gs.earthabides-第33部分

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　　Present　and　absent；　twelve　adults！　He　still　had　difficulty　in　realizing　that　there　was　no　vast　reservoir　of　humanity　from　which　to　draw。　
　　Half　a　dozen　children　were　interspersed　among　the　adults　or　circled　around　restlessly　on　the　outside　of　the　circle。　Instead　of　going　to　help　with　the　bonfire；　these　few　had　kept　with　the　adults…half…bored；　and　yet　apparently　thinking　that　such　a　large　gathering　of　their　elders　was　important　and　should　be　watched。　Ish　let　his　attention　shift　to　them；　speculatively。　Sometimes　they　listened　to　what　the　older　people　were　saying；　and　sometimes　they　merely　poked　each　other　or　scuffled。　Yet；　in　them；　careless　as　they　seemed；　rested　the　hope。　The　older　people　could　probably　slide　along　on　the　present　arrangements　as　long　as　they　lived；　but　the　children　might　have　to　adapt。　Could　any　of　them　supply　the　spark？　
　　And　now；　as　he　began　to　focus　on　the　children；　Ish　saw　that　one　of　them　was　not　scuffling　with　any　other；　but　was　sitting　there；　steadily　listening　to　what　the　older　ones　were　saying；　his　big　eyes　glancing　back　and　forth　with　a　bright　glow　of　intelligence　and　interest。　This　was　Joey。　
　　No　sooner　had　Ish's　eyes　focused　for　a　moment　upon　Joey；　than　Joey's　alertly　wandering　glance　noticed　the　attention　his　father　was　giving　him。　He　squirmed　with　delight；　and　his　face　broke　into　the　all…embracing　grin　of　a　nine…year…old。　Upon　the　impulse　of　the　moment；　Ish　winked　slyly　at　his　youngest　son。　Joey's　grin　could　scarcely　have　bee　any　broader　than　it　was；　but　in　some　way　it　seemed　to　spread。　Ish　caught　the　flutter　of　an　eyelid　in　return。　Then；　not　to　embarrass　Joey；　Ish　turned　his　glance　elsewhere。　
　　There　was　a　slow　argument　going　on　among　George　and　Ezra　and　the　boys。　Ish　had　heard　it　all　before；　and　was　not　enough　interested　to　participate　or　even　to　listen　to　all　of　it。　
　　〃One　of　them　things　don't　weigh　more'n　four　hundred　pounds　anyway；　I　think；〃　George　was　saying。　
　　〃Yes；　maybe；〃　Jack　replied。　〃But　just　the　same；　that's　a　lot　to　lug　up　here。〃　
　　〃Aw；　that's　not　so　much！〃　said　Ralph；　who　was　heavy…set　and　powerful；　and　liked　to　show　off　his　strength。　
　　And　so；　thought　Ish；　the　argument　would　go　on；　as　he　had　heard　it　often　before；　about　whether　it　was　possible　to　get　a　gas…refrigerator　somewhere；　and　set　it　up；　and　supply　it　with　still　charged　tanks　of　pressurized　gas；　and　so　have　ice　again。　Yet；　in　the　end；　nothing　would　be　done；　not　because　the　project　was　impossible　or　even　inordinately　difficult；　but　merely　because　everybody　was　fairly　well　contented　with　things　as　they　were；　and　in　a　region　of　notably　cool　summers　there　was　no　great　drive　which　led　anyone　to　want　to　have　ice。　Yet；　in　a　vague　way；　the　old　argument　disturbed　him。　
　　He　let　his　gaze　shift　back　to　Joey。　Joey　was　small；　even　for　his　age。　Ish　enjoyed　watching　the　little　boy's　face；　the　quick　way　in　which　his　eyes　shifted　from　one　speaker　to　another；　never　missing　a　point。　In　fact；　Ish　could　see　that　Joey　often　picked　up　the　point　of　a　sentence；　even　before　the　speaker　arrived　at　the　end　of　it；　especially　with　a　slow　speaker；　like　old　George。　This　must　be；　Ish　reflected；　a　tremendous　day　for　Joey。　A　year　had　actually　been　named　after　him；　the　Year　When　Joey　Read。　No　other　child　had　ever　had　any　such　honor　as　that。　Perhaps　it　was　even　such　a　distinction　as　to　be　bad　for　him。　Yet；　the　idea　had　e　spontaneously　from　the　other　children；　a　tribute　to　sheer　intellect。　
