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He'd been in my hair for the last two days and I was sick to death of him. There was just one thought—to tear the man apart, to pound him to a pulp, to make certain he'd never sneer at me again, never mock me, never try again to bully me by the sole virtue of sheer size.

I was back in the days of childhood—seeing through the stubborn and red-shot veil of hatred that I had known then, hating this man I knew would lick me, as he had many times before, but ready, willing, anxious to inflict whatever hurt I could while he was licking me.

Хватит с меня Хайрама Мартина. Я сыт им по горло. Вот уже два дня он въедается мне в печенки, баста, надоело! Ох, переломать бы ему ребра, живого места не оставить! Чтоб вовек больше не измывался надо мной! Ведь только тем и берет, наглая скотина, что вымахал с телеграфный столб и кулачищи у него точно кувалды!

Как когда-то в детстве, багровая пелена упрямой ненависти застлала мне глаза. Я смотрел сквозь нее на Хайрама — конечно же, он отдубасит меня, как не раз дубасил в школьные годы.

.. все равно, пусть отведает моих кулаков, буду лупить его с восторгом, с наслаждением, изо всех сил!

Someone bawled,

“Give “em room!”"

"Then I was charging at him and he hit me. He didn't have the time or room to take much of a swing at me, but his fist caught me on the side of the head and it staggered me and hurt. He hit me again almost immediately, but this one also was a glancing blow and didn't hurt at all—and this time I connected. I got my left into his belly just above the belt and when he doubled over I caught him in the mouth and felt the smart of bruised, cut knuckles as they smashed against his teeth.

I was swinging again when a fist came out of nowhere and slammed into my head and my head exploded into a pinwheel of screaming stars. I knew that I was down, for I could feel the hardness of the street against my knees, but I struggled up and my vision cleared. I couldn't feel my legs. I seemed to be moving and bobbing in the air with nothing under me.

I saw Hiram's face just a foot or so away and his mouth was a gash of red and there was blood on his shirt. So I hit his mouth again—not very hard, perhaps, for there wasn't much steam left behind my punches. But he grunted and he ducked away and I came boring in.

Кто-то заорал:

— А ну, расступись! Шире круг!

Я кинулся на Хайрама, и он ударил. Ему негде и некогда было путем размахнуться, но его кулак сильно и больно ударил меня в ухо, и я пошатнулся.