gs.earthabides-第7部分

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　came　raspingly。　On　sudden　impulse；　Ish　took　the　inert　wrist　and　felt　for　the　pulse。　It　was　weak　and　irregular。　The　man　had　been　drinking；　doubtless；　for　a　week。　Whether　he　could　last　much　longer　was　questionable。　
　　〃This；　then　is　it！〃　thought　Ish。　The　survivor　might　have　been　a　beautiful　girl；　or　a　fine　intelligent　man；　but　it　was　only　this　drunkard；　too　far　gone　for　any　help。　
　　After　a　while　Ish　got　out　of　the　car。　He　went　into　the　liquor　store　for　curiosity。　A　dead　cat；　it　seemed；　lay　on　the　counter；　but　as　he　looked；　it　stirred　to　life　and　he　realized　that　it　had　merely　been　lying；　after　the　habit　of　cats；　in　such　a　position　that　it　looked　dead。　The　cat　looked　at　him　with　a　kind　of　cold　effrontery；　as　the　duchess　at　the　chambermaid。　Ish　felt　unfortable；　and　had　to　remind　himself　that　this　was　the　way　cats　had　always　behaved。　The　cat　seemed　contented　and　looked　well　fed。　
　　Glancing　around　the　shelves；　Ish　saw　what　he　had　been　curious　about。　The　man　had　not　even　bothered　to　pick　out　the　better　whiskey。　Rot…gut　had　been　good　enough　for　his　purposes。　
　　ing　out；　Ish　saw　that　the　man　had　now　managed　to　find　another　bottle　somewhere；　and　was　taking　a　long　drink。　Ish　realized　that　there　was　nothing　much　he　could　do　about　it。　Still；　he　wanted　to　make　a　last　try。　
　　He　leaned　in　at　the　window　of　the　car。　The　man；　revived　perhaps　by　his　last　drink；　was　a　trifle　more　alert。　He　looked　at　Ish；　seeming　able　to　focus　his　eyes；　and　he　smiled；　rather　pathetically。　
　　〃Hi…ah！〃　he　said　in　a　thick　drawl。　
　　〃How　are　you？〃　said　Ish。　
　　〃Ah…bar…el…low！〃　said　the　man。　
　　Ish　was　trying　to　make　out　what　the　sounds　meant。　The　man　gave　his　pathetic　little　child…like　smile　again；　and　repeated　a　trifle　more　clearly。　
　　〃Ah…nay…bar'l…low！〃　
　　Ish　half　caught　it。　
　　〃Your　name's　Barello？〃　he　asked。　〃No；　Barlow？〃　
　　The　man　nodded　at　the　second　name；　smiled　again；　and　before　Ish　could　do　anything；　he　was　taking　another　drink。　Ish　felt　himself　close　to　tears；　far　from　anger。　What　difference　did　a　man's　name　make　now？　And　yet　Mr。　Barlow；　in　his　befuddled　mind；　was　trying　to　make　what　had　been　in　civilization　the　first　gesture　of　good　will。　
　　Then　quite　gently　Mr。　Barlow　slumped　down　on　the　seat　in　stupor　again；　and　the　whiskey　from　the　unstoppered　bottle　gurgled　out　to　the　floor　of　the　car。　
　　Ish　hesitated。　Should　he　cast　in　his　lot　with　Mr。　Barlow；　get　him　sobered　up；　and　make　him　reform？　From　what　he　knew　of　alcoholics；　he　did　not　think　the　prospects　good。　And　by　staying　he　might　lose　the　chance　to　make　contact　with　some　more　likely　person。　
　　〃You　stay　here；〃　he　said　to　the　collapsed　body；　on　chance　that　it　might　still　be　able　to　hear。　〃I　promise　to　e　back。〃　
　　Having　said　this；　Ish　felt　he　had　fulfilled　a　kind　of　minimal　duty。　He　had　really　no　hope。　The　eyes　showed　that　Mr。　Barlow　had　seen　too　much；　the　pulse；　that　he　had　gone　too　far。　Ish　drove　away；　making　note；　however；　of　the　location。　
