gs.earthabides-第49部分

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　　Joey；　Ish　noticed；　could　not　put　up　a　good　argument　for　his　method；　and　yet　Ish　could　understand　his　motives。　In　the　first　place；　granted　there　was　no　need　to　finish　the　puzzle　in　a　hurry；　still　to　work　efficiently　was　just　as　natural　and　as　pleasant　for　Joey　as　not　to　crawl　when　he　could　walk。　Besides；　he　had　the　petitive　spirit；　the　old…time　drive；　so　characteristic　of　Americans；　for　getting　to　the　front。　Lacking　a　native　gift　for　distinguishing　shapes；　really　as　much　a　physical　endowment　as　having　strong　muscles；　he　had　seen　the　way　to　take　the　lead　by　intellectual　means。　He　had　〃used　his　head；〃　as　they　once　had　liked　to　say。　
　　Though　the　〃discovery〃　was　at　all　remarkable　only　because　made　by　so　young　a　child；　still　Ish　was　pleased　to　note　that　it　was　the　discovery　of　one　phase　of　classification；　that　basic　tool　of　man's　progress。　Logic　rested　upon　classification；　language；　too…by　its　nouns　and　verbs　grouping　things　and　actions　into　neat　workable　partments。　Only　by　his　discovery　of　classification　had　man　been　able　to　impose　some　workable　degree　of　order　upon　the　infinite　apparent　disorder　of　the　natural　world。　
　　Ish　saw　Joey's　experimental　mind　also　at　work　with　language。　To　him　language　was　not　merely　a　practical　matter；　an　unconscious　implement　used　to　express　wants　and　feelings。　Language　to　him　was　also　a　wonderful　plaything。　He　had；　for　instance；　a　sense　of　puns　and　of　rhymes；　although　none　of　the　other　children　showed　much　interest　in　such　things。　He　liked　riddles。　
　　One　day　Ish　heard　him　asking　a　riddle　of　the　other　children。　〃I　made　this　one　up　myself；〃　Joey　was　saying　proudly。　〃Why　are　a　man；　a　bull；　a　fish；　and　a　snake　all　alike？〃　
　　The　other　children　were　not　much　interested。　
　　〃Because　they　all　eat　things；〃　Betty　suggested　languidly。　
　　〃That's　too　simple；〃　said　Joey。　〃Everything　eats　things。　Birds　eat　things　too。〃　
　　They　made　one　or　two　other　suggestions；　and　then　there　came　up　a　suggestion　to　run　off　and　do　something　else。　Joey　saw　that　he　was　in　immediate　danger　of　losing　his　audience；　to　prevent　plete　anticlimax；　he　had　to　e　out　with　his　own　answer。　〃Why；　they're　all　alike　because　not　one　of　them　can　fly！〃　
　　At　the　moment　Ish　was　not　impressed　with　the　riddle；　but　as　he　thought　about　it　afterwards。　he　felt　that　it　was　a　highly　developed　and　curious　kind　of　ten…year…old　mind　which　could　evolve　the　idea　of　negative　likeness。　And　into　Ish's　mind　popped　suddenly　an　old　definition：　〃Genius　is　the　capacity　for　seeing　what　is　not　there。〃　Of　course；　like　every　other　definition　of　genius；　that　one　could　be　shot　to　pieces　also；　because　it　obviously　included　the　madman；　as　well　as　the　genius。　Yet　there　might　be　something　in　it；　too；　the　great　thinkers　of　the　world　must　necessarily　have　made　their　reputations　by　sensing　what　was　not　there　and　looking　for　it　and　discovering　it；　but　the　first　requisite　for　making　the　discovery；　unless　it　depended　upon　mere　luck；　was　the　realization　that　something　unseen　was　there　to　be　discovered；　something　lacking　in　the　picture。　
