gs.earthabides-第35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！


nt　of　risk；　but　at　this　time　of　year　the　grass　was　green；　and　there　was　no　danger　of　starting　a　fire。　Also；　most　of　the　people　had　been　warned　in　advance　or　knew　what　was　likely　to　happen　and　so　would　be　sure　to　keep　a　long　way　from　the　hot　ashes。　Indeed；　Ish　reconsidered；　he　himself　might　have　been　the　particular　object　of　this　joke；　and　everyone　else　might　have　known　about　it。　
　　All　right！　If　so；　he　was　successfully　baited。　He　felt　a　sense　of　irritation；　but　for　more　serious　reasons；　he　thought；　than　because　he　had　been　fooled。　〃Well；〃　he　said　to　Em；　〃there　they　go　again…more　boxes　of　cartridges　popping　off　uselessly；　and　no　one　left　in　the　world　who　knows　how　to　make　cartridges！　And　here　we　are　in　a　country　overrun　with　mountain…lions　and　wild　bulls；　and　cartridges　the　only　way　we　have　of　keeping　them　under　control；　and　for　food　we　don't　know　how　to　kill　cattle　or　rabbits　or　quail　except　by　shooting　them。〃　
　　Em　seemed　to　have　nothing　to　say；　and　in　the　pause　his　mind　ranged　petulantly　over　the　events　of　the　bonfire　itself。　That　fire　had　been　built　up　largely　out　of　sawed　timber　brought　from　a　lumber…yard；　interspersed　with　cartons　of　toilet　paper；　which　burned　beautifully　because　of　the　holes　through　the　middle。　In　addition；　boxes　of　matches　had　been　scattered　through　the　fire　because　they　went　up　with　fine　flares；　and　there　had　also　been　cans　of　alcohol　and　cleaning…fluid　to　give　further　zest。　Doubtless；　if　you　had　had　to　buy　all　those　materials　with　money；　the　bonfire　would　have　cost　ten　thousand　dollars　in　the　Old　Times；　now；　those　materials　might　be　considered　even　more　valuable；　because　they　had　e　to　be　pletely　irreplaceable。　
　　〃Don't　worry；　dearest；〃　he　heard　her　say　now。　〃It's　time　to　go　to　sleep。〃　
　　He　settled　down　beside　her；　his　head　close　against　her　breast；　seeming　as　always　to　draw　strength　and　confidence　from　her。　
　　〃I'm　not　worrying　much；　I　suppose；〃　he　said。　〃Maybe　I　really　enjoy　all　this；　feeling　a　little　lugubrious　about　the　future；　as　if　we　were　living　dangerously。〃　
　　He　lay　still　for　a　moment　more；　and　she　said　nothing；　and　then　he　went　on　with　his　thinking　aloud。　
　　〃Do　you　remember　I've　been　saying　this　a　long　time　now；　that　we　have　to　live　more　creatively；　not　just　as　scavengers？　It's　bad　for　us；　I　think；　even　psychologically。　Why；　I　was　saying　this　way　back　even　at　the　time　when　Jack　was　going　to　be　born。〃　
　　〃Yes；　I　remember。　You've　said　it　a　great　many　times；　and　yet；　some　way　or　other；　it　still　seems　easier　just　to　keep　on　opening　cans　as　long　as　there　are　plenty　of　cans　in　the　grocery　stores　and　warehouses。〃　
　　〃But　the　end　will　e　some　time。　Then；　what　will　people　do？〃　
　　〃Well；　I　suppose；　whatever　people　there　are　then…they　will　just　have　to　solve　that　problem　for　themselves。。。。　And；　dear；　I've　always　wished　you　wouldn't　worry　so　much　about　it。　Things　would　be　different　if　you　had　a　lot　of　people　who　were　like　you；　that　thought　about　things　a　long　way　off。　But　all　you　have　are　usual　people　like　Ezra　and　George　and　me。　And　we　don't　think　that　way。　Darwin…wasn't　that　his　name？…said　that　we　all　came　from　apes　or　monkeys　or　something；　and　I　suppose　apes　and　monkeys　and　things　like　that　never　thought　much　about　the　future。　If　we'd　e　from　bees　or　ants；　we　might　have　planned　out　things　ahead；　or　even　if　we　had　been　trained　like　squirrels　to　store　up　nuts　for　the　winter。〃　