　　As　for　the　cats；　they　had　known　little　more　than　five　thousand　years　of　man's　domination；　and　had　always　accepted　it　with　reservations。　Those　unlucky　enough　to　be　left　penned　inside　houses；　soon　died　of　thirst。　But　those　who　had　been　on　the　outside　managed　better　than　the　dogs　to　scramble…along　one　way　or　another。　Their　hunting　of　mice　became　an　industry；　not　an　amusement。　hey　stalked　birds　now　to　satisfy　the　quick　pang　of　hunger。　They　watched　by　the　mole…tunnel　in　the　uncut　lawn；　and　by　the　gopher…burrow　in　the　vacant　lot。　They　prowled　in　the　streets　and　alleys；　here　and　there　discovering　some　garbage…can　that　the　rats　had　not　yet　looted。　They　spread　outward　from　the　edge　of　the　city；　invading　the　haunts　of　the　quail　and　the　rabbits。　There　they　met　with　the　real　wild…cat；　and　the　end　was　quick　and　sudden；　as　the　stronger　inhabitant　of　the　woods　tore　the　city　cat　to　pieces。　
　　The　sound　of　the　next　horn　was　more　lively。　Toot；　toot；　toot；　it　went；　toot…ta…toot；　toot；　toot；　toot！　No　drunk　man　was　handling　that　one。　When　he　came　close　to　the　sound　of　it；　he　saw　a　man　and　a　woman　standing　there　together。　They　laughed；　and　waved　at　him。　He　drove　up；　and　got　out　of　the　car。　The　man　was　a　big　fellow；　dressed　flamboyantly　in　a　loud　sport…coat。　The　woman　was　young　enough　and　good…looking；　in　a　blowsy　way。　Her　mouth　was　a　red　blob　of　lipstick。　Her　fingers　glittered　with　many　rings。　
　　Ish　took　two　steps　forward；　and　then　stopped；　suddenly。　〃Two　is　pany　and　three　is　a　crowd。〃　The　man's　look　was　definitely　hostile。　And　now　Ish　noticed　that　the　right　hand　was　in　the　bulging　side…pocket　of　the　sport…coat。　
　　〃How　are　you？〃　said　Ish；　halting。　
　　〃Oh；　we're　doing　fine；〃　said　the　man。　The　woman　merely　giggled；　but　Ish　noticed　that　there　was　invitation　in　her　smile；　and　suddenly；　more　than　ever；　he　sensed　danger。　〃Yes；〃　the　man　went　on；　〃yes；　we're　doing　fine。　Plenty　to　eat；　plenty　to　drink；　and　lots　of…〃　He　made　an　obscene　gesture；　and　grinned　at　the　woman。　She　giggled　again；　and　again　Ish　saw　invitation　and　sensed　danger。　
　　He　wondered　what　the　woman　could　have　been　in　the　old　life。　Now　she　looked　merely　like　a　well…to…do　prostitute。　There　were　enough　diamonds　on　her　fingers　to　stock　a　jewelry　store。　
　　〃Is　anybody　else　left　alive？〃　
　　They　looked　at　each　other。　The　woman　giggled　again；　it　seemed　to　be　her　only　answer。　
　　〃No；〃　said　the　man。　〃Nobody　around　here；　I　guess。〃　He　paused；　and　glanced　at　the　woman　again。　〃Not　now；　anyway。〃　
　　Ish　looked　at　the　hand　which　the　man　still　kept　in　the　sidepocket　of　the　coat。　He　saw　the　woman　move　her　hips　provocatively；　and　her　eyes　narrowed　a　little；　as　if　she　said　that　she　would　take　the　victor。　The　eyes　of　this　couple　were　not　suffering　like　the　eyes　of　the　drunk　man。　They　did　not　seem　to　have　sensitive　minds；　and　yet　perhaps　they　too　had　suffered　more　than　men　and　women　could　stand；　and　in　their　own　way　had　gone　bad。　Suddenly；　Ish　realized　that　he　was　closer　to　death；　perhaps；　than　he　had　ever　been　before。　
　　〃Which　way　are　you　going？〃　said　the　man；　and　the　import　of　his　words　was　clear。　
　　〃Oh；　just　wandering　around；〃　said　Ish；　and　the　woman　giggled。　
　　Ish　turned　and　walked　toward　the　car；　more　than　half　expecting　to　be　shot　in　the　back。　He　made　it；　got　into　the　car；　and　drove　away。。。　
　　He　had　heard　no　sounds　this　time；　but　as　he　turned　the　corner；　there　she　was；　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　street；　a　long…legged　teen…age　girl　with　stringy　blond　hair。　She　stood；　suddenly　stopped；　as　a　deer　stands　surprised　in　a　glade。　With　a　quick　movement　of　a　shrewd　and　hunted　thing；　she　leaned　forward；　squinting　against　the　sun　into　the　windshield；　trying　to　see　who　was　there。　Then　she　turned　and　ran　swiftly；　again　like　a　deer。　She　dodged　through　a　hole　in　a　board　fence　and　was　gone。　
