gs.earthabides-第34部分

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now；　he　was；　himself；　a　father。　
　　〃I'm　sorry；　Dad；〃　he　said；　〃but　I've　got　to　go。〃　
　　〃What's　the　matter？　What　is　it？〃　Ish　snapped　back　to　him；　a　little　irritated。　
　　〃Well；　nothing　so　very　much；　but　there's　something　I　have　to　do　this　afternoon。〃　
　　〃Won't　it　wait？〃　
　　Jack　was　already　moving　toward　the　door。　
　　〃I　suppose　it　might　wait；〃　he　said；　as　he　put　his　hand　on　the　door　knob。　〃But　I　think　I'd　better　be　going　anyway。〃　
　　There　was　silence　for　a　moment；　except　for　the　sounds　of　the　door　opening；　and　shutting；　as　Jack　went　out。　Ish　felt　himself　suddenly　angry；　and　he　knew　that　his　face　was　flushed。　
　　〃Go　on　talking；　Ish；〃　Ish　heard　the　voice；　and　knew　through　his　anger　that　it　was　Ezra's。　〃We　would　like　to　hear　just　what　you　think　we　ought　to　do；　you　have　the　ideas。〃　Yes；　it　was　Ezra's　voice；　and　Ezra　as　usual　was　saying　something　quickly　to　cover　up　the　difficulty　and　make　people　feel　better。　He　was　even　flattering　Ish。　
　　Nevertheless；　at　the　voice；　Ish　relaxed。　Why　should　he　be　angry　with　Jack　for　acting　independently？　He　should；　rather；　be　happy。　Jack　was　a　grown　man　now；　no　longer　a　little　boy　and　merely　a　son。　The　flush　faded　from　Ish's　face；　but　still　he　felt　a　profound　sense　of　trouble　within　him；　and　he　was　led　on　to　talk　more。　If　the　incident　could　do　nothing　else；　at　least　it　could　supply　him　with　a　text。　
　　〃This　business　with　Jack　right　here　now；　that's　something　I　want　to　talk　about；　too。　We've　drifted　along　all　these　years　not　doing　anything　about　producing　our　own　food　and　getting　civilization　back　into　some　kind　of　running…order；　as　regards　all　the　material　things。　That's　one　matter；　and　an　important　one；　but　it　isn't　the　only　one。　Civilization　wasn't　just　only　gadgets　and　how　to　make　them　and　run　them。　It　was　all　sorts　of　social　organization　too…all　sorts　of　rules；　and　laws；　and　ways　of　life；　among　people　and　groups　of　people。　The　family…that's　all　we　have　left　of　a　that　organization！　That's　natural；　I　suppose。　But　the　family　can't　be　enough　when　there　get　to　be　more　people。　When　a　little　child　does　something　we　don't　like；　the　father　and　mother　correct　it；　and　bring　it　into　line。　But　when　one　of　the　children　grows　up；　that's　all　over。　We　haven't　any　laws…we　aren't　a　democracy；　or　a　monarchy；　or　a　dictatorship；　or　anything。　If　someone…Jack；　for　instance…wants　to　walk　out　on　what　seems　to　be　a　kind　of　important　meeting；　nobody　can　stop　him。　Even　if　we　take　a　vote　here　and　decide　to　do　something；　even　then；　there's　no　means　of　enforcement…oh；　a　little　public　opinion；　perhaps；　but　that's　all。〃　
　　He　had　trailed　off　to　a　lame　ending；　rather　than　ing　to　a　conclusion。　He　had　been　speaking　more　from　the　emotional　drive　that　Jack's　move　had　aroused　in　him。　He　was　not　a　trained　orator；　and　had　certainly　no　practice。　
　　Yet；　as　he　looked　around；　he　saw　that　the　speech　had　apparently　made　a　very　good　impression。　Ezra　was　the　one　who　spoke　first。　
　　〃Yes；　you　bet！〃　he　said。　〃Don't　you　remember　all　of　those　wonderful　times　we　used　to　have　back　in　those　days。　Golly；　what　wouldn't　I　give　just　now　to　be　over　there　with　George's　big　radio　and　turn　it　right　on　and　hear　Charlie　McCarthy　again！　Don't　you　remember　the　way　that　little　guy　would　talk；　making　fun　of　the　other　guy；　whatever　his　name　was；　you　know；　and　here　that　other　one　was　just　the　same　as　him　all　the　time。〃　