　　〃Yes；　maybe。　But　in　the　Old　Times　people　thought　about　the　future。　Look　at　the　way　they　built　up　civilization。〃　
　　〃And　they　had　Dotty…what　was　her　name？…and　Charlie　McCarthy；　just　like　Ezra　says。〃　Then　suddenly　she　went　off　on　another　tangent。　〃And　about　all　this　scavenging　business　that　worries　you　so　much！　Is　it　so　very　different　from　what　people　used　to　do？　If　you　want　some　copper　now；　you　go　down　to　one　of　the　hardware　stores；　and　find　a　little　copper　wire；　and　take　that　and　hammer　it　up。　In　the　Old　Times；　they　just　went　and　dug　some　copper　out　of　a　hill　somewhere。　It　maybe　was　copper　ore　and　not　just　copper；　but　still　they　were　scavenging　in　a　way；　for　it　was　there　all　the　time。　And　as　far　as　the　food　goes；　they　grew　it　by　using　up　what　was　stored　in　the　ground；　and　changing　that　into　wheat。　We　just　take　most　of　our　stuff　out　of　what　is　stored　up　somewhere　else。　I　don't　know　that　there's　too　much　difference！〃　
　　The　argument　stopped　him　for　a　moment。　Then　he　rallied。　〃No；　that's　not　just　right　either；〃　he　said。　〃At　least；　they　were　more　creative　than　we　are。　They　were　a　going　concern。　They　produced　what　they　used　as　they　went　along。〃　
　　〃I'm　not　too　sure　about　that；〃　she　said。　〃It　seems　to　me　I　can　remember　reading　even　in　cheap　things　like　the　Sunday　supplements　that　we　were　always　just　at　the　point　of　running　out　of　copper　or　oil；　or　were　exhausting　the　soil　so　we　wouldn't　have　anything　to　live　on　in　the　future。〃　
　　Then　from　long　experience；　he　knew　that　she　was　wanting　to　go　to　sleep。　He　gave　her　the　last　word；　and　said　nothing　more。　But　he　himself　lay　awake；　his　thoughts　still　running　fast。　He　remembered　clear　back　to　times　just　after　the　Great　Disaster　when　he　had　thought　of　ways　in　which　civilization　might　again　start　to　go。　Then　he　remembered　how　he　had　thought　of　change　itself…how　sometime　it　es　from　the　inside　of　a　man；　reacting　outward　against　the　environment；　and　how　sometimes　the　environment　presses　in　against　the　man；　forcing　him　to　change。　Only　the　unusual　man　perhaps　was　strong　enough　to　press　outward　against　the　world。　
　　And　from　thinking　of　the　unusual　man；　he　went　naturally　to　thinking　of　little　Joey；　the　bright　one　with　the　quick　eyes；　the　only　one　who　seemed　to　follow　all　the　things　that　Ish　had　been　saying。　He　tried　to　guess　what　Joey　would　be　like　when　he　grew　older；　and　he　thought　how　some　day　he　might　be　able　to　talk　to　Joey。　He　imagined　the　words。　
　　〃You　and　I；　Joey；〃　he　would　say；　〃we　are　alike；　we　understand！　Ezra　and　George　and　the　others；　they　are　good　people。　They　are　good　solid　average　people；　and　the　world　couldn't　get　along　without　having　lots　of　them；　but　they　have　no　spark。　We　have　to　give　the　spark！〃　
　　Then　from　thinking　of　Joey；　who　was　at　the　top；　his　mind　ran　rapidly　through　the　others；　ending　with　Evie；　who　was　at　the　bottom。　Should　they　have　even　kept　Evie　all　these　years？　He　wondered。　There　had　been　a　word…euthanasia；　wasn't　it？for　that　kind　of　thing。　〃Mercy…killing；〃　they　called　it　sometimes。　Yet　who　was　qualified　in　a　group　like　this　to　take　the　responsibility　of　removing　someone　like　Evie；　even　though　she　was　probably　no　source　of　happiness　to　herself　nor　to　anyone　else？　To　do　anything　like　that；　he　realized；　they　would　have　to　have　a　power　much　stronger　than　the　mere　authority　of　an　American　father　over　his　children；　much　stronger　than　that　of　the　group　of　friends　exercising　a　mild　public　opinion。　Something　would　happen　some　time；　not　necessarily　about　Evie　of　course。　But　something　would　happen　some　time；　and　then　they　would　have　to　organize　and　take　stronger　action。　
