gs.earthabides-第57部分

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and　dead　men　had　risen　from　their　graves；　and　their　souls　had　marched　on。　But　Charlie　had　not　seemed　to　have　much　of　a　soul。　
　　He　walked　with　the　others。　They　were　all　silent；　except　that　the　three　boys　were　beginning　to　recover　their　spirits　and　chaff　back　and　forth　at　one　another。　There　was　no　reason　why　they　should　be　less　concerned　than　the　older　men。　The　boys　had　not　voted　originally；　but　they　had　concurred。　〃Yes；〃　Ish　thought；　〃if　anyone　is　guilty；　we　are　all　guilty　together；　and　in　time　to　e　no　one　can　raise　a　word　against　any　other　one。〃　
　　Along　the　littered　and　grass…grown　streets；　between　the　rows　of　half…ruined　houses；　there　was　never　a　longer　mile　than　that　one　back　from　the　new　grave　beneath　the　oak　tree　to　the　houses　on　San　Lupo　Drive。　
　　When　he　went　into　his　own　house；　Ish　went　to　the　mantelpiece；　and　set　the　hammer　there；　head　down；　handle　sticking　stiffly　upward。　Yes；　it　vvas　an　old　friend；　but　his　thought　of　the　twenty…two　years　altered　a　little　when　he　remembered　the　day　when　he　had　first　used　the　hammer。　Those　years…perhaps　they　had　been　lived；　as　he　had　thought　a　little　while　ago；　in　a　kind　of　Garden　of　Eden！　Yet；　also；　they　had　been　the　years　of　anarchy；　when　there　was　no　strong　force　to　protect　the　individual　against　whatever　might　rise　up　against　him。　He　remembered　that　day　vividly　still…the　one　when　he　had　first　e　driving　down　from　the　mountains　and　had　stood　in　the　street　of　the　little　town　of　Hutsonville；　pausing　for　a　moment；　hesitant；　looking　up　and　down　the　street；　realizing　that　he　was　about　to　do　something　illegal　and　irrevocable　and　terrible。　Then；　he　still　remembered　the　feeling；　he　had　drawn　back　deliberately　with　the　hammer　and　smashed　the　flimsy　door　of　the　little　pool…room　and　gone　inside　to　read　the　newspaper。　Oh；　yes…when　you　had　had　the　United　States　of　America　around　and　about　you；　as　all…present　as　the　air　you　breathed；　then　you　had　thought　little　of　it　except　to　plain　about　ine…tax　and　regulations；　and　you　felt　yourself　the　strong　individual。　But　when　it　had　vanished！　How　was　it　the　old　line　had　gone？…〃His　hand　shall　be　against　every　man's　and　every　man's　hand　against　him。〃　So　it　had　been。　Even　though　he　had　George　and　Ezra；　they　had　all　acted　only　from　day　to　day；　no　battle…tested　symbol　of　unity　had　bound　them。　Though　things　had　worked　fortably　and　pleasantly　in　all　these　years；　that　might　only　have　been　good　luck。　
　　Now　from　across　the　street　he　heard　the　sound　of　a　saw；　and　he　realized　that　George　was　back　at　work　with　his　beloved　wood。　George　would　not　spend　much　time　thinking　about　what　had　happened。　Neither　would　Ezra；　or　the　boys。　Of　them　all；　only　he；　Ish；　thought　much。　And　now；　since　he　could　not　help　it；　he　thought　back　again。　Again　he　wondered；　as　so　often　before；　what　really　were　springs　of　action。　Did　it　e　from　the　man　inside？　Or　from　the　world；　the　outside？　Take　all　this　that　had　just　happened。　The　water　had　failed；　and　then　they　had　sent　the　boys　on　their　expedition　as　the　result　of　losing　the　water；　and　from　the　expedition　had　e　Charlie；　and　from　Charlie；　who　was　part　of　the　outside；　had　e　all　that　had　happened　afterwards。　Yet　he　could　not　say；　either；　that　this　was　all　an　inevitable　succession　of　happenings　from　the　initial　failure　of　the　water。　His　own　mind　had　worked　creatively；　throwing　out　the　suggestion　for　the　expedition；　seeing　imaginatively　what　might　be　done。　And　then　again　he　thought　of　Joey；　that　other　one　who　saw　what　was　not　there；　who　looked　to　the　future。　