　　The　languid　argument　was　still　going　on。　George　was　talking　now：　
　　〃No；　there　shouldn't　be　no　great　trick　to　connecting　up　the　pipes。〃　
　　〃But；　George；〃　this　voice　was　Ezra's　with　its　quicker　tempo　and　faint　tone　of　Yorkshire　still　noticeable　after　all　these　years；　〃has　gas…pressure　kept　up　in　those　tanks　of　pressed　gas？　I　should　think；　p'raps；　after　all　this　time　。。。。。。　
　　Ezra's　voice　trailed　off　that　moment　at　a　sudden　rumpus　between　two　of　the　children。　Weston；　Ezra's　own　twelve…year…old　son；　was　engaged　in　a　punching　contest　with　Betty；　his　half…sister。　
　　〃Stop　it；　Weston；〃　Ezra　snapped　out。　〃Stop　it；　I　say；　or　I'll　warm　your　pants　for　you！〃　
　　The　threat　did　not　carry　conviction；　and　as　far　as　Ish　could　remember；　he　had　never　seen　the　easygoing　Ezra　punish　a　child。　Nevertheless；　at　the　paternal　order　the　scuffle　subsided　with　no　more　than　the　conventional　protest　from　Weston；　〃Aw；　Betty　started　it！〃　
　　〃Yes；　but　what　do　you　want　ice　for　anyway；　George？〃　This　was　Ralph　speaking。　It　was　a　natural　and　never…failing　phase　of　the　argument。　The　boys；　who　had　never　known　what　it　was　to　have　ice；　had　no　urge　to　make　them　go　to　the　work　of　obtaining　it。　
　　Ish　was　thinking　to　himself　that　George　had　been　asked　that　question　a　great　many　times　in　the　course　of　this　argument　before。　He　really　should　have　had　his　answer　ready；　but　George　was　not　a　quick　thinker　and　was　not　a　man　to　be　hurried。　He　shifted　his　tongue　in　his　mouth；　shaping　words　before　he　actually　set　out　to　reply；　and　in　the　pause　Ish　again　watched　Joey。　The　little　boy's　glance　moved　quickly　from　the　hesitant　George　to　Ezra　and　to　Jack；　as　if　to　see　how　those　others　were　taking　the　pause；　then　Joey's　eyes　sought　his　father's　again。　All　at　once　there　was　a　quick　radeship　and　sense　of　understanding　in　the　glance。　Joey　seemed　to　be　saying　that　either　his　father　or　he　would　find　an　answer　quickly　and　not　hesitate　as　George　was　doing。　
　　Then　something　exploded　inside　Ish's　brain。　He　did　not　hear　the　words　that　at　last　began　to　unroll　slowly　from　George's　mouth。　
　　〃Joey！〃　Ish　was　thinking…and　the　name　seemed　to　reverberate　all　through　his　consciousness。　〃Joey！　He　is　the　one！〃　
　　〃Thou　knowest　not；〃　Koheleth　wrote　in　his　wisdom；　〃how　the　bones　do　grow　in　the　womb　of　her　that　is　with　child。〃　And　though　the　centuries　have　passed　since　Koheleth　looked　upon　all　things　and　found　them　fickle　as　wind；　yet　still　we　know　little　of　what　goes　to　the　making　of　a　man…least　surely　of　all；　why　usually　there　issue　forth　only　those　who　see　what　is；　and　why　rarely；　now　and　then；　there　es　forth　among　them　the　chosen　one；　Child　of　the　Blessing；　who　sees　not　what　is；　but　sees　what　is　not；　and　seeing　thus　what　is　not；　imagines　also　what　may　be。　Yet　without　this　rare　one　all　men　are　as　beasts。　
　　First　in　the　dark　depths　and　the　flooding；　those　unlike　halves　must　meet　that　carry　within　them　each　the　perfect　half　of　genius。　But　that　is　not　all！　Also　the　child　must　be　born　to　the　world　in　fitting　time　and　place；　fulfilling　its　need。　But　even　that　is　not　all。　Also　the　child　must　live；　in　a　world　where　death　walks　daily。　
　　When　each　year　children　are　born　in　millions；　now　and　then　the　infinitesimal　chance　will　happen；　and　there　will　be　greatness　and　vision。　But　how　will　it　be；　if　the　people　are　broken　and　scattered；　and　the　children　only　a　few？　
