna; nikako nije prestajala, gusta staklasta kiša.	THE rain continued. It was a hard rain, a perpetual rain, a sweating and steaming rain; it was a mizzle, a downpour, a fountain, a whipping at the eyes, an undertow at the ankles; it was a rain to drown all rains and the memory of rains. It came by the pound and the ton, it hacked at the jungle and cut the trees like scissors and shaved the grass and tunneled the soil and molted the bushes. It shrank men’s hands into the hands of wrinkled apes; it rained a solid glassy rain, and it never stopped.
"Koliko još ima, Poručniče?"	“How much farther, Lieutenant?”
"Ne znam. Milju, deset milja, hiljadu."	“I don’t know. A mile, ten miles, a thousand.”
"Zar ne znate sigurno?"	“Aren’t you sure?”
"Kako da budem siguran?"	“How can I be sure?”
"Ne volim ovu kišu. Kad bismo samo znali koliko još ima do Sunčane kupole, bilo bi mi lakše."	“I don’t like this rain. If we only knew how far it is to the Sun Dome, I’d feel better.”
"Još jedno sat-dva."	“Another hour or two from here.”
"Stvarno tako mislite, Poručniče?"	“You really think so, Lieutenant?”
"Naravno."	“Of course.”
"Ili lažete da biste nas usrećili?"	“Or are you lying to keep us happy?”
"Lažem da biste ostali srećni. Zaveži!"	“I’m lying to keep you happy. Shut up!”
Dva čoveka sedela su zajedno na kiši. Iza njih su sedela još dvojica koji su bili mokri i umorni, i skljokani kao rastopljena glina.	The two men sat together in the rain. Behind them sat two other men who were wet and tired and slumped like clay that was melting.
Poručnik pogleda uvis. Imao je lice koje je nekada bilo crnpurasto, sada ga je kiša ispirala dok nije izbledelo, i isprala mu je i boju iz očiju koje su bile bele kao i zubi, kao i kosa. Bio je sav beo. Čak mu se i uniforma počinjala da beli, možda da se pomalo i zeleni od plesni.	The lieutenant looked up. He had a face that once had been brown and now the rain had washed it pale, and the rain had washed the color from his eyes and they were white, as were his teeth, and as was his hair. He was all white. Even his uniform was beginning to turn white, and perhaps a little green with fungus.
Poručnik je osećao kišu na obrazima. "Koliko ima miliona godina od kada je ovde na Veneri prestala da pada kiša?"	The lieutenant felt the rain on his cheeks. “How many million years since the rain stopped raining here on Venus?”
"Što si blesav", reče jedan od ostale dvojice. "Kiša nikad ne prestaje na Veneri. Samo pada i pada. Živim ovde već deset godina, i nisam doživeo minut, čak ni sekund, a da nije lila."	“Don’t be crazy,” said one of the two other men. “It never stops raining on Venus. It just goes on and on. I’ve lived here for ten years and I never saw a minute, or even a second, when it wasn’t pouring.”
"To je kao da živiš pod vodom", reče poručnik i podiže se, gurajući svoje oružje na mesto. "Sada bolje da krenemo. Naći ćemo mi još tu sunčanu kupolu."	“It’s like living under water,” said the lieutenant, and rose up, shrugging his guns into place. “Well, we’d better get going. We’ll find that Sun Dome yet.”
"Ili je nećemo naći", reče cinik.	“Or we won’t find it,” said the cynic.
"Ima otprilike još jedan sat."	“It’s an hour or so.
"Sada me lažete, Poručniče."	“Now you’re lying to me, Lieutenant.”
"Ne, sada lažem sebe. Ovo je jedan od onih trenutaka kada morate lagati. Ne mogu ovo još dugo da podnosim."	“No, now I’m lying to myself. This is one of those times when you’ve got to lie. I can’t take much more of this.”
Išli su stazom kroz džunglu, pogledajući na kompase s vremena na vreme. Pravca nikakvog nije bilo, oslanjali su se samo na kompase. Samo sivo nebo i kiša, i džungla i staza, i, daleko negde iza njih, raketa u kojoj su leteli i pali. Raketa u kojoj leže dvojica njihovih prijatelja, mrtva, dok se iz njih cedi kiša.	They walked down the jungle trail, now and then looking at their compasses. There was no direction anywhere, only what the compass said. There was a gray sky and rain falling and jungle and a path, and, far back behind them somewhere, a rocket in which they had ridden and fallen. A rocket in which lay two of their friends, dead and dripping rain.
Hodali su u koloni, ne govoreći. Dođoše do reke koja se pružala široka, ravna i smeđa, i tekla u veliko Jedinstveno more. Površina joj je bila išarana bezbrojnim tačkicama kiše.	They walked in single file, not speaking. They came to a river which lay wide and flat and brown, flowing down to the great Single Sea. The surface of it was stippled in a billion places by the rain.
"U redu, Simonse."	“All right, Simmons.”
Poručnik klimnu glavom i Simons sa svojih leđa uze jedan mali paket koji se, pod pritiskom skrivene hemikalije, naduva u veliki čamac. Poručnik naloži da se iseku drva i brzo naprave vesla, i spustiše se u reku, hitro veslajući preko glatke površine na kiši.	The lieutenant nodded and Simmons took a small packet from his back which, with a pressure of hidden chemical, inflated into a large boat. The lieutenant directed the cutting of wood and the quick making of paddles and they set out into the river, paddling swiftly across the smooth surface in the rain.
Poručnik je osećao hladnu kišu na obrazima i vratu i po rukama kojima je micao. Hladnoća je počinjala da mu se uvlači u pluća. Osećao je kišu po ušima, očima, po nogama.	The lieutenant felt the cold rain on his cheeks and on his neck and on his moving arms. The cold was beginning to seep into his lungs. He felt the rain on his ears, on his eyes, on his legs.
"Noćas nisam spavao", reče.	“I didn’t sleep last night,” he said.
"Ko bi mogao da spava? Ko je spavao? Kada? Koliko noći smo spavali? Trideset noći, četrdeset dana! Ko može da spava dok mu kiša bije po glavi, udara li udara... Sve bih dao za šešir. Apsolutno sve, samo da me više ne udara po glavi. Dobijam glavobolje. Boli me glava; puca sve vreme."	“Who could? Who has? When? How many nights have we slept? Thirty nights, thirty days! Who can sleep with rain slamming their head, banging away. . . . I’d give anything for a hat. Anything at all, just so it wouldn’t hit my head any more. I get headaches. My head is sore; it hurts all the time.”
"Zažalio sam što sam došao u Kinu", reče jedan od ostalih.	“I’m sorry I came to China,” said one of the others.

"Prvi put čujem da Veneru zovu Kina."	“First time I ever heard Venus called China.”
