The Master and Margarita / Мастер и Маргарита. Книга для чтения на английском языке

The Rat-Catcher was a head taller than the tallest of the legion’s rank-and-file soldiers, and so broad in the shoulders that he completely blotted out[60 - to blot out – затемнять, отбрасывать тень]the as yet low sun.

The Procurator addressed the centurion in Latin:

“The criminal calls me �a good man’. Take him away for a minute, explain to him how I should be spoken to. But don’t mutilate him.”

And all except for the motionless Procurator let their eyes follow Marcus the Rat-Catcher, who had waved his arm at the man under arrest, indicating that the latter should follow him.

The eyes of all generally followed the Rat-Catcher wherever he appeared because of his height, and also, for those who were seeing him for the first time, because of the fact that the centurion’s face was disfigured: his nose had once been broken by a blow from a Germanic cudgel.

Marcus’s heavy boots pounded across the mosaic, the bound man followed him noiselessly; complete silence fell in the colonnade, and the doves in the garden court by the balcony could be heard cooing, while the water too sang an intricate, pleasant song in the fountain.

The Procurator felt like getting up, putting his temple under the jet of water and freezing like that. But he knew this would not help him either.

Leading the prisoner out from under the columns into the garden, the Rat-Catcher took the whip from the hands of a legionary who was standing by the pedestal of a bronze statue and, with a gentle swing, struck the prisoner across the shoulders.

The centurion’s movement was insouciant and easy, but the bound man instantly collapsed to the ground as though his legs had been chopped from under him; he choked on the air, the colour drained from his face, and his eyes became senseless.

Easily, with just his left hand, Marcus tugged the fallen man up[61 - to tug up – поднять рывком] into the air like an empty sack, set him on his feet and began in a nasal voice, mispronouncing the Aramaic words:

“Call the Roman Procurator �Hegemon’.

[62 - Hegemon: “Leader” (Greek). (Комментарий Р?. Беспалова)] No other words. Stand to attention. Do you understand me, or do I hit you?”

The prisoner staggered, but controlled himself; the colour returned; he took breath and answered hoarsely:

“I understand you. Don’t beat me.”

A minute later he was standing before the Procurator once more.