　　Then；　almost　without　knowing　what　had　happened；　Ish　found　himself　on　his　feet。　He　was　talking。　In　fact；　he　was　making　a　speech。　〃Look　here；〃　he　was　saying；　〃we've　got　to　do　something　about　all　this。　We've　waited　long　enough！〃　
　　As　he　stood　there；　he　was　only　in　his　own　living…room；　and　he　was　talking　only　to　the　few　people　who　were　there。　He　knew　that　they　were　only　a　few；　and　yet　it　seemed　to　him　not　so　much　as　if　he　were　talking　just　to　these　few　in　this　little　room；　but　rather　that　he　was　in　some　great　amphitheater　and　talking　to　a　whole　nation　or　to　all　the　people　of　the　world。　
　　〃This　has　got　to　stop！〃　he　said。　〃We　mustn't　go　on　living　forever　just　in　this　happy　way；　scavenging　among　all　the　supplies　that　the　Old　Times　left　here　for　us；　not　creating　or　doing　anything　for　ourselves。　These　things　will　an　give　out　some　day…if　not　in　our　years；　in　our　children's；　or　grandchildren's。　What　will　happen　then？　What　will　they　do　when　they　won't　know　how　to　produce　more　things？　Food；　they　can　get；　I　suppose…there　will　still　be　cattle　and　rabbits。　But　what　about　all　the　more　plicated　things　we　enjoy？　What；　even；　about　building　fires　after　the　matches　have　all　been　used；　or　spoiled？〃　
　　He　paused；　and　looked　around　again。　They　all　seemed　pleased；　and　seemed　to　be　agreeing　with　him。　Joey's　face　was　transcendent　with　excitement。　
　　〃That　refrigerator　you　were　talking　about　just　now；　a　of　you！〃　Ish　went　on。　〃That's　an　example。　We　talk　about　it；　but　we　never　do　anything。　We're　like　that　story…that　old　king　in　the　old　story…the　one　who　sat　enchanted　and　everything　moved　around　hun；　but　he　could　never　make　any　move　to　break　the　spell。　I　used　to　think　we　were　just　suffering　from　the　shock　of　the　Great　Disaster。　Perhaps　that　was　it；　in　those　first　days。　When　people　have　their　whole　world　go　to　pieces　around　them；　they　can't　expect　to　make　a　fresh　start　immediately。　But　that　was　twenty…one　years　ago；　and　many　of　us　have　even　been　born　since　that　time。　
　　〃There　are　lots　of　things　we　should　do。　We　should　get　some　more　domestic　animals；　not　just　dogs。　We　ought　to　be　growing　more　of　our　own　food　now；　not　just　raiding　the　old　grocery　stores　still。　We　ought　to　be　teaching　the　children　to　read　and　write　more。　（No　one　has　ever　supported　me　strongly　enough　in　that。）　We　can't　go　on　scavenging　like　this　forever…we　must　go　forward。〃　
　　He　paused；　searching　for　words　by　which　to　point　out　to　them　the　old　truism　that　unless　we　go　forward　we　inevitably　go　back；　but　suddenly　they　all　applauded　loudly；　as　if　he　had　finished。　He　thought　that　he　had　really　swayed　them　by　a　sudden　flood　of　eloquence；　but　then　he　realized；　as　he　looked　around；　that　the　applause　was　largely　in　good…natured　irony。　
　　〃That's　the　fine　old　speech　again；　Dad；〃　Roger　remarked。　Ish　glared　at　him　angrily　for　a　moment；　having　really　been　the　leader　of　The　Tribe　for　twenty…one　years；　he　did　not　like　to　have　himself　put　down　thus　as　merely　an　old　codger　with　some　funny　ideas。　But　then　Ezra　laughed　good…naturedly；　and　everybody　joined　in　the　laughter；　and　the　tension　fell　off。　
　　〃Well；　what　are　we　going　to　do　about　it　then？〃　Ish　asked。　〃I　may　have　made　the　same　speech　before；　but　even　if　I　have；　it's　true；　nevertheless。〃　
　　He　paused　expectantly。　Then　Jack；　who　was　Ish's　oldest　son；　unlimbered　himself　from　where　he　was　lolling　on　the　floor；　and　got　to　his　feet。　Jack　was　taller　and　much　more　powerful　than　his　father　now；　he　was；　himself；　a　father。　
　　〃I'm　sorry；　Dad；〃　h