gs.earthabides-第26部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　She　was　not　disturbed。　Her　natural　courage　rose　superior　to　even　the　thought　of　plague；　and　perhaps　there　was　a　vein　of　fatalism　in　her　too。　The　simplest　and　safest　thing　would　have　been　to　hurry　out　of　the　city；　and　get　to　some　place…the　desert；　perhaps…where　few　rats　could　live。　
　　But　each　of　them　had　already　decided　independently　that　life　was　not　to　be　lived　on　the　basis　of　fear。　Her　courage　indeed　was　stronger　than　his；　and　the　horror　of　the　rats　pressed　in　more　closely　upon　him。　Occasionally　he　even　felt　panic　and　was　ready　to　force　her　into　the　car　for　flight。　But　always　in　such　times　her　courage　seemed　to　flow　out　from　her　and　sustain　him。　
　　As　the　days　passed；　he　watched　individual　rats　carefully　to　see　if　they　seemed　sickly。　On　the　contrary；　they　seemed　more　active　than　ever。　
　　Then　Em　called　to　him　one　morning　from　the　window。　
　　〃Look；　they're　fighting！〃　He　went　to　look；　quickly；　but　without　too　much　interest。　Probably；　he　thought；　it　was　merely　whatever　kind　of　sex…play　rats　indulged　in。　But　it　was　not。　
　　He　saw　a　large　rat　definitely　attacking　a　smaller　one。　The　small　one　fought　back；　and　dodged　desperately；　and　seemed　just　about　to　make　its　escape　through　a　hole　which　might　be　too　small　for　the　larger　one。　Then　suddenly　a　third　and　still　larger　rat　appeared；　and　sprang　also　upon　the　small　one。　The　little　pool　of　blood　spread　out　from　the　torn　throat；　and　then　the　largest　rat　dragged　the　body　away；　the　one　who　had　made　the　original　attack　scurrying　close　after。　
　　In　high　boots；　well　gloved；　carrying　a　stout　stick　in　his　hand；　Ish　made　an　expedition　to　the　nearest　business…center　and　foraged　for　some　more　food。　Curiously；　to　him；　he　found　very　few　rats　in　the　stores；　and　when　he　investigated；　he　found　that　everything　which　a　rat　could　get　and　eat　had　been　pletely　wiped　out。　The　stores　were　a　great　disgusting　litter　of　torn　papers；　and　chewed　cartons　and　rat…droppings。　They　had　even　chewed　the　labels　on　the　cans　and　bottles；　so　that　sometimes　it　was　difficult　even　to　tell　what　was　contained　in　them。　Certainly；　as　yet；　starvation　and　not　disease　was　c　losing　in　upon　the　hordes。　He　took　the　news　back　to　Em。　
　　Next　morning　they　let　Princess　out　for　her　daily　run。　（They　had　been　allowing　her　out　only　once　a　day　as　a　matter　of　precaution。）　After　a　few　minutes　they　heard　her　wild　howling；　and　she　came　tearing　back　to　the　door　with　rats　skirmishing　all　around　her；　and　two　or　three　actually　clinging　to　her　back。　Opening　the　door　they　let　her　in；　and　necessarily　admitted　three　or　four　rats　along　with　her。　Princess　refired　under　the　davenport　in　a　flurry　of　howling。　Deserted　by　the　cause　of　the　disaster；　Ish　and　Em　spent　a　lively　quarter　hour　routing　out　the　rats　and　killing　them。　They　hunted　the　house　most　carefully；　aided　by　a　now　partially　recovered　Princess；　to　find　whether　any　rat　was　still　lurking　in　a　closet　or　behind　the　books　of　the　bookcase。　But　they　decided　that　they　had　killed　them　all。　They　kept　Princess　shut　up；　after　that；　out　of　necessary　precaution；　and　they　also　muzzled　her　for　fear　of　hydrophobia。　
　　By　now　they　were　quite　sure　that　the　rats　were　preying　one　upon　another。　Sometimes　they　saw　a　large　rat　pursuing　a　smaller　rat；　and　sometimes　it　seemed　as　if　several　banded　together　in　a　pack　to　attack　a　single　one。　They　seemed　less　numerous　now；　but　that　might　be　because　they　were　keeping　out　of　sight　under　the　new　conditions。　