"Sigurno, Kina. Kineska vodena kura. Sećaš se onog starog mučenja? Privežu te uza zid. Svakih pola sata puste ti po jednu kapljicu na glavu. Poludiš dok čekaš sledeću. E pa, to je Venera, samo u velikoj razmeri. Mi nismo stvoreni za vodu. Ne možeš da spavaš, ne možeš da dišeš kako treba, i poludeo si zato što si sav raskvašen. Da smo se spremali za udes, poneli bismo nepromočive uniforme i šešire. To te ovo udaranje po glavi uništava, najviše od svega. Toliko je teško. Kao puščana zrna. Ne znam koliko dugo mogu izdržati."	“Sure, China. Chinese water cure. Remember the old torture? Rope you against a wall. Drop one drop of water on your head every half-hour. You go crazy waiting for the next one. Well, that’s Venus, but on a big scale. We’re not made for water. You can’t sleep, you can’t breathe right, and you’re crazy from just being soggy. If we’d been ready for a crash, we’d have brought waterproofed uniforms and hats. It’s this beating rain on your head gets you, most of all. It’s so heavy. It’s like BB shot. I don’t know how long I can take it.”
"Ljudi, ja sam za Sunčanu kupolu! Čovek koji je to izmislio, stvarno je nešto izmislio."	“Boy, me for the Sun Dome! The man who thought them up, thought of something.”
Dok su prelazili reku mislili su na Sunčanu kupolu, negde ispred njih, kako se sija na kiši u džungli. Žuta kuća, okrugla i sjajna kao sunce. Kuća petnest stopa u visinu i sto stopa u prečniku, u kojoj je bila toplota i tišina, i topla hrana i spas od kiše. A u središtu Sunčane kupole, naravno, bilo je jedno sunce. Mala slobodna kugla žute vatre koja je lebdela u prostoru na vrhu zgrade gde si je mogao gledati sa mesta na kome si sedeo i pušio ili čitao knjigu ili pio vruću čokoladu sa šlagom. Bilo bi tu, žuto sunce, veliko tačno kao Zemljino sunce, toplo i stalno, i kišni svet Venere bio bi zaboravljen dokle god bi boravili u toj kući i besposličili.	They crossed the river, and in crossing they thought of the Sun Dome, somewhere ahead of them, shining in the jungle rain. A yellow house, round and bright as the sun. A house fifteen feet high by one hundred feet in diameter, in which was warmth and quiet and hot food and freedom from rain. And in the center of the Sun Dome, of course, was a sun. A small floating free globe of yellow fire, drifting in space at the top of the building where you could look at it from where you sat, smoking or reading a book or drinking your hot chocolate crowned with marshmallow dollops. There it would be, the yellow sun, just the size of the Earth sun, and it was warm and continuous, and the rain world of Venus would be forgotten as long as they stayed in that house and idled their time.
Poručnik se okrete i pogleda iza sebe trojicu ljudi koji su zapinjali veslima i škripali zubima. Bili su beli kao pečurke, beli kao i on. Venera je sve izbeljivala za nekoliko meseci. Čak je i džungla bila jedna ogromna košmarna karikatura, jer kako džungla da bude zelena bez sunca, sa kišom koja stalno pada, i u večitom sutonu? Bela, bela džungla sa bledim lišćem boje sira, i zemlja izrezana od vlažnog Kamambera, i stabla drveća kao ogromne otrovne pečurke - sve crno i belo. A koliko puta bi mogao videti samo tle? Zar to najčešće nije bio potočić, potok, lokva, bara, jezero, reka, i onda, najzad, more?	The lieutenant turned and looked back at the three men using their oars and gritting their teeth. They were as white as mushrooms, as white as lie was. Venus bleached everything away in a few months. Even the jungle was an immense cartoon nightmare, for how could the jungle be green with no sun, with always rain falling and always dusk? The white, white jungle with the pale cheese-colored leaves, and the earth carved of wet Camembert, and the tree boles like immense toadstools—everything black and white. And how often could you see the soil itself? Wasn’t it mostly a creek, a stream, a puddle, a pool, a lake, a river, and then, at last the sea?
"Evo nas!"	“Here we are!”
Iskočiše što su dalje mogli na čvrsto tle na obali, pljeskajući i prskajući uvis. Čamac izduvaše i spakovaše u kutiju od cigareta. Zatim, stojeći na kišnoj obali, pokušaše da zapale nekoliko cigareta, i tek posle dobrih pet minuta, tresući se, sa nadole okrenutim upaljačem i praveći zaklon rukama, uspeše da povuku nekoliko dimova iz cigareta, koje im za tren oka, omlitavele, iznenadan nalet kiše istrže iz usta.	They leaped out on the farthest shore, splashing and sending up showers. The boat was deflated and stored in a cigarette packet. Then, standing on the rainy shore, they tried to light up a few smokes for themselves, and it was five minutes or so before, shuddering, they worked the inverted lighter and, cupping their hands, managed a few drags upon cigarettes that all too quickly were limp and beaten away from their lips by a sudden slap of rain.
Krenuše dalje.	They walked on.
"Čekajte samo trenutak", reče poručnik. "Mislim da sam nešto video tamo napred."	“Wait just a moment,” said the lieutenant. “I thought I saw something ahead.”
"Sunčanu kupolu?"	“The Sun Dome?”
"Nisam siguran. Kiša je opet zaklonila vidik."	“I’m not sure. The rain closed in again.
Simons poče da trči. "Sunčana kupola!"	Simmons began to run. “The Sun Dome!”
"Vrati se, Simonse!"	“Come back, Simmons!”
"Sunčana kupola!"	“The Sun Dome!”
Simons iščeze u kiši. Ostali potrčaše za njim.	Simmons vanished in the rain. The others ran after him.
Nađoše ga na jednom malom proplanku, stadoše da pogledaju šta je otkrio.	They found him in a little clearing, and they stopped and looked at him and what he had discovered.
Raketni brod.	The rocket ship.
Ležao je tamo gde su ga ostavili. Nekako su se ukrug vratili nazad i našli se na mestu odakle su pošli. U olupini broda, iz usta dvojice mrtvaca izrastale su zelene gljive. Dok su oni gledali, gljive se rascvetaše, latice se odvojiše na kiši, i gljive uginuše.	It was lying where they had left it. Somehow they had circled back and were where they had started. In the ruin of the ship green fungus was growing up out of the mouths of the two dead men. As they watched, the fungus took flower, the petals broke away in the rain, and the fungus died.
"Kako smo to napravili?"	“How did we do it?”
"Mora da je u blizini električna bura. Izbacila nam je igle na kompasima. To je."	“An electrical storm must be nearby. Threw our compasses off. That explains it.”
"U pravu ste."	“You’re right.”
"Šta sada da radimo?"	“What’ll we do now?”
"Da krenemo opet."	“Start out again.”
"Gospode bože, nismo ni korak bliže ničemu!"	“Good lord, we’re not any closer to anywhere!”
"Pokušajmo da ostanemo mirni Simonse."	“Let’s try to keep calm about it, Simmons.”
"Mir, mir! Poludeću od ove kiše!"	“Calm, calm! This rain’s driving me wild!”
"Imamo dovoljno hrane za još dva dana ako budemo pazili."	“We’ve enough food for another two days if we’re careful.”
