“budoyoulikebeingsves？”hesavagewassayingasheyeneredhehospialhisfacewasflushed，hiseyesbrighwihardourandindignaion“doyoulikebeingbabies？yes，babiesmewlingandpuking，”headded，exasperaedbyheirbesialsupidiyinohrowinginsulsahosehehadcomeosaveheinsulsbouncedoffheircarapaceofhicksupidiy；heysaredahimwihabnkexpressionofdullandsullenresenmeninheireyes“yes，puking！”hefairlyshouedgriefandremorse，compassionandduy–allwereforgoennowand，asiwere，absorbedinoaninenseoverpoweringharedofheselesshanhumanmonsers“don’youwanobefreeandmen？don’youevenundersandwhamanhoodandfreedomare？”ragewasmakinghimfluen；hewordscameeasily，inarush“don’you？”herepeaed，bugonoanswerohisquesion“verywellhen，”hewenongrimly“i’lleachyou；i’llmakeyoubefreewheheryouwanoorno”andpushingopenawindowhalookedonohei

ercourofhehospial，hebeganohrowhelilepillboxesofsomaablesinhandfulsouinohearea

foramomenhekhakimobwassilen，perified，ahespecacleofhiswanonsacrilege，wihamazemenandhorror

“he’smad，”whisperedbernard，saringwihwideopeneyes“hey’llkillhimhey’ll…”agreashousuddenlywenupfromhemob；awaveofmovemendroveimenacinglyowardshesavage“fordhelphim！”saidbernard，andaveredhiseyes

“fordhelpshosewhohelphemselves”andwihaugh，acuallyaughofexulaion，helmholzwasonpushedhiswayhroughhecrowd

“free，free！”hesavageshoued，andwihonehandconinuedohrowhesomainoheareawhile，wihheoher，hepunchedheindisinguishablefacesofhisassains“free！”andsuddenlyherewashelmholzahisside–“goodoldhelmholz！”–alsopunching–“menas！”–andinheinervalalsohrowinghepoisonoubyhandfulshroughheopenwindow“yes，men！men！”andherewasnomorepoisonlefhepickeduphecashboxandshowedhemisbckempiness“you’refree！”

howling，hedelaschargedwiharedoubledfury

hesianonhefringesofhebale“hey’redonefor，”saidbernardand，urgedbyasuddenimpulse，ranforwardohelphem；henhoughbeerofiandhaled；hen，ashamed，seppedforwardagain；henagainhoughbeerofi，andwassandinginanagonyofhumiliaedindecision–hinkinghaheymighbekilledifhedidn’helphem，andhahemighbekilledifhedid–when（fordbepraised！），goggleeyedandswinesnouedinheirgasmasks，inranhepolice

bernarddashedomeehemhewavedhisarms；andiwasacion，hewasdoingsomehingheshoued“help！”severalimes，moreandmoreloudlysoasogivehimselfheillusionofhelping“help！help！help！”

hepolicemenpushedhimouofhewayandgoonwihheirworkhreemenwihsprayingmachinesbuckledoheirshoulderspumpedhickcloudsofsomavapourinoheairwomorewerebusyroundheporablesynheicmusicboxcarryingwaerpisolschargedwihapowerfulan？sheic，fourohershadpushedheirwayinohecrowdandweremehodicallyyingou，squirbysquir，hemoreferociousofhefighers

“quick，quick！”yelledbernard“hey’llbekilledifyoudon’hurryhey’ll…oh！”a

oyedbyhischaer，oneofhepolicemenhadgivenhimashofromhiswaerpisolbernardsoodforasecondorwowamblingunseadilyonlegshaseemedohavelosheirbones，heirendons，heirmuscles，ohavebecomemeresicksofjelly，andasnoevenjellywaer：heumbledinaheaponhefloor

suddenly，fromouofhesynheicmusicboxavoicebeganospeakhevoiceofreason，hevoiceofgoodfeelinghesoundrackrollwasunwindingiselfinsynheicaniriospeechnumberwo（mediumsrengh）sraighfromhedephsofanonexisenhear，“myfriends，myfriends！”saidhevoicesopaheically，wihanoeofsuchinfinielyenderreproachha，behindheirgasmasks，evenhepolicemen’seyesweremomenarilydimmedwihears，“whaishemeaningofhis？whyaren’youallbeinghappyandgoodogeher？happyandgood，”hevoicerepeaed“apeace，apeace”irembled，sankinoawhisperandmomenarilyexpired“oh，idowanyouobehappy，”ibegan，wihayearningearnesness“idosowanyouobegood！please，pleasebegoodand…”

wominueserhevoiceandhesomavapourhadproducedheireffecinears，hedelaswerekissingandhuggingoneanoher–halfadozenwinsaaimeinacomprehensiveembraceevenhelmholzandhesavagewerealmoscryingafreshsupplyofpillboxeswasbroughinfromhebursary；anewdisribuionwashasilymadeand，ohesoundofhevoice’sricuyaffecionae，barionevaledicions，hewinsdispersed，blubberingashoughheirhearswouldbreak“goodbye，mydeares，dearesfriends，fordkeepyou！goodbye，mydeares，dearesfriends，fordkeepyougoodbyemydeares，deares…”

whenhesofhedelashadgohepolicemanswichedoffhecurrenheangelicvoicefellsilen

“willyoucomequiely？”askedhesergean，“ormuswean？sheize？”hepoinedhiswaerpisolmenacingly

“oh，we’llcomequiely，”hesavageanswered，dabbingalernaelyaculip，ascrachedneck，andabienlefhand

sillkeepinghishandkerchiefohisbleedingnosehelmholznoddedinconfirmaion

awakeandhavingrecoveredheuseofhislegs，bernardhadchosenhismomenomoveasinconspicuouslyashecouldowardshedoor

“hi，youhere，”calledhesergean，andaswinemaskedpolicemanhurriedacrossheroomandidahandonheyoungman’sshoulder

bernardurnedwihanexpressionofindignani

ocenceescaping？hehadn’dreamedofsuchahing“houghwhaonearhyouwanmefor，”hesaidohesergean，“ireallycan’imagine”

“you’reafriendofheprisoner’s，aren’you？”

“well…”saidbernard，andhesiaedno，hereallycouldn’denyi“whyshouldn’ibe？”heasked

“comeonhen，”saidhesergean，andledhewayowardshedoorandhewaiingpolicecar

：？