　　His　imagination　stirred　him　so　powerfully　that　he　made　a　quick　movement　of　his　body；　as　if　already　he　were　taking　countermeasures　against　whatever　it　was　that　might　have　happened。　
　　Either　Em　had　not　been　asleep；　or　else　his　sudden　movement　waked　her。　
　　〃What　is　it；　dearest？'　she　said。　〃You　jumped　like　some　little　dog　that　dreams　it's　chasing　a　lion！〃　
　　〃Something's　going　to　happen　some　time！〃　he　said；　speaking　as　if　she　already　knew　the　course　of　his　thoughts。　
　　〃Yes；　I　know；〃　she　said…and　apparently　she　did　know　his　thoughts。　〃And　we're　going　to　have　to　do　something。　'Organize'　I　think　is　the　word。　We're　going　to　have　to　do　something　about　what　has　happened。〃　
　　〃You　knew　what　I　was　thinking？〃　
　　〃Well；　you've　said　the　same　thing　before；　you　know。　You've　said　it　very　often。　Especially　around　New　Years　you　say　it。　George　talks　about　the　refrigerator；　and　you　talk　about　something　going　to　happen。　Some　way　or　other；　nothing　has　happened　yet。〃　
　　〃Yes；　but　some　time　it　will。　It's　bound　to！　Some　year　I'll　be　right。〃　
　　〃All　right；　dearest。　Go　on　worrying。　You're　probably　the　kind　that　don't　feel　fortable　unless　you've　got　something　to　worry　about…and　that　particular　worry；　I　guess；　won't　do　you　much　harm。〃　
　　She　said　nothing　more；　but　she　reached　over　and　took　him　into　her　arms；　and　held　him　close。　From　the　touch　of　her　body；　as　always；　he　took　fort；　and　so　he　slept。　
　　From　the　broken　pipe　of　the　aqueduct　the　water　had　now　been　gushing　out　like　a　small　river　during　a　period　of　several　weeks。　No　more　water　flowed　on　into　the　reservoirs。　At　the　same　time；　from　thousands　of　leaks　which　had　developed　through　the　course　of　the　years；　from　the　many　faucets　left　running　at　the　time　of　the　Great　Disaster；　from　the　major　breaks　occurring　at　the　time　of　the　earthquake…from　all　of　them；　the　stored　water　ran　out　from　the　reservoirs；　and　their　levels　fell　steadily。　
　　
　　Chapter　2
　　As　Ish　had　expected；　they　did　nothing。　Weeks　passed。　There　was　no　heaving　and　grunting　of　men　as　they　carried　the　refrigerator　up　the　hill；　no　click　and　crunch　of　spades　preparing　a　garden　plot。　Ish　worried　occasionally；　but　in　general　life　drifted　along；　and　even　he　could　not　be　much　concerned。　With　his　old　student's　habit　of　observing　even　when　he　did　not　participate；　he　often　wondered　just　what　might　be　happening。　
　　Was　it　really；　as　he　sometimes　imagined；　that　all　the　individuals　were　still　suffering　under　a　kind　of　shock　as　the　result　of　the　sudden　destruction　of　their　old　society？　His　studies　in　anthropology　supplied　him　with　examples…the　head…hunters　and　the　plains　Indians；　who　had　lost　the　will　to　readjust　and　even　the　will　to　live；　after　their　traditional　way　of　life　had　rudely　been　made　impossible。　If　they　could　no　longer　go　head…hunting　or　ride　out　to　steal　horses　and　take　scalps；　they　had　no　desire　for　anything　else　either。　Or；　with　a　mild　climate　and　food…supplies　easy　to　obtain；　was　there　now　simply　no　stimulus　to　change？　He　could　recollect　possible　examples　of　this　kind　also…some　of　the　South　Sea　islanders；　or　those　tropical　peoples　who。　lived　chiefly　on　bananas。　Or　was　it　something　else？　
　　Fortunately；　he　had　enough　background　of　philosophy　and　history　to。keep　his　perspective。　He　was　actually；　he　realized；　struggling　to　solve　a　problem