Kiša im je igrala po koži, po mokrim uniformama; tekla im je potocima sa noseva i ušiju, sa prstiju i kolena. Izgledali su kao kamene fontane zamrznute u džungli, koje ispuštaju vodu na svaku poru.	The rain danced on their skin, on their wet uniforms; the rain streamed from their noses and ears, from their fingers and knees. They looked like stone fountains frozen in the jungle, issuing forth water from every pore.
I, dok su tako stajali, iz daljine začuše urlik.	And, as they stood, from a distance they heard a roar.
Iz kiše izroni čudovište.	And the monster came out of the rain.

Čudovište se uspravljalo na hiljadu električnih plavih nogu. Hodalo je brzo i jezivo. Udaralo je jednom nogom o tle. Svuda gde bi noga udarila, palo bi i izgorelo drvo. Kišni vazduh ispunjavali su veliki talasi ozona, dok se dim širio i rasturala ga kiša. Čudovište je imalo pola milje u širinu i milju u visinu i opipavalo je tle poput velikog slepca. Ponekad, za trenutak, ostajalo je sasvim bez nogu. I onda bi se, u magnovenju, iz njegovog trbuha spustilo hiljadu bičeva, belo-plavih bičeva, i ubadalo džunglu.	The monster was supported upon a thousand electric blue legs. It walked swiftly and terribly. It struck down a leg with a driving blow. Everywhere a leg struck a tree fell and burned. Great whiffs of ozone filled the rainy air, and smoke blew away and was broken up by the rain. The monster was a half mile wide and a mile high and it felt of the ground like a great blind thing. Sometimes, for a moment, it had no legs at all. And then, in an instant, a thousand whips would fall out of its belly, white-blue whips, to sting the jungle.
"To je električna bura", reče jedan od ljudi. "Eto šta nam je uništilo kompase. A nailazi ovuda."	“There’s the electrical storm,” said one of the men. “There’s the thing ruined our compasses. And it’s coming this way.”
"Lezite, svi", reče poručnik.	“Lie down, everyone,” said the lieutenant.
"Beži!" uzviknu Simons.	“Run!” cried Simmons.
"Ne budi lud. Lezi. Udara u najviše tačke. Možda ćemo proći bez povrede. Lezite na oko petnaest stopa od rakete. Možda će sasvim lepo da potroši energiju i tamo, i da nas poštedi. Lezi!"	“Don’t be a fool. Lie down. It hits the highest points. We may get through unhurt. Lie down about fifty feet from the rocket. It may very well spend its force there and leave us be. Get down!”
Ljudi se baciše na tle.	The men flopped.
"Ide li?" zapitkivali su jedan drugoga trenutak kasnije.	“Is it coming?” they asked each other, after a moment.
"Dolazi."	“Coming.”
"Je li bliže?"	“Is it nearer?”
"Dvesta jardi odavde."	“Two hundred yards off.”
"Približila se?"	“Nearer?”
"Evo je!"	“Here she is!”
Čudovište dođe i stade iznad njih. Spusti deset plavih kugli munje koje udariše u raketu. Raketa je bleskala kao gong pod udarcima, i metalno odzvanjala. Čudovište ispusti još petnaest gromova koji su igrali unaokolo smešnom pantomimom, pipajući po džungli i raskvašenom tlu.	The monster came and stood over them. It dropped down ten blue bolts of lightning which struck the rocket. The rocket flashed like a beaten gong and gave off a metal ringing. The monster let down fifteen more bolts which danced about in a ridiculous pantomime, feeling of the jungle and the watery soil.
"Ne, ne!" Jedan od ljudi skoči.	“No, no!” One of the men jumped up.
"Lezi, budalo!" reče poručnik.	“Get down, yon fool!” said the lieutenant.
"Ne!"	“No!”
Munja pogodi raketu još desetak puta. Poručnik okrete glavu na ruci i vide usplamsale plave bleskove. Vide drveće kako se rascepljuje i ruši u krš. Vide čudovišni tamni oblak kako im se iznad glava okreće poput crnog diska i izbacuje nadole još stotinu električnih igala.	The lightning struck the rocket another dozen times. The lieutenant turned his head on his arm and saw the blue blazing flashes. He saw trees split and crumple into ruin. He saw the monstrous dark cloud turn like a black disk overhead and hurl down a hundred other poles of electricity.
Čovek koji je skočio sada je trčao, kao da je u velikoj dvorani sa stubovima. Trčao je izvrdavajući između stubova, a onda se najzad desetina stubova sa treskom stušti nadole i začu se onaj zvuk koji proizvodi mušica kada se spusti na usijane žice istrebljivača. Poručnik se sećao toga iz svog detinjstva na farmi. Oseti se i miris čoveka pretvorenog u pepeo.	The man who had leaped up was now running, like someone in a great hall of pillars. He ran and dodged between the pillars and then at last a dozen of the pillars slammed down and there was the sound a fly makes when landing upon the grill wires of an exterminator. The lieutenant remembered this from his childhood on a farm. And there was a smell of a man burned to a cinder.
Poručnik spusti glavu. "Ne gledajte gore", reče ostalima. Bojao se da bi svakog trenutka mogao da potrči i sam.	The lieutenant lowered his head. “Don’t look up,” he told the others. He was afraid that he too might run at any moment.
Grdosija iznad njih ispusti uz blesak još jedan niz gromova i onda krenu dalje. Opet je ostala samo kiša, koja je brzo čistila vazduh od mirisa nagoretine, i za trenutak su trojica preostalih sedeli i čekali da im se srca ponovo stišaju.	The storm above them flashed down another series of bolts and then moved on away. Once again there was only the rain, which rapidly cleared the air of the charred smell, and in a moment the three remaining men were sitting and waiting for the beat of their hearts to subside into quiet once more.
Priđoše telu, misleći da bi možda još mogli da spasu život čoveku. Nisu mogli da veruju da mu se ne može pomoći ni na koji način. To je bio prirodan postupak ljudi koji nisu prihvatili smrt sve dok je se nisu dotakli, prevrnuli je i napravili planove da je sahrane ili ostave da je džungla sahrani za jedan sat svog brzog rasta.	They walked over to the body, thinking that perhaps they could still save the man’s life. They couldn’t believe that there wasn’t some way to help the man. It was the natural act of men who have not accepted death until they have touched it and turned it over and made plans to bury it or leave it there for the jungle to bury in an hour of quick growth.
Telo je bilo poput izuvijanog čelika, umotanog u izgorelu kožu. Izgledalo je kao voštana lutka koju su bacili u peć za sagorevanje pa izvukli pošto se vosak stopio do ugljenog skeleta. Samo su zubi bili beli, i sijali se kao čudna bela narukvica napola ispuštena kroz stisnutu crnu pesnicu.	The body was twisted steel, wrapped in burned leather. It looked like a wax dummy that had been thrown into an incinerator and pulled out after the wax had sunk to the charcoal skeleton. Only the teeth were white, and they shone like a strange white bracelet dropped half through a clenched black fist.
"Nije trebalo da skače." Rekoše gotovo istovremeno.	“He shouldn’t have jumped up.” They said it almost at the same time.
