"Mac" spoke not only his English and Italian but a fluent
"Islands" Spanish; he knew enough French to talk even to
Martiniques, and he could moreover make two distinct sets of
noises that were understood by Chinese and Japanese respectively.
He was a man just reckless enough in all things to be generous and
alive, yet never foolishly wasteful either of himself or his
meager substance. "Mac" first rose to fame in the census
department by appearing one afternoon at Empire police station
dragging a "bush" native by the scruff of the neck with one hand,
and carrying in the other the machete with which the bushman had
tried to prove he was a Colombian and not subject to questioning
by the agents of other powers.
Renson--well, Renson was in some ways "Mac's" exact antithesis and
in some his twin brother. He was one of those youths who believe
in spending prodigally and in all possible haste what little
nature has given them. Wherefore, though he was younger than "Mac"
appeared to be, he already looked older than "Mac" was. In Zone
parlance "he had already laid a good share of the road to Hell
behind him." Yet such a cheery, likable chap was Renson, so large-
hearted and unassuming--that was just why you felt an itching to
seize him by the collar of his olive-drab shirt and shake him till
his teeth rattled for tossing himself so wantonly to the infernal
bow-wows.
Pages:
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62