　　To　Ish　the　whole　affair；　in　spite　of　a　certain　horror　that　he　still　held　of　it；　came　to　be　a　most　interesting　study　in　ecology；　almost　a　laboratory　problem。　The　rats　had　first　lived　upon　the　stores　of　food　which　men　had　laid　up　for　them；　and　these　had　gradually　been　transformed　into　a　great　reservoir　of　rat…flesh。　Then；　when　the　cereals　and　dried　fruit　and　packaged　beans　were　depleted；　there　was　left…for　certain　individual　rats　at　least…this　other　supply　of　food。　Under　such　circumstances；　it　seemed　a　question　whether　any　single　rat　would　die　of　starvation；　even　though　the　rats　as　a　species　might　be　dying　of　starvation。　
　　〃The　old　and　sickly　and　weak　and　immature　will　go　first；〃　he　said；　〃and　then　those　that　are　not　quite　so　old　or　sickly　or　weak　or　immature…and　so　on。〃　
　　〃And　eventually；〃　said　Em；　who　sometimes　showed　disconcerting　logic；　〃there'll　just　be　two　great　strong　rats　left　to　fight　it　out…like　（what　was　it？）　the　Kilkenny　cats？〃　
　　Ish　explained　that　before　such　a　fate　ensued　the　rats　would　have　bee　so　scarce　that　they　would　again　have　begun　to　forage　upon　other　sources　of　food。　
　　When　he　thought　more　deeply；　he　saw　that　the　rats　were　not　actually　destroying　the　species　for　their　own　individual　preservation；　they　were　really　saving　the　species。　If　the　rats　had　been　sentimental　and　had　decided　that　they　would　all　starve　together　without　indulging　in　cannibalism；　then　indeed　there　might　have　been　some　danger。　But　rats　were　realists；　and　so　their　racial　future　seemed　secure　from　this　emergency。　
　　Day　by　day；　the　numbers　of　rats　became　fewer；　and　then　one　morning　they　seemed　to　be　gone　entirely。　Ish　knew　that　there　still　must　be　many　rats　in　the　city；　but　what　had　happened　was　merely　what　would　happen　in　the　decline　of　any　species。　Under　natural　circumstances；　the　rats　kept　out　of　sight；　like　narrow　passageways　and　holes　and　brash…filled　gullies。　Only　when　their　numbers　became　so　great　that　they　could　not　all　find　such　refuges　did　they　spill　over　and　inhabit　the　open　places　where　they　could　be　seen。　
　　Doubtless；　at　the　end；　disease　may　have　helped；　but　he　was　never　sure　of　this。　One　great　advantage　of　the　disappearance　through　cannibalism　was　that　there　were　no　bodies　of　rats　left　around。　They　had　gone　on　to　preserve。the　species　into　the　next　generation。　Also；　he　knew；　although　he　did　not　investigate；　that　the　rats　must　have　done　a　great　deal　toward　removing　the　bodies　of　the　human　beings　who　had　died　in　the　original　disaster。　
　　As　he　collected　his　thoughts　upon　the　subject；　he　was　surprised　that　there　had　been　no　plague　of　mice。　The　ants　had　e　first；　and　then　had　e　the　rats。　Between　the　two　there　should　have　been　a　rapid　increase　of　mice；　because　the　mice　should　have　had　almost　as　good　an　opportunity　as　the　rats　and　because　their　breeding　rate　was　even　faster。　He　never　learned　the　answer；　but　merely　had　to　suppose　that　some　control　of　which　he　knew　nothing　had　acted　to　prevent　the　rapid　increase　of　mice。　
　　Both　Ish　and　Em　took　a　little　while　to　recover　from　the　horror　with　which　the　rats　had　filled　them。　But　after　a　while　they　decided　that　Princess　had　not　contracted　hydrophobia。　They　loosed　her；　and　life　became　more　normal；　and　they　forgot　about　the　constant　crawling　of　the　gray　bodies。　
　　The　fables　were　wrong。　Not　the　Lion；　but　Man；　was　the　King　of　Beasts。　Throughout　his　reign　the　rule　was　heavy；　often　harsh。　