　　Em　came　in。　She　had　not　been　at　the　oak　tree；　that　was　not　woman's　work。　But　she　too　had　written　the　word　upon　the　ballot。　Yet　Em；　he　realized；　would　not　consider　too　much　or　worry。　She　was　a　person　too　unified　in　nature。　
　　She　spoke：　〃Don't　think　about　it　now。　Don't　worry　about　it。　〃　
　　He　took　her　hand　in　his；　and　pressed　it　against　his　cheek。　For　a　moment　it　was　cool；　and　then　he　felt　it　warm　to　the　flush　of　his　own　skin。　Many　years　it　was　now　since　he　had　first　seen　her　standing　in　the　light　of　the　doorway；　and　heard　her　speak；　not　a　challenge　or　a　question；　but　in　quiet　affirmation。　Twenty…one；　twenty…two；　years…and　now　he　knew　that　no　matter　what　happened　there　would　be　no　question　in　the　final　relationship　between　the　two　of　them。　They　would　have　no　more　children；　yet　that　relationship　still　was　warm。　She　was　ten　years　older　than　he。　Some　might　say　that　she　was　the　mother　more　than　the　wife　for　him。　Let　it　be！　As　things　were；　so　let　them　stand。　
　　〃I'll　never　keep　from　it！〃　he　said　at　last。　〃From　worrying；　I　mean。　I　suppose　I　really　get　pleasure　from　it。　But　I　have　to　try　to　look　ahead；　peering　into　the　mist。　I　guess　I　had　picked　out　the　right　profession　for　myself　in　the　Old　Times；　I'd　have　made　a　good　research　professor。　But　it's　something　of　a　bad　joke；　I　think；　that　I　was　left　as　one　of　the　survivors。　What　was　needed　was　only　men　like　George　and　Ezra；　they　drift　without　thinking　much；　or　acting；　either。　Or　else　the　new　times　needed　men　who　could　act；　be　leaders；　without　too　much　thinking。　Men；　maybe…well；　maybe　Charlie　was　really　that　kind。　Me；　I　only　try。　I'm　not　one　like　Moses；　or　Solon…or；　or…Lycurgus。　Those　were　the　ones　who　made　the　laws　and　founded　nations。　What　has　happened…yes；　what　is　going　to　happen　to　us　all…it　would　all　be　different　if　I　were　different。〃　
　　She　pressed　her　cheek　against　his　for　a　moment。　
　　〃Anyway；〃　she　said；　〃I　don't　want　you　different。〃　
　　Well；　that　was　what　a　wife　should　say！　It　was　trite；　but　it　was　forting。　
　　〃Besides；〃　she　went　on；　〃how　do　you　know？　Even　if　you　were　Moses；　or…one　of　those　others　with　the　funny　names…still　you　couldn't　control　what　the　world　does；　all　of　it；　pressing　in　around　us。〃　
　　One　of　the　children　called；and　Em　went　away。　Ish　rose；　and　went　to　the　desk；　and　from　one　of　the　drawers　he　drew　out　the　little　cardboard　box　which　the　boys　had　brought　back　with　them　from　the　tiny　munity　near　the　Rio　Grande。　Ish　knew　what　was　in　it；　but　because　of　all　that　had　been　happening　with　such　incredible　speed　he　had　not　yet　had　the　time；　or　the　peace　of　mind；　to　examine　it。　
　　He　opened　the　little　box；　and　put　his　fingers　down　among　the　cool　and　smooth　kernels。　He　squeezed　some　of　them　in　his　palm；　took　a　handful　out；　and　looked　at　them。　They　were　red　and　black；　small；　pointed　at　the　ends…not　the　large　flat　kernels；　yellow　or　white；　that　he　had　expected　to　see。　Yet　this　was　what　he　should　have　expected。　The　large　kernels　were　from　a　highly　developed；　perhaps　even　artificially　hybridized；　variety　of　corn。　The　little　black　and　red　ones　were　more　primitive；　what　the　Pueblo　Indians　had　always　raised。　
　　He　took　the　box　back　to　his　chair。　Again　he　put　his　hand　into　it；　he　picked　up　more　of　the　black　and　red　kernels；　and　let　them　run　into　the　box　again　through　his　fingers。　He　played　with　them；　and　as　he　played；　merciful　forgetfulness　moved　in　upon　him；　and　there　was　a　new　peace　in　his　heart。　This　also　had　e　from　the　expedition　eastwards。　In　the　corn　was　life；　and　the　future。　