Dok su još stajali nad telom, ono poče da iščezava, jer ga je vegetacija već prekrivala, lozice i bršljan, puzavice, pa čak i cveće za mrtvog.	Even as they stood over the body it began to vanish, for the vegetation was edging in upon it, little vines and ivy and creepers, and even flowers for the dead.
U daljini, bura je odmicala na plavim gromovitim munjama, i najzad nestade.	At a distance the storm walked off on blue bolts of lightning and was gone.
Prešli su jednu reku, pa potočić i potok, i još desetak drugih reka, i potočića i potoka. Pred očima su im iskrsavale reke, brze, nove reke, dok su stare reke menjale svoje tokove - reke živine boje, reke boje srebra i mleka.	They crossed a river and a creek and a stream and a dozen other rivers and creeks and streams. Before their eyes rivers appeared, rushing, new rivers, while old rivers changed their courses—rivers the color of mercury, rivers the color of silver and milk.
Dođoše do mora.	They came to the sea.
Jedinstvenog mora. Na Veneri je bio samo jedan kontinent. Ta zemlja je išla tri hiljade milja u dužinu i hiljadu milja u širinu, a oko tog ostrva bilo je Jedinstveno more, koje je pokrivalo celu kišovitu planetu. Jedinstveno more, koje je ležalo uz bledu obalu gotovo bez pokreta...	The Single Sea. There was only one continent on Venus. This land was three thousand miles long by a thousand miles wide, and about this island was the Single Sea, which covered the entire raining planet. The Single Sea, which lay upon the pallid shore with little motion . . .
"Ovuda." Poručnik klimnu glavom ka jugu. "Siguran sam da u tom pravcu ima dve Sunčane kupole."	“This way.” The lieutenant nodded south. “I’m sure there are two Sun Domes down that way.
"Kad su to već radili, zašto nisu izgradili još stotinu?"	“While they were at it, why didn’t they build a hundred more?”

"Sada ih ima sto dvadeset, zar ne?"	“There’re a hundred and twenty of them now, aren’t there?”
"Sto dvadeset šest, prema stanju od prošlog meseca. Pre godinu dana pokušali su da proguraju u Kongresu dole na Zemlji jedan predlog zakona da se obezbedi još oko dvadeset pet, ali ne, znate kako to ide. Oni će radije pustiti da nekoliko ljudi poludi od kiše."	“One hundred and twenty-six, as of last month. They tried to push a bill through Congress back on Earth a year ago to provide for a couple dozen more, but oh no, you know how that is. They’d rather a few men went crazy with the rain.”
Krenuše na jug.	They started south.
Poručnik i Simons i treći čovek, Pikard, hodali su po kiši; po kiši koja je padala čas jako čas slabo, čas jako čas slabo; po kiši koja je lila i lila i nije prestajala da pada na zemlju i more, i na ljude u hodu.	The lieutenant and Simmons and the third man, Pickard, walked in the rain, in the rain that fell heavily and lightly, heavily and lightly; in the rain that poured and hammered and did not stop falling upon the land and the sea and the walking people.
Simons je prvi ugleda. "Eno je!"	Simmons saw it first. “There it is!”
"Eno je šta?"	“There’s what?”
"Sunčana kupola!"	“The Sun Dome!”
Poručnik žmirkanjem ukloni vodu s očiju i podiže ruke da se odbrani od bockavih naleta kiše.	The lieutenant blinked the water from his eyes and raised his hands to ward off the stinging blows of the rain.
U daljini na ivici džungle, pored mora, videla se žuta svetlost. Bila je to, zaista, Sunčana kupola.	At a distance there was a yellow glow on the edge of the jungle, by the sea. It was, indeed, the Sun Dome.
Ljudi se osmehnuše jedan drugom. "Kao da ste bili u pravu, Poručniče."	The men smiled at each other. “Looks like you were right, Lieutenant.”
"Sreća."	“Luck.”
"Brate to mi daje snagu, samo kad sam je video. Hajdemo! Ko poslednji stigne, magarac!" Simons poče da kasa. Drugi mu se automatski pridružiše, dahćući, umorni, ali držeći korak.	“Brother, that puts muscle in me, just seeing it. Come on! Last one there’s a son-of-a-bitch!” Simmons began to trot. The others automatically fell in with this, gasping, tired, but keeping pace.
"Veliko lonče kafe za mene", dahtao je Simons, nasmejan. "I pun tanjir zemički sa cimetom, Bože! I samo da ležiš tamo i da te staro sunce peče. Tip što je izmislio Sunčane kupole, trebalo je da dobije odlikovanje!"	“A big pot of coffee for me,” panted Simmons, smiling. “And a pan of cinnamon buns, by God! And just lie there and let the old sun hit you. The guy that invented the Sun Domes, he should have got a medal!”
Potrčaše brže. Žuta svetlost je sada bila sve jasnija i jasnija.	They ran faster. The yellow glow grew brighter.
Mora da ih je mnogo poludelo dok nisu izmislili lek. Simons je izbacivao reči u kadenci sa trčanjem. "Kiša, kiša! Pre mnogo godina. Sreo jednog prijatelja. Mog. U džungli. Luta. Po kiši. Neprekidno ponavlja, 'Ne znam dovoljno, da uđem, iz ove kiše. Ne znam dovoljno, da uđem, iz ove kiše. Ne znam dovoljno...' Iznova i iznova. Tako. Jadni ludak."	“Guess a lot of men went crazy before they figured out the cure. Think it’d be obvious! Right off.” Simmons panted the words in cadence to his running. “Rain, rain! Years ago. Found a friend. Of mine. Out in the jungle. Wandering around. In the rain. Saying over and over, ‘Don’t know enough, to come in, outta the rain. Don’t know enough, to come in, outta the rain. Don’t know enough—’ On and on. Like that. Poor crazy bastard.”
"Štedi vazduh!"	“Save your breath!”
Trčali su.	They ran.
Svi su se smejali. Stigoše do vrata Sunčane kupole smejući se.	They all laughed. They reached the door of the Sun Dome, laughing.
Simons grunu i širom otvori vrata. "Hej!" urlao je. "Dajte kafu i zemičke!"	Simmons yanked the door wide. “Hey!” he yelled. “Bring on the coffee and buns!”
Nije bilo odgovora. Kročiše kroz vrata.	There was no reply. They stepped through the door.
Sunčana kupola je bila prazna i mračna. Nije bilo sintetičkog žutog sunca što pluta u vazdušastom šapatu visoko na sredini plave tavanice. Hrana nije čekala. Bilo je hladno kao u zasvođenom podrumu. A kroz bezbrojne rupe koje su nedavno bile izbušene na tavanici potocima se slivala voda, kiša padala i natapala debele prostirke i težak moderni nameštaj, i prskala po staklenim stolovima. Džungla je kao mahovina rasla u sobi, po ormanima sa knjigama i divanima. Kiša je tukla kroz rupe i padala na lica trojice ljudi.	The Sun Dome was empty and dark. There was no synthetic yellow sun floating in a high gaseous whisper at the center of the blue ceiling. There was no food waiting. It was cold as a vault. And through a thousand holes which had been newly punctured in the ceiling water streamed, the rain fell down, soaking into the thick rugs and the heavy modern furniture and splashing on the glass tables. The jungle was growing up like a moss in the room, on top of the bookcases and the divans. The rain slashed through the holes and fell upon the three men’s faces.