　　Ezra　took　out　the　big　Victorian　penny　that　had　served　him　for　a　pocket…piece　during　all　these　years。　He　tossed　it　back　and　forth　from　one　hand　to　the　other　in　sheer　stimulation　at　the　thought　of　hearing　Charlie　McCarthy　again。　
　　〃Yes；　you　remember　too；〃　he　went　on。　〃Why；　you　used　to　be　able　to　go　down　to　the　picture…house　and　pay　your　money　and　go　right　in！　And　you　would　hear　all　that　music　going　with　the　film；　and　see…oh；　maybe…Bob　Hope　or　Dotty　Lamour。　Yes；　those　were　the　days　all　right！　Do　you　suppose　that　p'raps　if　we　all　got　together　and　worked　hard　we　could　find　some　of　those　films　and　rig　them　up　to　show　them　to　all　the　kids？　I　can　just　hear　them　laughing。　Maybe　we　could　get　a　Charlie　Chaplin　film　somewhere！〃　
　　Ezra　took　out　a　cigarette　and　a　match；　and　as　he　scratched　the　match　it　broke　into　a　bright　flame。　Matches　never　seemed　to　deteriorate　if　they　were　in　a　fairly　dry　place。　Yet　nobody　knew　how　to　make　matches；　and　at　every　sudden　spurt　of　flame　there　was　one　match　the　fewer。　Ish　had　a　strange　feeling　about　Ezra；　who　was　thinking　of　civilization　chiefly　as　the　return　of　motion…pictures；　and　at　the　same　time　was　scratching　a　match。　George　was　the　one　who　spoke　next：　
　　〃If　there　was　any　way　of　making　people　help　me；　just　one　or　two　of　the　boys；　I　could　get　that　gas…refrigerator　fixed　up　and　working　in　two；　three　days；　maybe。〃　
　　George　stopped　speaking；　and　Ish　supposed　that　he　had　finished；　for　George　was　never　much　of　a　talker。　Surprisingly；　he　went　on：　
　　〃About　those　there　laws；　though；　that　you　was　talking　about。　I　don't　know。　I　was　kind　of　glad　that　we　live　in　a　place　where　we　don't　have　no　laws。　These　days；　you　can　do　just　about　the　way　you　want。　You　can　go　out　and　park　your　car　anywhere　you　want　to。　Right　by　a　fire…hydrant；　maybe；　and　nobody's　going　to　give　you　a　ticket；　that　is；　you　could　park　it　right　by　the　fire…hydrant　if　you　had　a　car　that　would　run。〃　
　　This　was　as　far　in　the　way　of　a　joke　as　Ish　had　ever　heard　George　go；　and　George　responded　to　his　own　humor　by　chuckling　quietly。　The　others　all　joined　in。　The　standard　of　humor　in　The　Tribe；　Ish　realized；　had　never　been　very　high。　
　　Ish　was　about　to　say　something　more；　but　Ezra　spoke　again。　
　　〃e　on；　now；　I　propose　a　toast；〃　he　said。　〃To　law　and　order！〃　The　older　people　laughed　a　little　at　hearing　the　old　phrase　again；　but　to　the　younger　ones　it　meant　nothing。　
　　They　drank　the　toast；　and　then　everything　slipped　back　quite　naturally　into　merely　a　social　occasion　again。　
　　After　all；　Ish　reflected；　it　was　a　social　occasion；　just　as　well　perhaps；　not　to　let　business　interfere　too　much。　Perhaps　the　seed　he　had　planted　with　this　rendition　of　his　impassioned　little　speech　would　have　some　effect　in　the　future。　Yet；　he　felt　doubts。　You　used　to　have　the　jokes　about　never　fixing　the　roof　until　it　rained。　People　were　undoubtedly　the　same　now；　or　worse。　They　might　well　wait　until　something　happened　that　forced　them　to　act；　that　something　would　almost　certainly　be　unpleasant…most　likely；　serious。　
　　Yet　he　drank　the　toast　with　the　others；　and　with　half　his　mind　he　listened　to　the　talk。　With　the　other　half；　nevertheless；　he　still　kept　to　his　own　thoughts。　This　had　been　a　good　day；　yes；　on　this　day　he　had　carved　21　into　the　smooth　surface　of　the　rock；　and　the　Year　22　had　begun；　on　this　day；　also；　partly　because　the　year　had　been　named　as　it　was；　he　had　bee　more　conscious　of　the　possibilities　in　his　youngest　son。　
