Books: Brightest in Dungeons

(4 of 4)

"Suddenly shadowy figures entered his field of vision: they were there. Rubashov ceased to drum and stared. A second later they had passed . . . two dimly lit figures ... in uniform . . . dragging between them a third, whom they hold under the arms. The middle figure hung slack and yet with a doll-like stiffness . . . stretched out at length, face turned to the ground. . . . The legs trailed after, the shoes skated along on the toes. . . . Whitish strands of hair hung over the face. . . . Drops of sweat clung to it; out of the mouth spittle ran thinly down the chin. . . . The moaning and whimpering gradually faded away, it came to him only as a distant echo, consisting of three plaintive vowels: 'u-a-o.' But before they had turned the corner . . . Bogrov bellowed out loudly twice, and this time Rubashov heard . . . the whole word . . . Ru-ba-shov.

"Then, as if at a signal, silence fell. The electric lamps were burning as usual, the corridor was empty as usual. Only in the wall No. 406 [the lunatic] was tapping: ARISE, YE WRETCHED OF THE EARTH."