Books In English "City Of Illusions" Ursula K. Le Guin | Page 50

the far plains like cloud-shadows. The ground was everywhere dark, but in
places misted faintly with green where the first tiny double-leaved shoots
of the hardiest grasses were opening; and above and below the ground was
a constant scurrying and burrowing of little beasts, rabbits, badgers,
coneys, mice, feral cats, moles, stripe-eyed arcturies, antelope, yellow
yappers, the pests and pets of fallen civilizations. The huge sky whirred
with wings. At dusk along the rivers flocks of white cranes settled, the
water between the reeds and leafless cotton-woods mirroring their long
legs and long uplifted wings.
Why did men no longer journey forth to see their world? Falk
wondered, sitting by his campfire that burned like a tiny opal in the vast
blue vault of the prairie twilight. Why did such men as Zove and Metock
hide in the woods, never once in their lives coming out to see the wide
splendor of the Earth? He now knew something that they, who had taught
him everything, did not know: that a man could see his planet turn among
the stars…
Next day under a lowering sky and through a cold wind from the north
he went on, guiding the slider with a skill soon become habit. A herd of
wild cattle c overed half the plains south of his course, every one of the
thousands and thousands of them standing facing the wind, white faces
lowered in front of shaggy red shoulders. Between him and the first ranks
of the herd for a mile the long gray grass bowed under the wind, and a
gray bird flew towards him, gliding with no motion of its wings. He
watched it, wondering at its straight gliding flight—not quite straight, for it
turned without a wingbeat to intercept his course. It was coming very fast,
straight at him. Abruptly he was alarmed, and waved his arm to frighten
the creature away, then threw himself down flat and veered the slider, too
late. The instant before it struck he saw the blind featureless head, the
glitter of steel. Then the impact, a shriek of exploding metal, a sickening
backward fall. And no end to the falling.

IV
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