Pikard poče tiho da se smeje.	Pickard began to laugh quietly.
"Umukni, Pikarde!"	“Shut up, Pickard!”
"Boga mu, vidi šta ima ovde za nas - nema hrane, nema sunca, ništa. Veneranci - to su oni učinili! Naravno!"	“Ye gods, look what’s here for us—no food, no sun, nothing. The Venusians—they did it! Of course!”
Simons je klimao glavom dok mu se kiša kao iz levka izlivala na lice. Voda mu je tekla po posrebrenoj kosi i belim obrvama. "Čas ovde čas onde Veneranci izranjaju iz mora i napadaju neku Sunčanu kupolu. Znaju da uništavanjem Sunčanih kupola uništavaju nas."	Simmons nodded, with the rain funneling down on his face. The water ran in his silvered hair and on his white eyebrows. “Every once in a while the Venusians come up out of the sea and attack a Sun Dome. They know if they ruin the Sun Domes they can ruin us.”
"Ali zar Sunčane kupole nisu branjene oružjem?"	“But aren’t the Sun Domes protected with guns?”
"Sigurno." Simons istupi u stranu na mesto koje je bilo srazmerno suvo. "Ali Veneranci nisu ništa pokušali već pet godina. Odbrana se opustila. Ovu Kupolu su osvojili na prepad."	“Sure.” Simmons stepped aside to a place that was relatively dry. “But it’s been five years since the Venusians tried anything. Defense relaxes. They caught this Dome unaware.”
"Gde su tela?"	“Where are the bodies?”
"Veneranci su ih sve odvukli dole u more. Čuo sam da znaju jedan sjajan način da udave čoveka. Potrebno je oko osam časova za davljenje onako kako to oni čine. Stvarno divno."	“The Venusians took them all down into the sea. I hear they have a delightful way of drowning you. It takes about eight hours to drown the way they work it. Really delightful.”
"Kladim se da ovde uopšte nema hrane." nasmeja se Pikard.	“I bet there isn’t any food here at all.” Pickard laughed.

Poručnik se namršti na njega, klimnu glavom, tako da ga Simons vidi. Simons zavrte glavom i vrati se u sobu na jednom kraju ovalne odaje. Po kuhinji su bile razbacane raskvašene vekne hleba i meso po kome je naraslo meko zeleno krzno. Kroz stotinu rupa na kuhinjskom krovu padala je kiša.	The lieutenant frowned at him, nodded at him so Simmons could see. Simmons shook his head and went back to a room at one side of the oval chamber. The kitchen was strewn with soggy loaves of bread, and meat that had grown a faint green fur. Rain came through a hundred holes in the kitchen roof.
"Sjajno." Poručnik baci pogled gore na rupe. "Ne verujem da možemo da začepimo sve te rupe i da se ovde ututkamo."	“Brilliant.” The lieutenant glanced up at the holes. “I don’t suppose we can plug up all those holes and get snug here.”
"Bez hrane, gospodine?" frknu Simons. "Vidim da je sunčana mašina rasturena. Najbolje što bismo mogli da učinimo jeste da se uputimo do sledeće Sunčane kupole. Koliko je to odavde?"	“Without food, sir?” Simmons snorted. “I notice the sun machine’s torn apart. Our best bet is to make our way to the next Sun Dome. How far is that from here?”
"Nije daleko. Koliko se sećam, ovde su sagradili dve prilično blizu. Možda ako, ako ovde sačekamo, spasilačka ekipa iz druge mogla bi..."	“Not far. As I recall, they built two rather close together here. Perhaps if we waited here, a rescue mission from the other might——”
"Verovatno je bila ovde i već otišla, pre nekoliko dana. Poslaće jednu grupu da ovo opravi kroz jedno šest meseci, kada dobiju pare od Kongresa. Mislim da je bolje da ne čekamo."	“It’s probably been here and gone already, some days ago. They’ll send a crew to repair this place in about six months, when they get the money from Congress. I don’t think we’d better wait.”
"U redu onda, da pojedemo šta nam je ostalo od sledovanja pa da produžimo za sledeću Kupolu."	“All right then, we’ll eat what’s left of our rations and get on to the next Dome.”
Pikard reče: "Samo kad mi kiša ne bi udarala po glavi, samo nekoliko minuta. Kad bih samo mogao da se setim kako je to kad te ništa ne gnjavi." Stavi šake na lobanju i čvrsto je stisnu. "Sećam se kad sam bio u školi jedan siledžija sedeo je iza mene i štipao me i štipao i štipao svakih pet minuta, po čitav dan. Tako je radio nedeljama i mesecima. Sve vreme ruke su mi bile crne i modre i bolele me. I mislio sam da ću poludeti od tog štipanja. Jednog dana mora da sam već stvarno bio šenuo od stalnog mučenja, okrenem se i zgrabim jedan metalni trougao koji sam koristio za tehničko crtanje, i gotovo da ubijem tog gada. Gotovo da mu odsečem onu njegovu vašljivu glavu. Umalo da mu iskopam oko dok me nisu izvukli iz sobe, a ja urlam i dalje: 'Zašto me ne ostavi na miru? Zašto me ne ostavi na miru?' Brate!" Šakama je, tresući se, stiskao i stiskao kosti glave, zatvorenih očiju. "Ali šta ja radim sada? Kog udaram, kome kažem da sjaši, da prestane da me uznemirava, ova prokleta kiša, kao štipanje, neprestano te proganja, to je sve što čuješ, to je sve što osećaš!"	Pickard said, “If only the rain wouldn’t hit my head, just for a few minutes. If I could only remember what it’s like not to be bothered.” He put his hands on his skull and held it tight. “I remember when I was in school a bully used to sit in back of me and pinch me and pinch me and pinch me every five minutes, all day long. He did that for weeks and months. My arms were sore and black and blue all the time. And I thought I’d go crazy from being pinched. One day I must have gone a little mad from being hurt and hurt, and I turned around and took a metal trisquare I used in mechanical drawing and I almost killed that bastard. I almost cut his lousy head off. I almost took his eye out before they dragged me out of the room, and I kept yelling, ‘Why don’t he leave me alone? why don’t he leave me alone?’ Brother!” His hands clenched the bone of his head, shaking, tightening, his eyes shut. “But what do I do now? Who do I hit, who do I tell to lay off, stop bothering me, this damn rain, like the pinching, always on you, that’s all you hear, that’s all you feel!”
"Bićemo kod druge Sunčane kupole do četiri popodne."	“We’ll be at the other Sun Dome by four this afternoon.”
"Sunčana kupola? Pogledaj ovu! Šta ako su sve Sunčane kupole na Veneri propale? Šta onda? Šta ako su rupe u svim tavanicama i kiša prolazi svuda?"	“Sun Dome? Look at this one! What if all the Sun Domes on Venus are gone? What then? What if there are holes in all the ceilings, and the rain coming in!”