　　This　was　Joey's　summer　for　experiment　apparently；　and　one　day　he　came　home　reeling　strangely　and　with　a　strong　smell　of　liquor　on　his　breath。　The　story　came　out　that　he；　along　with　Walt　and　Weston；　had　visited　one　of　the　liquorstores　in　the　nearest　business　district。　This　was　a　problem　that　Ish　had　often　considered。　He　had　once　even　gone　into　one　of　the　stores　and　started　opening　and　emptying　the　bottles。　After　an　hour's　work；　however；　he　had　found　that　he　had　made　too　little　progress；　the　project　was　obviously　impossible；　and　the　children　must　take　their　chances　with　an　unlimited　liquor　supply。　And　yet；　when　he　thought　about　it；　the　situation　for　his　children　was　not　so　different　from　that　which　he　himself　had　experienced。　In　those　days　his　father　had　always　had　a　shelf　holding　a　bottle　or　two　of　whiskey　and　brandy　and　sherry；　and　there　would　have　been　nothing　to　stop　Ish　from　carrying　on　a　clandestine　experiment　of　his　own。　He　had　not；　and　so　also　his　own　children　and　grandchildren　apparently　were　not　greatly　attracted　by　the　unlimited　stores　available　to　them。　In　fact；　drunkenness　had　never　been　a　problem　in　the　munity　at　all。　Perhaps　the　simpler　life　they　were　leading　took　away　the　need　for　such　stimulation；　or　perhaps　the　mere　fact　that　alcohol；　like　air；　was　free　to　everyone；　removed　the　lure　of　difficulty　which　had　previously　surrounded　it。　
　　As　for　Joey；　Ish　was　pleased　to　see　that　the　little　fellow　had　still　been　sufficiently　clever　to　drink　only　a　small　amount…not　enough　to　make　him　really　sick　or　even　to　make　him　pass　out。　He　had　obviously　again　been　showing　off　before　the　older　boys；　and　had　again　succeeded　in　impressing　them；　they　had　e　home　in　worse　shape　than　he。　
　　Nevertheless　Joey　was　definitely　tipsy；　and　made　no　objection　to　being　put　immediately　to　bed。　ish　took　the　opportunity　to　sit　at　the　bedside；　and　to　deliver　a　lecture　on　the　dangers　of　too　much　and　too　reckless　experimentation；　particularly　if　it　was　designed　chiefly　to　show　off　before　others。　He　looked　down　at　the　small　face　in　the　bed；　with　its　big　eyes。　There　was　intelligence　in　the　eyes；　and　he　knew　that　in　spite　of　being　tipsy；　Joey　was　prehending。　There　was　also　sympathy　in　the　eyes；　as　if　they　were　again　saying　to　Ish；　〃We　understand　together。　We　both　know　things。　We　are　not　like　these　others。〃　
　　In　a　sudden　flood　of　affection　for　his　youngest　son；　Ish　reached　down　and　took　one　of　the　little　hands　in　his　own。　He　saw　an　answering　look　of　affection　e　into　the　big　eyes；　and　suddenly　Ish　knew　that　behind　all　the　boyish　bumptiousness；　Joey　was　really　a　timid。　sensitive　child；　just　as　he　himself　had　once　been。　In　fact；　Joey's　brashness　was　only　the　expression　of　timidity　gone　too　far　the　other　way。　
　　〃Joey；　boy；〃　he　said　impulsively；　〃why　do　you　keep　straining　so　hard？　Weston　and　Walt…they're　two　years　older　than　you　are。　Why　don't　you　go　easier？　In　ten　years…twenty　years…you'll　be　away　ahead　of　anything　they　can　do。〃　
　　He　saw　the　boy　smile　slightly；　happily。　But　Ish　knew　that　the　happiness　was　merely　that　a　new…found　sympathy　with　his　father；　not　at　an　impression　that　the　words　might　have　made。　Any　child；　even　a　precocious　one　like　Joey；　lived　in　the　present；　to　talk　of　ten　years　away　was　merely；　for　a　child；　to　talk　of　centuries。　
　　Ish　looked　at　the　little　face　again；　and　he　saw　the　eyes　roll　slightly　outward　with　drunkenness　and　sleepiness；　and　there　was　incongruity　in　the　two。　Yet　Ish　felt　this　love　for　his　son　welling　up　more　strongly　than　ever　within　him。　〃This　one；　this　one；〃　he　thought；　〃is　the　Child　of　the　Blessing！　This　one　will　carry　on！〃　