　　Looking　up；　he　saw　Joey…ever　the　curious　one…gazing　at　him　from　across　the　room　with　interest。　He　felt　himself　warm　toward　Joey；　and　called　to　him　to　e　and　see。　Joey　was　interested；　as　always。　Ish　explained　to　him　about　the　。　During　the　passage　of　the　years　their　own　munity　had　delayed　so　long　in　trying　to　raise　　that　in　the　end　he　had　not　been　able　to　find　any　still　living　seed。　Now　there　was　another　chance。　
　　Then；　even　though　it　seemed　a　terrible　thing　to　do；　Ish　took　the　little　box；　and　went　out　into　the　kitchen　with　Joey。　They　lighted　a　burner　in　the　gasoline　stove；　and　took　a　frying…pan。　Carefully；　allowing　themselves　only　two　dozen　kernels；　they　poured　some　corn　into　the　frying…pan；　and　parched　the　kernels　over　the　flame。　
　　Even　though　they　thus　wasted　some　of　the　seeds；　Ish　felt　too　Much　moved　emotionally　to　resist　the　temptation；　and　he　justified　himself　by　thinking　that　the　actual　demonstration　to　Joey；　immediately；　was　necessary。　
　　The　corn　did　not　parch　well；　and　was　barely　edible。　Neither　of　them　cared　for　it　much。　Actually　Ish　could　only　remember　having　eaten　parched　corn　as　a　sophisticated　cocktail…relish；　but　he　explained　to　Joey　that　parched　corn　had　been　a　regular　food　on　the　American　frontier　and　that　his　ancestors　must　often　have　depended　largely　upon　it。　
　　The　big　eyes；　bright　in　the　thin　little　face；　showed　that　Joey　appreciated　the　story。　
　　〃I　wish；〃　thought　Ish；　〃that　he　might　grow　stronger；　and　be　something　firmer　to　count　on。　Well；　I　have　wasted　two　dozen　of　them；　but　perhaps　in　Joey's　mind　I　have　planted　a　more　important　seed。〃　
　　Wheat　and　corn…they　too；　like　dog　and　horse；　marched　and　shared　with　man；　friends　and　helpers　on　the　long　way。。。　
　　Far　in　some　dry　corner　of　the　Old　World　the　little　spiked　grass　sprouted　more　thickly　around　the　edges　of　the　campsites　where　the　disturbing　and　enrichment　of　the　soil　gave　it　ground　to　its　liking。　So　first；　perhaps；　it　adopted　man；　but　soon　man　adopted　it。　The　more　it　repaid　his　care；　the　more　he　coddled　it。　With　his　fostering　it　grew　taller　and　stronger；　yielding　more　seed；　but　also　it　came　to　demand　the　tilled　soil　and　the　seedbed　free　of　the　petition　of　the　wilder　grasses。　
　　The　first　Year　after　there　were　no　more　plowed　fields；　the　volunteer　wheat　sprang　up　on　thousands　of　acres；　but　soon　there　was　less　of　it　and　then　still　less。　Like　wolves　upon　the　sheep；　the　fierce　native　grasses　returned。　They　formed　tough　sod；　year　after　year；　they　grew　from　the　same　roots；　thriving　the　better　for　lack　of　cultivation。　
　　After　a　while　there　was　no　more　wheat；　except　that　far　off　in　the　dry　lands　of　Asia　and　Africa；　here　and　there；　the　little　spiked　grass　still　was　growing；　as　it　had　grown　before　an　incident　called　Agriculture。。。。　So　also　with　the　maize。　From　the　tropics　of　America；　it　too　journeyed　far　with　man。　Like　the　sheep　it　traded　its　freedom　for　a　fat　and　pampered　life。　It　could　no　longer　even　shed　its　own　seeds；　held　tight　within　the　tough　husk。　Even　sooner　than　the　wheat；　the　maize　vanished。　Only；　on　the　Mexican　High　lands；　in　thick　clumps　the　wild　teosinte　still　pushed　up　tasseled　tops　against　the　high　sun。。。。　
　　So　it　will　go；　unless　here　and　there　a　few　men　still　linger。　For　if　man　cannot　prosper　without　the　wheat　and　the　corn；　stil