"Moraćemo da rizikujemo."	“We’ll have to chance it.”
"Umorio sam se od rizikovanja. Sve što želim jeste krov i malo mira. Želim da budem na miru."	“I’m tired of chancing it. All I want is a roof and some quiet. I want to be alone.”
"To je samo osam sati odavde, ako nastaviš."	“That’s only eight hours off, if you hold on.”
"Ne brinite, ja ću sigurno produžiti." I Pikard se nasmeja, ne gledajući ih.	“Don’t worry, I’ll hold on all right.” And Pickard laughed, not looking at them.
"Hajde da jedemo", reče Simons posmatrajući ga.	“Let’s eat,” said Simmons, watching him.
Krenuše obalom, opet na jug. Posle četiri sata morali su da uđu u kopno da bi zaobišli reku koja je bila milju široka i toliko brza da se nije moglo ploviti čamcem. Morali su da uđu u kopno šest milja do jednog mesta gde je reka izbijala iz zemlje, iznenada, kao smrtonosna rana. Po kiši, preko čvrstog tla, vratiše se do mora.	They set off down the coast, southward again. After four hours they had to cut inland to go around a river that was a mile wide and so swift it was not navigable by boat. They had to walk inland six miles to a place where the river boiled out of the earth, suddenly, like a mortal wound. In the rain, they walked on solid ground and returned to the sea.
"Moram da spavam", najzad reče Pikard. Onda se skljoka. "Ne spavam već četiri nedelje. Pokušavao sam, ali ne ide. Spavaću ovde."	“I’ve got to sleep,” said Pickard at last. He slumped. “Haven’t slept in four weeks. Tried, but couldn’t. Sleep here.”
Nebo je tamnelo. Na Veneri se spuštala noć koja je bila tako potpuno crna da je bilo opasno kretati se. I Simons i poručnik padoše na kolena, i poručnik reče: "Dobro, videćemo šta možemo da učinimo. Probali smo i pre, ali ne znam. San izgleda ne spada u stvari koje možeš dobiti po ovakvom vremenu."	The sky was getting darker. The night of Venus was setting in and it was so completely black that it was dangerous to move. Simmons and the lieutenant fell to their knees also, and the lieutenant said, “All right, we’ll see what we can do. We’ve tried it before, but I don’t know. Sleep doesn’t seem one of the things you can get in this weather.”
Polegaše onako kako su se zatekli, podupirući glave u uspravnom položaju da im voda ne bi dolazila do usta, i zatvoriše oči. Poručnik se trže.	They lay out full, propping their heads up so the water wouldn’t come to their mouths, and they closed their eyes. The lieutenant twitched.
On nije spavao.	He did not sleep.
Po koži mu je nešto puzilo. Nešto ga je obuhvatalo u slojevima. Kapljice, su padale spajale se sa drugim kapljicama i pretvarale u potočiće koji su mu cureli telom, i dok su se potočići slivali po njemu, sitno šumsko rastinje hvatalo je korene u njegovoj odeći. Oseti kako se bršljan razgranava i pravi još jedno odelo preko njega; oseti kako cvetići pupe i otvaraju se, razlistavaju latice, dok mu je kiša i dalje dobovala po telu i glavi. U svetlucavoj noći jer vegetacija je sjajila u tmini - video je onu drugu dvojicu kako se ocrtavaju, kao panjevi koji su se srušili i primili na sebe somotske pokrivke od trave i cveća. Kiša mu je udarala u lice. On ga pokri rukama. Kiša mu je tukla u vrat. Okrenu se na stomak u blatu, na gumastim biljkama, tako da mu kiša udara u leđa i noge.	There were things that crawled on his skin. Things grew upon him in layers. Drops fell and touched other drops and they became streams that trickled over his body, and while these moved down his flesh, the small growths of the forest took root in his clothing. He felt the ivy cling and make a second garment over him; he felt the small flowers bud and open and petal away, and still the rain pattered on his body and on his head. In the luminous night—for the vegetation glowed in the darkness—he could see the other two men outlined, like logs that had fallen and taken upon themselves velvet coverings of grass and flowers. The rain hit his face. He covered his face with his hands. The rain hit his neck. He turned over on his stomach in the mud, on the rubbery plants, and the rain hit his back and hit his legs.
Odjednom skoči i poče da otresa vodu sa sebe. Dodirivalo ga je hiljadu ruku, a on više nije hteo da ga dodiruju. Više nije mogao da podnese pipkanje. Zatrapa po vodi i udari o nešto drugo, i znao je da je to Simons koji stoji na kiši, iskijava vlagu, kašlje i zadavljuje se. Onda ustade i Pikard, stade da viče i da trči unaokolo.	Suddenly he leaped up and began to brush the water from himself. A thousand hands were touching him and he no longer wanted to be touched. He no longer could stand being touched. He floundered and struck something else and knew that it was Simmons, standing up in the rain, sneezing moisture, coughing and choking. And then Pickard was up, shouting, running about.
"Čekaj malo, Pikarde!"	“Wait a minute, Pickard!”
"Zaustavi, zaustavi!" vrištao je Pikard. Šest puta opali iz puške u noćno nebo. U blesku barutnog osvetljenja videše horde kišnih kapi, uhvaćene kao u kakvom ogromnom nepokretnom ćilibaru, kako oklevaju za trenutak kao pogođene eksplozijom; bezbroj kapljica, bezbroj suza, bezbroj dragulja, izloženih na beloj somotskoj podlozi. A onda, kada je svetlost nestala, kapljice koje su, zastale u svom sunovratu, čekale da budu snimljene, padoše na njih, bockave, kao oblak insekata, hladan i bolan.	“Stop it, stop it!” Pickard screamed. He fired off his gun six times at the night sky. In the flashes of powdery illumination they could see armies of raindrops, suspended as in a vast motionless amber, for an instant, hesitating as if shocked by the explosion, fifteen billion droplets, fifteen billion tears, fifteen billion ornaments, jewels standing out against a white velvet viewing board. And then, with the light gone, the drops which had waited to have their pictures taken, which had suspended their downward rush, fell upon them, stinging, in an insect cloud of coldness and pain.
"Zaustavi! Zaustavi!"	“Stop it! Stop it!”
"Pikarde!"	“Pickard!”
Ali Pikard je sada samo stajao, sam. Kada poručnik upali malu ručnu lampu i pređe njome preko Pikardovog mokrog lica, čovekove oči bile su raširene, usta otvorena, lice okrenuto uvis, tako da je voda udarala i prskala po jeziku, tukla i potapala raširene oči, i u mehurovima se šaputavo penila na nozdrvama.	But Pickard was only standing now, alone. When the lieutenant switched on a small hand lamp and played it over Pickard’s wet face, the eyes of the man were dilated, and his mouth was open, his face turned up, so the water hit and splashed on his tongue, and hit and drowned the wide eyes, and bubbled in a whispering froth on the nostrils.
"Pikarde!"	“Pickard!”
Čovek nije hteo da odgovori. Jednostavno je stajao i stajao dok su mu mehurići kiše izbijali po izbeleloj kosi a okovi kišnih dragulja kapali mu sa ručnih zglobova i vrata.	The man would not reply. He simply stood there for a long while with the bubbles of rain breaking out in his whitened hair and manacles of rain jewels dripping from his wrists and his neck.
"Pikarde! Odlazimo. Idemo dalje. Pođi za nama."	“Pickard! We’re leaving. We’re going on. Follow us.”
Sa Pikardovih ušiju padala je kiša.	The rain dripped from Pickard’s ears.

"Čuješ li me, Pikarde?"	“Do you hear me, Pickard!”
Bilo je to kao da vičeš u bunar.	It was like shouting down a well.
"Pikarde!"	“Pickard!”
"Ostavite ga na miru", reče Simons.	“Leave him alone,” said Simmons.
"Ne možemo dalje bez njega."	“We can’t go on without him.”
"Šta da radimo, da ga nosimo?" pljunu Simons. "On ne vredi ni nama ni sebi. Znate šta će uraditi? Prosto će stajati ovde i udaviti se."	“What’ll we do, carry him?” Simmons spat. “He’s no good to us or himself. You know what he’ll do? He’ll just stand here and drown.”
"Šta?"	“What?”
"To do sada već treba da znate. Zar ne znate priču? Samo će stajati ovde sa glavom okrenutom na gore puštaće da mu voda ulazi u nozdrve i u usta. Disaće vodu."	“You ought to know that by now. Don’t you know the story? He’ll just stand here with his head up and let the rain come in his nostrils and his mouth. He’ll breathe the water.”
"Tako su našli Generala Menta onog puta. Kako sedi na steni i udiše kišu. Pluća su mu bila puna kiše."	“That’s how they found General Mendt that time. Sitting on a rock with his head back, breathing the rain. His lungs were full of water.”
Poručnik ponovo upravi svetlo na nepomično lice. Pikardove nozdrve ispuštale su tanušan šaptav, vlažan zvuk.	The lieutenant turned the light back to the unblinking face. Pickard’s nostrils gave off a tiny whispering wet sound.
"Pikarde!" Kapetan ga ošamari po licu.	“Pickard!” The lieutenant slapped the face.
"On vas i ne oseća", reče Simons. "Posle nekoliko dana na ovoj kiši više nemaš ni lice ni noge, ni ruke."	“He can’t even feel you,” said Simmons. “A few days in this rain and you don’t have any face or any legs or hands.”
Poručnik užasnuto pogleda svoju ruku. Više je nije osećao.	The lieutenant looked at his own hand in horror. He could no longer feel it.
"Ali ne možemo ovde ostaviti Pikarda."	“But we can’t leave Pickard here.”
"Pokazaću vam šta možemo." Simons opali iz puške.	“I’ll show you what we can do.” Simmons fired his gun.
Pikard pade na zemlju iz koje se cedila voda.	Pickard fell into the raining earth.
Simons reče: "Ne mičite se, Poručniče. Puška mi je spremna i za vas. Razmislite; on bi samo tu stajao ili sedeo i udavio bi se. Ovako je brže."	Simmons said, “Don’t move, Lieutenant. I’ve got my gun ready for you too. Think it over; he would only have stood or sat there and drowned. It’s quicker this way.”
Poručnik zažmire gledajući na telo. "Ali ti si ga ubio."	The lieutenant blinked at the body. “But you killed him.”
"Da, zato što bi on ubio nas time što bi nas opterećivao. Videli ste mu lice. Ludak."	“Yes, because he’d have killed us by being a burden. You saw his face. Insane.”
Poručnik poćuta pa klimnu glavom. "U redu."	After a moment the lieutenant nodded. “All right.”
Pođoše dalje u kišu.	They walked off into the rain.
Bilo je mračno, i njihove baterije bacale su zrak koji je probijao kišu jedva nekoliko stopa. Posle pola sata morali su da stanu i presede ostatak noći, sa grčevima u stomaku od gladi, čekajući svanuće; kada dođe, svitanje je bilo sivo i kiša je neprestano padala kao i pre, i oni opet krenuše.	It was dark and their hand lamps threw a beam that pierced the rain for only a few feet. After a half hour they had to stop and sit through the rest of the night, aching with hunger, waiting for the dawn to come; when it did come it was gray and continually raining as before, and they began to walk again.
"Pogrešno smo izračunali", reče Simons.	“We’ve miscalculated,” said Simmons.
"Nismo. Još jedan sat."	“No. Another hour.”
"Govorite glasnije. Ne čujem vas." Simons zastade i osmehnu se. "Isusa mu", reče i dodirnu uši. "Uši. Otkazale su mi. Od sve ove silne kiše najzad sam ogluveo kao top."	“Speak louder. I can’t hear you.” Simmons stopped and smiled. “By Christ,” he said, and touched his ears. “My ears. They’ve gone out on me. All the rain pouring finally numbed me right down to the bone.”
"Zar ništa ne čuješ?" reče poručnik.	“Can’t you hear anything?” said the lieutenant.
"Šta?" Pogleda ga Simons zbunjeno.	“What?” Simmons’s eyes were puzzled.
"Ništa. Hajde."	“Nothing. Come on.”
"Mislim da sačekam ovde. Vi terajte napred."	“I think I’ll wait here. You go on ahead.”
"To ne možeš."	“You can’t do that.”

"Ne čujem vas. Vi produžite. Ja sam umoran. Mislim da Sunčana kupola nije u ovom pravcu. A i ako jeste, verovatno joj je izbušen krov kao i onoj poslednjoj. Ja ću jednostavno da sedim ovde."	“I can’t hear you. You go on. I’m tired. I don’t think the Sun Dome is down this way. And, if it is, it’s probably got holes in the roof, like the last one. I think I’ll just sit here.”
"Ustaj odatle!"	“Get up from there!”
"Do viđenja, Poručniče."	“So long, Lieutenant.”
"Ne možeš sada da digneš ruke."	“You can’t give up now.”
"Imam ja ovde pušku i ona mi kaže da ostajem. Prosto me više nije briga. Još nisam šenuo, ali tu sam. Ne želim da tako završim. Čim mi se izgubite iz vida okrenuću ovu pušku na sebe."	“I’ve got a gun here that says I’m staying. I just don’t give a damn any more. I’m not crazy yet, but I’m the next thing to it. I don’t want to go out that way. As soon as you get out of sight I’m going to use this gun on myself.”
"Simonse!"	“Simmons!”
"Izgovorili ste moje ime. Toliko mogu da vam pročitam sa usana."	“You said my name. I can read that much off your lips.”
"Simonse."	“Simmons.”
"Slušajte to je samo pitanje vremena. Umreću ili sada ili kroz nekoliko časova. Čekajte da stignete do sledeće Kupole, ako ikada stignete, pa da vidite kako kiša pljušti kroz krov. Što će to da bude lepo?"	“Look, it’s a matter of time. Either I die now or in a few hours. Wait’ll you get to that next Dome, if you ever get there, and find rain coming in through the roof. Won’t that be nice?”