　　He　saw　the　eyes　lose　focus。　and　the　eyelids　drop　shut；　and　so　he　spoke　no　more；　but　he　sat　there　by　the　bed；　holding　the　hand　in　his　own。　Then；　perhaps　because　sleep　is　so　like　death；　a　horrible　fear　swept　in　upon　him。　〃Hostages　to　fortune！〃　he　thought。　When　a　man　loved　greatly；　he　laid　himself　open。　He　himself　had　had　good　luck。　He　had　loved　greatly　with　Em；　and　now；　again　perhaps；　with　Joey。　With　Em　he　had　had　the　luck…but　then　one　could　never　even　think　of　Em　in　terms　of　death。　She　was　the　stronger。　With　Joey　it　was　different。　Holding　the　hand；　he　could　feel　the　faint　throb　of　the　pulse　in　the　wrist；　and　it　seemed　very　close　to　the　surface。　A　mere　scratch　would　be　enough。　What　were　the　chances　for　a　little　boy；　not　strong　of　body；　driven　on　always　by　too　powerful　a　mind？　
　　Yet；　this　might　be　the　one　who　could　shape　the　whole　future。　He　had　only　to　grow　in　stature　and　in　mind；　to　gain　wisdom　with　the　years；　and　to　live。　
　　Between　the　plan　and　the　fulfillment　lies　always　the　hazard。　Heart…beat　flutters；　knife　flashes；　horse　stumbles；　cancer　grows；　more　subtle　foes　invade。。。。　
　　Then　they　sit　around　the　fire　at　the　cave…mouth；　and　say；　〃What　shall　we　do？　Now　that　he　is　no　longer　here　to　lead　us！〃　Or；　while　the　great　bell　tolls；　they　gather　in　the　courtyard；　and　say；　〃It　should　not　have　happened　so。　Who　is　there　now　to　give　us　counsel？〃　Or　they　meet　at　the　street…corner；　and　say　sadly；　〃Why　did　it　have　to　be　this　way？　Now　there　is　no　one　to　take　his　place。　〃　
　　Through　all　of　history　it　runs　as　a　plaint。　〃If　the　young　king　had　not　fallen　ill。。。。　If　the　prince　had　lived。。。。　If　the　general　had　not　so　recklessly　exposed　himself。。。。　If　the　president　had　not　overworked。。。。〃　
　　Between　the　plan　and　the　fulfillment　stands　always　the　frail　barrier　of　a　human　life。　
　　Once　more　the　fogs　thinned　out；　and　then　came　the　first　hot　days。　〃I　have　seen　it　again；〃　Ish　thought　to　himself。　〃The　great　pageant　of　the　year！　Now　is　the　time　of　dryness　and　death。　Now　the　god　lies　dying。　Soon　the　rains　will　e；　and　then　the　hills　will　be　green。　At　last　one　morning　I　shall　look　out　westward；　here　from　the　porch；　and　I　shall　see　the　sun　setting　far　to　the　south。　Then　we　shall　all　go　together；　and　I　shall　carve　the　number　into　the　rock。　What　shall　we　call　this　Year；　I　wonder！〃　
　　By　now　also　it　was　time　to　be　expecting　Dick　and　Bob　to　return　from　their　expedition　in　the　jeep。　Ish　still　worried　and　felt　guilty　sometimes　at　having　allowed　the　boys　to　go；　but　now　they　had　been　gone　so　long　that　he　was　somewhat　accustomed　to　the　idea　and　did　not　feel　the　strain　so　much　as　he　had　earlier。　And　at　the　same　time　he　had　another　worry　and　sense　of　guilt　that　tended　to　counteract　this　one。　
　　The　children！　Their　superstition　and　their　ideas　about　religion！　He　had　said　to　himself　that　all　this　would　be　easy　to　counteract；　he　had　said　that　he　would　do　something　that　next　day。　Yet　all　summer　he　had　been　flinching。　
　　Was　it　actually　that　he　did　not　want　to　do　anything？　Did　he　really　want　the　children　to　think　of　Joey　as　the　possessor　of　some　special　power？　Deep　within　himself；　did　he　want　the　children　to　think　of　him；　Ish；　as　a　god？　Not　every　day　or　every　year　could　a　man　have　reason　to　play　with　the　intoxicating　idea　that　he　was　being　a　god。　Oh；　well…say；　at　least　a　demi…god；　a　being　of　some　degree　of　special　power！　
　　Ever　since　the　incident　of　the　hammer；　he　had　been　studying　curiously　the　children's　attitude　toward　him。　It　was　changeable　and　uncertain。　Sometimes；　he　sensed　that　feeling　of　awe　which　he　had　seen　on　that　day　of　the　incident　with　the　hammer。　He；　like　Joey；　but　even　more　so；　had　man