Chapter 10 Chapter nine

After a day of grotesque and terrifying experiences, Lenina felt she had every right to a complete and absolute vacation.As soon as the two returned to the hotel, she swallowed six and a half grams of soma tablets, lay down on the bed, and flew to the eternity of the moon palace in less than ten minutes, and it would take at least eighteen hours to wake up. At this time, Berner was lying in the dark, staring wide-eyed and thinking about his own thoughts. It took a long time after midnight to fall asleep, but his insomnia was not without fruit.He drew up a plan. At ten o'clock the next morning, one-eighth of the mixed-race blacks in green uniforms disembarked from the helicopter on time.Bernard was waiting for him among the agave bushes.

"Miss Crowne's gone on soma leave," Bernard explained, "and doesn't look like she'll be back until five o'clock. That gives us seven hours." He could fly to Santa Fe to finish what had to be done, and then back to Malpais before she woke up. "Is she safe here alone?" "As safe as a helicopter," the mulatto assured him. The two got on the plane and set off immediately.At ten thirty-four they landed on the roof of the Santa Fe Post Office.At ten thirty-seven Bernard had connected to the Office of the World President in Whitehall.At ten thirty-nine he was already talking to the Fourth Private Secretary of the President.At 10:44 he was repeating his story to the First Secretary.By ten-forty-seven and a half-minute the deep, sonorous voice of Mustapha Mond himself was ringing in his ears.

"I venture to think," stammered Bernard, "that Your Majesty will find the question of sufficient scientific interest..." "Yes, I do think it will be of sufficient scientific interest," said the deep voice, "and you bring these two to London." "Fuxia understands, I need a license..." "Necessary orders," said Mustapha Mond, "are being issued to the Governor of the Reserve at this moment. You go to the Governor's residence at once. Goodbye, Mr. Marx." silence.Bernard hung up the phone and hurried up to the roof. "The Governor's Mansion," he said to the Gamma One-Eighth.

At ten fifty-four Bernard was already shaking hands with the superintendent. "Very pleased, Mr. Marx, very pleased," his booming voice was full of respect, "we have just received a special order..." "I know," Bernard interrupted, "I just spoke to the President." He sank into a chair.His weary tone suggested that he was in the habit of speaking to the President seven days a week. "Please take the necessary measures as soon as possible, as soon as possible." He especially emphasized as soon as possible.He admires himself very much. At eleven past three all the papers were in his pockets.

"Goodbye." He said condescendingly to the director.The director had already accompanied him to the elevator door. He walked to the hotel, took a shower, had a vacuum vibration massage, shaved with an electric knife, listened to the morning news, watched TV for half an hour, and then ate lunch in a leisurely manner.At two-thirty, he had flown back to Malpais with the one-eighth mulatto. The young man stood outside the door of the guest house. "Berner," he called, "Berner!" There was no answer. The lad wore moccasin boots and walked quietly.He ran up the steps and tugged at the door, which was closed.

They're gone!It was the scariest thing that had ever happened to him.Lenina invited him to see them, but they went away.He sat down on the steps and wept. Half an hour later he remembered to look in the window.The first thing he saw was a green suitcase with the initials LC stamped on the lid.Joy kindled from his heart like a flame.He picks up a stone.Broken glass fell to the ground with a bang.Soon he was in the house.As soon as he opened the green suitcase he smelled Lenina's perfume.The scent filled his lungs. It was Lenina's scent.His heart was beating so fast that he almost passed out.He bent his body on the precious box, stroked it, turned it over, and examined it in the light.At first he couldn't understand the zipper on the viscose velvet shorts that Lenina used to change, but when he did, he found it amusing;Lenina's green slippers were the most exquisite things he had ever seen.He opened a close-fitting zipper shirt, couldn't help blushing, and quickly put it aside.But he kissed a rayon handkerchief and wrapped a scarf around his neck.He opened a box, and a puff of incense powder sprayed out and sprayed on his hands.He rubbed it on his chest, shoulders and bare arms.What a scent!He closed his eyes and brushed his face against his powdered arm.The smooth skin pressed against his face, and the musky powder penetrated into his nose—it was her. "Lenina," he whispered, "Lenina!"

Something startled him, and he turned around guiltily, stuffed the peeping thing back into his suitcase, closed the lid, listened, and looked again.There was no sign of activity, and no sound.But he did hear something—like a sigh, like the creaking of wood.He stood on tiptoe, walked to the door, opened the opening carefully, and found that what he was looking at was a wide staircase landing, and on the opposite side of the landing was another door that was ajar.He walked over and opened the door, peeping. Lenina was lying on the low bed, fast asleep.She was wearing a pink zip-up pajamas with the sheets turned back.How beautiful the curls set off her face!Those pink toes, that peaceful sleeping face are as touching as a child's; those limp and sagging hands, those soft arms are so calm and helpless.Tears welled up in his eyes.

He took endless precautions—unnecessary, since Lenina could not be woken early from her scheduled Soma holiday except by firing a shot.He entered the room, knelt on the floor beside the bed, folded his fingers, and watched her. "Her eyes," he murmured. A fly buzzed around Lenina, and he drove it away with a wave of his hand. "Flies." He remembered: Very slowly he reached out his hand, as if wanting to caress a timid and dangerous bird.His trembling hand hung in the air, an inch from her slack fingers, almost touching.Does he dare to blaspheme with his basest finger?No, he dared not.That bird is too dangerous.His hands dropped again.how beautiful she is!how beautiful it is!

He suddenly found himself thinking: Just grab the zipper button around her neck and give it a hard pull... He closed his eyes and shook his head like a dog emerging from water.shameful thought!He's ashamed of himself.Pure and shy virgin... There was a hum in the air.Another fly trying to steal eternal blessings?Is it a wasp?He looked around, but saw nothing.The humming grew louder, as if choosing to stay outside the shutters.airplane!He jumped up in a panic, ran back into the other room, and jumped out of the open window.He was running on the trail among the tall agave bushes when he saw Bernard disembark from the helicopter.

---

Notes: