gs.earthabides-第40部分

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ake　that　there　would　have　been　little　practical　advantage　to　trying　to　travel　about　the　city　by　car；　even　if　you　had　a　workable　one。　On　top　of　all　that；　the　younger　men　had　never　known　the　fun　of　driving　a　car　under　good　conditions；　and　so　had　no　interest。　Finally；　where　would　you　go　if　you　had　a　car？　You　had　no　friends　to　visit　in　the　other　part　of　town；　and　no　movies　to　go　to。　To　bring　cans　and　bottles　home　from　the　grocery　stores；　the　dog…teams　did　well　enough；　and　they　also　served　for　fishing…expeditions　to　the　bay…shore。　
　　Still；　the　older　ones　agreed；　it　might　be　possible　to　get　an　automobile　running　again；　and　to　drive　it　for　a　considerable　distance；　even　on　rotten　tires；　if　you　kept　the　speed　down　below；　say；　twenty…five　miles　an　hour。　And　that　was　really　traveling；　pared　with　a　dog…team！　Fast　enough　too　to　take　you　to　New　York　in　a　month　easily…provided　the　roads　were　passable！　
　　That　was　the　other　difficult　point…the　route！　Ish　was　suddenly　at　home；　bringing　into　play　his　old　knowledge　of　geography。　Everything　to　the　east；　across　the　Sierra　Nevada；　would　be　pletely　blocked　by　fallen　trees　and　landslides；　and　the　roads　to　the　north　would　probably　be　the　same。　The　best　chance　would　certainly　be　through　the　more　open　country　toward　the　south；　actually　the　route　by　winch　Ish　had　gone　to　New　York　once　long　before。　The　desert　roads　might　still　be　almost　as　good　as　ever。　The　Colorado　River　bridges　might　still　be　standing　or　might　have　fallen。　ne　only　way　to　find　out　would　be　to　go　and　see。　
　　His　excitement　rising；　the　old　road…maps　standing　out　more　clearly　in　his　mind；　Ish　planned　the　route　eastward。　Beyond　the　Colorado　the　mountains　should　not　be　too　difficult；　and　there　were　no　big　rivers　for　a　long　way…until　you　came　to　the　Rio　Grande　at　Albuquerque。　Beyond　there；　if　you　could　just　get　through　the　Sandia　Mountains；　you　had　open　plateau　country；　and　farther　east　there　would　be　more　and　more　choice　of　roads。　（You　could　still　find　gasoline　in　drums；　that　would　be　no　great　problem。）　Once　on　the　plains；　you　should　be　able　to　get　to　the　Missouri　or　the　Mississippi；　and　even　across　those　largest　rivers；　the　high　steel　bridges　should　still　be　in。　good　condition；　to　judge　by　the　Bay　Bridge。　
　　〃What　an　adventure！〃　he　burst　out。　〃I'd　give　anything　to　be　able　to　go！　You　must　look　everywhere　for　people…not　just　one　or　two；　but　munities。　You　must　see　how　other　groups　are　going　at　solving　their'problenis　and　getting　started　again。〃　
　　Beyond　the　Mississippi　（he　resumed　planning　the　route）　it　would　be　hard　to　say。　That　was　natural　forest　country；　and　the　roads　might　be　badly　blocked。　On　the　other　hand；　fires　might　have　kept　the　growth　down；　at　least　across　the　old　prairie　country　in　Illinois。　All　they　could　do　would　be　to　go　and　find　out；　if　they　even　got　that　far；　and　to　make　decisions　then。　
　　By　now　the　candles　were　getting　well　burned　down。　The　clock。　pointed　to　ten　o'clock；　although　that　was　only　an　approximation。　（Ish　checked　time　once　in　a　while　by　watching　the　shadow　at　noon；　and　the　big　clock　in　his　living…room　was　considered　standard　for　the　munity。）　But　it　certainly　was　a　late　hour　for　people　who　had　no　electric　lights；　and　so　had　gradually　got　arourid　to　making　more　and　more　use　of　sunlight。　
　　Suddenly　the　others　were　all　on　their　feet　and　taking　leave。　When　they　had　gone；　Ish　and　Em　sent　Robert　to　bed；　and　then　started　to　straighten；up　the　living…room。　
　　Ish　felt　a　nostalgic　touch。　Things　had　changed　so　much　and　yet　sometimes　seemed　to　have　changed　not　at　all！　This　might　have　been　away　back　in　the　Old　Times；　and　he　instead　of　Robert　might　have　been　the　youngster　just　sent　upstairs。　He　instead　of　Robert　might　be　the　one　peeping　down　through　the　stairway　（as　Robert　probably　was）；　seeing　his　father　and　mother　moving　about；　emptying　cigarette　trays；　shoving　cushions　back　into　place；　and　generally　putting　the　room　to　rights　so　that　it　would　not　look　too　devastating　when　they　came　down　in　the　morning。　It　furnished　a　kind　of　fortable　little；　domestic　interim　which　rounded　off　the　evening　and　let　your　nerves　settle　down　from　the　buzz　of　conversation。　
　　When　they　had　finished；　they　sat　on　the　davenport　for　a　last　cigarette。　Ish's　mind　could　not　help　snapping　back　to　the　everung's　discussion。　Even　though　things　had　not　turned　out　as　he　had　at　first　planned；　still　he　felt　that　he　had　carried　a　main　point。　
　　〃munications；〃　he　said。　〃munications…maybe　that's　the　big　thing！　Take　it　anywhere　in　history。　When　a　nation　or　a　munity　got　isolated　all　by　itself；　it　went　conservative　and　then　retrograded。　It　got　to　acting　just　the　way　George　and　Maurine　are　over　there；　gathering　in　all　the　things　out　of　the　past；　and　freezing　just　at　that　point。　That　sort　of　thing；　maybe；　happened　to　Egypt　and　China。　But　then　when　there's　contact　with　some　other　civilization；　everything　loosens　up　again；　and　gets　going。　That's　the　way　it　will　be　with　us。〃　
　　She　did　not　say　anything；　but　he　knew　from　the　very　fact　of　her　silence；　that　she　did　not　altogether　agree。　
　　〃What　is　it；　darling？〃　he　asked。　
　　〃Well；　you　see；　I　was　thinking　maybe　it　wasn't　so　good　for　the　Indians　when　they　got　into　munication　with　the　white　people；　was　it？　Or　how　about　all　my　people　on　the　coast　of　Africa　when　they　got　into　contact　with　the　slavers？〃　
　　〃Yes；　but　maybe　that's　just　my　point。　How　would　we　like　it　if　some　slavers　came　over　the　hill　some　fine　morning；　and　we　had　never　known　they　were　anywhere　around　before？　Wouldn't　it　have　been　better　if　the　Indians　could　have　sent　some　scouts　over　to　Europe；　and　been　ready　for　white　men　who　came　with　horses　and　guns？〃　
　　He　was　pleased　that　he　had　countered　so　cleverly。　After　all；　her　argument　had　merely　been　for　letting　things　slide　and　for　living　in　ignorance。　That　kind　of　philosophy　could　never　win　in　the　long　run。　But　all　she　said　was：　〃Yes；　perhaps；　perhaps。〃　
　　〃Do　you　remember？〃　he　went　on。　〃I　was　saying　this　a　long　time　ago。　We've　got　to　live　more　creatively；　not　just　as　scavengers。　Why；　I　was　saying　this　way　back　even　at　the　time　our　first　baby　was　going　to　be　bom！〃　
　　〃Yes；　I　remember。　You've　said　it　a　great　many　times！　And　still　some　way　or　other；　it　seems　to　be　easier　just　to　go　on　opening　cans。〃　
　　〃But　the　end　will　e　some　time；　and　it　shouldn't　e　suddenly　the　way　this　stopping　of　the　water　has　today。〃　
　　
　　Chapter　3
　　When　he　awoke　that　next　morning；　Em　was　gone　from　the　bed。　He　lay　still；　relaxed；　calmly　happy。　Then　his　mind　seemed　to　turn　over　suddenly　and　take　hold…and　there　it　was；　starting　to　make　plans；　thinking。　
　　After　a　minute；　a　slight　sense　of　irritation　came　over　him。　〃You　think　too　much！〃　he　said　to　himself。　
　　Why　did　not　his　mind；　like　other　people's　minds；　allow　him　to　rest　and　be　happy　without　any　planning　ahead　into　the　future；　whether　of　the　next　twenty…four　hours　or　of　the　next　sixty　seconds？　No；　something　took　over　with　a　rush　and　a　whir；　and　even　though　his　body　lay　still；　his　mind　turned　over　and　started；　and　there　it　was　running　on；　like　an　idling　engine。　Engine？　Well；　naturally；　today　he　would　think　of　engines！　
　　But　the　quiet　happiness　between　sleep　and　waking　had　definitely　left　him；　and　pure　contentment　was　gone。　With　a　resentful　push　of　his　arm　he　threw　back　the　blankets。　
　　This　morning　was　bright　and　sunny。　Though　the　air　was　cool；　he　went　out　to　the　little　balcony；　and　stood　there；　looking　off　toward　the　west。　During　all　these　years　the　trees　had　everywhere　grown　taller；　but　he　could　still　see；　the　mountaintop　and　much　of　the　Bay　with　its　two　great　bridges。　
　　The　bridges！　Yes；　the　bridges！　To　him　they　still　were　the　most　poignant　reminders　of　the　great　past。　The　children；　indeed；　as　he　had　often　observed；　scarcely　thought　of　bridges　as　anything　different　from　hills　or　trees；　they　were　just　something　that　was　there。　But　to　him；　Ish；　the　bridges　stood　testifying　daily　to　the　power　and　the　glory　that　had　been　civilization。　So；　he　thought；　some　tribesman…Burgund　or　Saxon…might　once　have　looked　at　a　strong…built；　not　yet　decayed；　Roman　gateway　or　triumphal　arch。　But；　no；　that　analogy　did　not　hold。　The　tribesman　was　sure　and　content　in　his　own　ancient　folkways；　he　was　first　of　the　new；　confident　master　of　his　own　world。　He；　Ish；　was　more　like　the　last　of　the　old；　a　surviving　Roman…senator　or　philosopher…spared　by　barbarian　swords　and　left　to　brood　over　an　empty　and　ruinous　city；　anxious　and　uncertain；　knowing　that　never　again　would　he　meet　his　friends　at　the　baths　or　know　the　deep　security　that　came　to　a　man　when　he　saw　a　cohort　of　the　Twelfth　march　down　the　street。　But　no；　he　was　not　just　like　the　Roman　either。　
　　〃History　repeats　itself；〃　he　thought；　〃but　always　with　variations。〃　
　　Yes…he　had　had　a　chance　to　think　a　great　deal　about　history！　Its　repetitions　were　not　those　of　a　stolid　child　going　over　and　over　the　multiplication　table。　History　was　an　artist；　maintaining　the　idea　but　changing　the　details；　like　a　poser　keeping　the　same　theme　but　dulling　it　to　a　minor　or　lifting　by　an　octave；　now　crooning　it　with　violins；　now　blaring　it　on　trumpets。　
　　As　he；　stood　on　the　little　balcony　in　his　pajamas；　he　felt　a　light　breeze　cool　on　his　face。　He　sniffed　it　in　more　deeply；　and　again　it　brought　to　him　the　realization　that　even　the　smell　of　things　had　changed。　In　the　Old　Times　you　were　not　conscious　of　any　characteristic　smell　to　a　city；　and　yet　there　must　have　been　a　plex　mingling　of　smoke　and　gasoline…ftimes　and　cooking　and　garbage　and　even　of　people。　But　now　there　was　only　a　fresh　tang　to　the　air；　such　as　he　had　once　associated　with　country　fields　and　mountain　meadows。　
　　But　the　bridges！　His　glance　came　back　to　them；　as　if　to　a　light　in　the　darkness。　The　Golden　Gate　Bridge　he　had　not　visited　in　many　years。　Such　a　journey　would　mean　a　very　long　walk；　or　even　a　long　pull　for　a　dog…team；　it　would　mean　camping　out　overnight。　But　he　still　knew　well　what　the　Bay　Bridge　was　like；　and　even　from　where　he　stood　he　could　see　it　clearly。　
　　He　remembered　what　it　had　once　been…six　crowded　lanes　of　swiftly　moving　cars；　the　trucks　and　buses　and　electric　Mains　rumbling　on　the　lower　level。　There　was；　he　knew；　only　one　car　on　the　Bridge　now…that　little　empty　coupé　parked　neatly　at　the　curb　near　this　end　of　the　West　Bay　span。　Th