　　But　though　the　cry　rise　up；　〃The　Kind　is　dead！〃　it　shall　not　go　on：　〃Long　live　the　King！〃　
　　As　in　the　old　days　when　some　conqueror　died；　leaving　no　tall　son；　and　the　captains　strove　together　for　the　scepter　and　none　proved　strong　enough　and　the　realm　fell　apart；　so　it　shall　be　again；　for　neither　the　ant　nor　the　rat　nor　the　dog　nor　the　ape　is　wise　enough　above　his　fellows。　For　a　little　while　there　will　be　jostlings；　quick　rises　and　sudden　falls；　then；　a　quiet　and　a　peace　such　as　the　earth　has　not　known　in　twenty　thousand　years。　
　　Again　her　head　lay　in　the　crook　of　his　arm；　and　he　looked　down　into　the　dark　eyes。　She　spoke。　〃Well；　you'd　better　get　busy　at　that　book…work　now。　I　guess　it's　happened。〃　
　　And　then　suddenly　before　he　could　say　anything；　he　felt　her　tremble　and　she　was　crying。　He　had　not　thought　this　of　her…this　fear！　He　felt　the　sudden　weakness　of　his　own　terror。　What　if　she　collapsed？　
　　〃Oh；　darling；〃　he　cried　out。　〃Maybe　we　can　still　do　something！　There　are　ways。　You　mustn't　try　to　go　through　with　it！〃　
　　〃Oh；　it's　not　that！　It's　not　that！〃　she　cried　out；　still　trembling。　〃I　lied。　Not　what　I　said；　what　I　didn't　say！　But　it's　all　the　same。　You're　just　a　nice　boy。　You　looked　at　my　hands；　and　said　they　were　nice。　You　never　even　noticed　the　blue　in　the　half…moons。〃　
　　He　felt　the　shock；　and　he　knew　that　she　felt　the　shock　mi　him。　Now　everything　came　together　in　his　mind…brunette　plexion；　dark　liquid　eyes；　full　lips；　white　teeth；　rich　voice；　accepting　temperament。　
　　Then　she　spoke　again；　scarcely　in　more　than　a　whisper；　〃It　didn't　matter　at　first；　of　course。　No　man　cares　then　about　that。　But　my　mother's　people　never　had　much　luck　in　the　world。　Maybe　when　things　are　starting　out　again；　it　shouldn't　be　with　them。　But　mostly；　I　guess；　I　think　it　wasn't　right　with　you。〃　
　　Then　suddenly　he　heard　nothing　more；　for　the　whole　vast　farce　of　everything　broke　in　upon　him；　and　he　laughed；　and　all　he　could　do　was　to　laugh　and　laugh　more；　and　then　he　found　that　she；　too；　had　relaxed　and　was　laughing　with　him　and　holding　him　all　the　closer。　
　　〃Oh；　darling；〃　he　said；　〃everything　is　smashed　and　New　York　lies　empty　from　Spuyten　Duyvil　to　the　Battery；　and　there's　no　government　in　Washington。　The　senators　and　the　judges　and　the　governors　are　all　dead　and　rotten；　and　the　Jewbaiters　and　the　Negro…baiters　along　with　them。　We're　just　two　poor　people；　picking　at　the　leavings　of　civilization　for　our　lives；　not　knowing　whether　it's　to　be　the　ants　or　the　rats　or　something　else　will　get　us。　Maybe　a　thousand　years　from　now　people　can　afford　the　luxury　of　wondering　and　worrying　about　that　kind　of　thing　again。　But　I　doubt　it。　And　now　there　are　just　the　two　of　us　here；　or　maybe　three；　now。〃　
　　He　kissed　her　while　she　still　was　weeping　quietly。　And　he　knew　that　for　once　he　had　seen　more　clearly　and　more　deeply　and　been　stronger　than　she。　
　　
　　Chapter　8
　　On　the　day　after　she　had　told　him；　he　drove　to　the　University　campus；　and　parked　in　front　of　the　Library。　He　had　never　entered　it　since　the　Great　Disaster；　although　he　had　often　gone　to　the　city　library　for　books。　The　great　building　stood　undisturbed。　Its　surrounding　bushes　and　trees　had　not；　in　the　few　months；　grown　appreciably　taller。　The　drain　pipes　all　seemed　to　b6　functioning　perfectly；　and　no　stain　of　water　showed　on　the　white　granite　walls。　There　was　only　a　general　impression　of　dirt　and　litter　and　disuse。　
　　He　did　not　want　to　forc