　　He　glanced　to　where　Joey　was　sitting；　and　caught　in　return　a　quick　bright　glance；　full　of　the　small　boy's　admiration　for　his　father。　Yes；　perhaps；　there　was　one　at　least　who　could　understand　fully。　
　　In　all　that　immense　and　plex　system　of　dams　and　tunnels；　aqueducts　and　reservoirs；　by　which　water　was　brought　from　the　mountains　to　the　cities；　one　particular　section　of　steel　pipe　in　the　main　aqueduct　supplied　the　fatal　flaw。　Even　at　the　time　of　its　manufacture　certain　imperfections　had　been　apparent。　It　had　happened；　however；　to　go　past　the　inspector　just　at　the　close　of　a　day；　when　his　senses　were　dulled　and　his　judgment　impaired。　
　　No　great　harm　resulted。　The　section　of　pipe　was　set　into　place　by　the　workmen；　and　fiinctioned　without　difficulty。　Shortly　before　the　Great　Disaster；　a　foreman　had　noticed　that　this　section　had　developed　a　slight　leak。　By　the　welding　of　a　patch　upon　it；　however；　it　would　be　made　as　good　as　new；　or　even　stronger　than　the　average。　
　　Then　through　the　years　no　man　passed　that　way　again。　A　little　trickle　of　water　from　the　faulty　section　of　pipe　grew　very　gradually　larger。　Even　in　the　dry　summers　a　small　patch　Of　green　showed　by　the　dripping　pipe；　birds　and　small　animals　came　there　to　drink。　And　still　rust　ate　from　the　outside；　and　from　the　inside　the　corrosive　action　of　the　water　itself　slowly　bored　outward　to　meet　the　rust　pits；　piercing　pinprick　after　pinprick　in　the　tough　skin　of　steel。　
　　Five　years；　ten　years…now　a　dozen　jets　of　fine　spray　played　from　the　surface　of　the　pipe。　Now　the　puddle　was　a　drinking…place　for　cattle。　
　　In　five　more　years　a　little　stream　ran　off　from　beneath；　the　only　summer　stream　in　all　that　dry　foothill　region。　By　now　the　pipe　was　beginning　to　be　honey…bed　with　rust；　its　actual　structure　grown　weak。　
　　Beneath　the　pipe　the　ground　had　long　been　soft　and　muddy；　and　the　tramping　of　animals　had　aided　the　erosion　of　a　little　gully。　Finally；　the　erosion　was　sufficient　to　start　a　mudflow　in　the　soft　wet　soil　on　which　the　concrete　pier　rested；　the　one　which　supported　the　pipe　with　its　heavy　load　of　water。　As　the　pier　settled；　the　weight　of　the　water　was　thrown　upon　the　weakened　pipe。　A　long　rent　opened　in　its　rust…riddled　steel；　and　a　broad　stream　of　water　poured　out　and　gushed　down　into　the　gully。　This　torrent　soon　undermined　thefooting　still　more；　and　it　shifted　again。　Once　more　the　pipe　tore；　and　the　stream　of　water　issuing　from　it　became　like　a　small　river。　
　　Just　as　Ish　had　crawled　into　bed　that　evening　the　sharp　crack　of　a　rifle　shot　brought　him　sitting　full　upright；　tense。　Another　resounded；　and　then　a　fusillade　began　popping　in　the　night。　
　　He　felt　the　bed　shaking　gently；　as　Em　laughed　quietly　beside　him。　He　relaxed。　〃Same　old　trick！〃　he　said。　
　　〃Fooled　you　badly　this　time！〃　
　　〃I've　been　thinking　too　much　about　all　the　future　today；　I　suppose。　Yes；　I　suppose　my　nerves　are　stirred　up　a　little　too　much　today。〃　
　　The　fusillade　was　still　popping　in　a　good　imitation　of　guerrilla　warfare；　but　he　lay　down　and　tried　to　relax。　He　knew　now　what　had　happened。　After　everyone　had　left　the　bonfire；　one　of　the　boys　had　sneaked　back　and　thrown　a　few　boxes　of　cartridges　into　the　hot　ashes。　As　soon　as　the　boxes　were　burned　through　and　things　became　hot　enough；　the　cartridges　had　let　loose。　Like　most　practical　jokes　it　involved　a　certain　element　of　risk；　but　at　this　time　of　year　the　grass　was　green；　and　there　was　no　danger　of　starting　a　fire