Poručnik malo počeka, pa otšljapka kroz kišu. Onda se jednom osvrnu i pozva Simonsa, ali ovaj je samo sedeo sa puškom u rukama i čekao da mu se poručnik izgubi iz vida. Zavrte glavom i odmahnu poručniku da ide dalje.	The lieutenant waited and then splashed off in the rain. He turned and called back once, but Simmons was only sitting there with the gun in his hands, waiting for him to get out of sight. He shook his head and waved the lieutenant on.
Poručnik čak nije ni čuo pušku kada je opalila.	The lieutenant didn’t even hear the sound of the gun.
Poče da jede cveće dok je hodao. Zadržavalo se u stomaku kratko vreme i nije bilo otrovno; nije bilo ni hranljivo, i posle minut-dva on ga ispovraća uz mučninu.	He began to eat the flowers as he walked. They stayed down for a time, and weren’t poisonous; neither were they particularly sustaining, and he vomited them up, sickly, a minute or so later.
U jedan mah uze nekoliko listova i pokuša da napravi sebi kapu, ali to je već i ranije pokušavao; kiša mu je otapala lišće sa glave. Kada bi se uzbralo, bilje je brzo trunulo i raspadalo mu se u sivu masu među prstima.	Once he took some leaves and tried to make himself a hat, but he had tried that before; the rain melted the leaves from his head. Once picked, the vegetation rotted quickly and fell away into gray masses in his fingers.
"Još pet minuta", reče sam sebi. "Još pet minuta, pa ću ušetati u more i nastaviti da hodam. Mi za ovo nismo stvoreni; nijedan Zemljanin nikada nije bio u stanju, niti će moći ovo da podnese. To su nervi, nervi."	“Another five minutes,” he told himself. “Another five minutes and then I’ll walk into the sea and keep walking. We weren’t made for this; no Earthman was or ever will be able to take it. Your nerves, your nerves.
Šljapao je svojim putem kroz more raskaljanog tla i lišća, i dođe do jednog brdašca.	He floundered his way through a sea of slush and foliage and came to a small hill.
Kroz hladne koprene kiše u daljini se nazirala bleda žuta mrlja.	At a distance there was a faint yellow smudge in the cold veils of water.
Sledeća Sunčana kupola.	The next Sun Dome.
Kroz drveće, dugačka okrugla žuta zgrada, u daljini. Za trenutak je samo stajao, klateći se, i gledao je.	Through the trees, a long round yellow building, far away. For a moment he only stood, swaying, looking at it.
Poče da trči, onda uspori, jer se plašio. Šta ako je to ona ista? Šta ako je to mrtva Sunčana kupola, bez sunca u sebi? pomisli on.	He began to run and then he slowed down, for he was afraid. He didn’t call out. What if it’s the same one? What if it’s the dead Sun Dome, with no sun in it? he thought.
Okliznu se i pade. Leži tu, mislio je; to nije ona prava. Leži tu. Ne vredi. Pij do mile volje.	He slipped and fell. Lie here, he thought; it’s the wrong one. Lie here. It’s no use. Drink all you want.
Ali uspe da se opet uspravi na noge i pređe nekoliko potočića, i žuta svetlost postade veoma sjajna, i on ponovo stade da trči, razmrskavajući nogama ogledala i staklo, razmahujući rukama po dijamantima i dragom kamenju.	But he managed to climb to his feet again and crossed several creeks, and the yellow light grew very bright, and he began to run again, his feet crashing into mirrors and glass, his arms flailing at diamonds and precious stones.
Stajao je pred žutim vratima. Iznad vrata bila su utisnuta slova SUNČANA KUPOLA. Podiže utrnulu ruku da opipa vrata. Onda okrenu kvaku i utetura se unutra.	He stood before the yellow door. The printed letters over it said THE SUN DOME. He put his numb hand up to feel it. Then he twisted the doorknob and stumbled in.
Zastade za trenutak gledajući oko sebe. Iza njega, kiša je u kovitlacima nasrtala na vrata. Ispred njega, na jednom niskom stolu stajalo je srebrno lonče sa vrelom čokoladom i šolja, puna, šlaga. Pored toga, na drugom poslužavniku, bili su sočni sendviči sa piletinom, svežim kriškama paradajza, i mladim crnim lukom. Na držaču tačno pred njegovim očima stajao je veliki čupav ubrus, tu je bila i kanta za bacanje mokre odeće, i, sa desne strane, kabanica u kojoj se čovek može osušiti za trenutak. Preko stolice, čista uniforma čekala je svakoga - njega lično ili svakog drugog ko se izgubio - da je upotrebi. I još tamo na daljem kraju, kafa u bakarnim posudama koje su se pušile, i gramofon sa tihom muzikom, i knjige povezane u crvenu i smeđu kožu. A blizu knjiga ležaj, mek dubok ležaj na kome čovek može da leži razgolićen, i da upija zrake one velike svetle stvari što stoji uvrh dugačke sobe.	He stood for a moment looking about. Behind him the rain whirled at the door. Ahead of him, upon a low table, stood a silver pot of hot chocolate, steaming, and a cup, full, with a marshmallow in it. And beside that, on another tray, stood thick sandwiches of rich chicken meat and fresh-cut tomatoes and green onions. And on a rod just before his eyes was a great thick green Turkish towel, and a bin in which to throw wet clothes, and, to his right, a small cubicle in which heat rays might dry you instantly. And upon a chair, a fresh change of uniform, waiting for anyone—himself, or any lost one—to make use of it. And farther over, coffee in steaming copper urns, and a phonograph from which music was playing quietly, and books bound in red and brown leather. And near the books a cot, a soft deep cot upon which one might lie, exposed and bare, to drink in the rays of the one great bright thing which dominated the long room.
On šakama pokri oči. Video je druge ljude kako se kreću ka njemu, ali im ništa ne reče. Počeka, onda otvori oči i pogleda. Voda iz uniforme skupljala se u baricu kraj njegovih stopala, i on oseti kako mu se sasušuje iz kose i sa lica, sa grudi, sa ruku i nogu.	He put his hands to his eyes. He saw other men moving toward him, but said nothing to them. He waited, and opened his eyes, and looked. The water from his uniform pooled at his feet and he felt it drying from his hair and his face and his chest and his arms and his legs.
Gledao je u sunce.	He was looking at the sun.
Visilo je u sredini sobe, veliko, žuto i toplo. Nije puštalo nikakav zvuk, i u sobi se ništa nije čulo. Vrata su bila zatvorena, a kiša je bila još samo sećanje za telo kroz koje su mu prolazili žmarci. Sunce je visilo visoko na plavom nebu sobe, toplo, vrelo, žuto, i veoma lepo.	It hung in the center of the room, large and yellow and warm. It made not a sound, and there was no sound in the room. The door was shut and the rain only a memory to his tingling body. The sun hung high in the blue sky of the room, warm, hot, yellow, and very fine.
On pođe napred, trgajući odeću sa sebe.	He walked forward, tearing off his clothes as he went.

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