　　He　walked　down　to　the　hole　in　the　fence；　and　looked　through　it；　and　called；　and　called　again。　He　had　no　reply。　He　half　expected　there　would　be　at　least　a　mocking　laugh　from　some　window；　or　the　flip　of　a　skirt　around　a　corner；　and　if　he　had　had　even　as　much　encouragement　as　that；　he　would　have　continued　the　pursuit。　But　there　was　nothing　flirtatious　about　this　one。　Perhaps　she　had　had　experiences　already；　and　knew　that　in　such　times　the　only　safety　for　a　young　girl　was　in　quick　and　final　flights。　He　waited　around　some　minutes；　but　nothing　happened；　and　so　he　went　on。。。。　
　　Again　there　had　been　horn…signals；　but　they　had　stopped　before　Ish　could　get　to　them。　He　drove　around　in　the　vicinity　for　some　minutes；　and　at　last　saw　an　old　man　ing　out　of　a　grocery　store；　pushing　a　baby…carriage　piled　high　with　canned　goods　and　cartons。　When　Ish　came　closer；　he　saw　that　the　old　man　was　perhaps　not　so　very　old。　If　his　scraggly　white　beard　had　been　shaved　away；　he　might　have　appeared　a　vigorous　sixty。　As　it　was；　he　was　unkempt　and　dirty；　and　his　clothes　looked　as　if　he　had　been　sleeping　in　them。　
　　Of　the　few　whom　he　had　met　that　day；　Ish　found　the　old　man　most　municative；　and　yet　he　too　stood　off　by　himself。　He　took　Ish　to　his　house　near　by；　which　he　was　stocking　of　all　manner　of　things…some　useful；　some　quite　useless。　The　mere　mania　of　possession　had　taken　mand；　and　the　old　man　was　well　on　the　way；　without　restraints；　toward　being　the　typical　hermit　and　miser。　In　the　former　life；　Ish　learned；　the　old　man　had　actually　been　married。　He　had　been　a　clerk　in　a　hardware　store。　Yet　probably　he　had　always　been　unhappy　and　lonely；　restricted　in　his　contacts　with　other　people。　Now；　apparently；　he　was　happier　than　he　had　been　before；　because　there　was　no　one　to　interfere　with　him　and　he　could　merely　withdraw　and　store　up　around　himself　all　these　material　goods。　He　had　canned　food；　sometimes　in　neat　boxes；　sometimes　in　mere　piles　and　heaps　of　cans。　But　he　also　had　a　dozen　crates　of　oranges；　more　than　he　could　possibly　eat　before　they　spoiled。　He　had　beans　in　cellophane　bags；　and　one　of　the　bags　had　broken　already；　spilling　the　beans　across　the　floor。　
　　In　addition　to　food　he　had　boxes　and　boxes　of　electric…light　bulbs　and　radio…tubes；　a　cello　（though　he　could　not　play）；　a　high　pile　of　one　issue　of　the　same　magazine；　a　dozen　alarm　clocks；　and　a　host　of　other　miscellaneous　materials　which　he　had　collected；　not　with　any　definite　idea　of　use；　but　merely　for　the　fortable　feeling　of　security　which　came　to　him　from　surrounding　himself　with　all　kinds　of　possessions。　The　old　man　was　pleasant　enough；　but　he　was　already；　Ish　reflected；　essentially　dead。　The　shock；　reacting　upon　his　already　withdrawn　character；　had　sent　him　close　to　insanity。　He　would　merely　go　on　piling　up　things　around　himself；　living　to　himself；　withdrawing　farther　and　farther。　
　　Yet；　when　Ish　started　to　leave；　the　old　man　seized　his　arm　in　panic。　
　　〃Why　did　it　happen？〃　he　asked　wildly。　〃Why　am　I　spared？〃　
　　Ish　looked　in　disgust　at　the　suddenly　terror…stricken　face。　The　mouth　was　open；　it　seemed　drooling。　
　　〃Yes；〃　he　snapped　back；　angry；　and　glad　to　express　his　anger；　〃yes…why　were　you　spared　and　so　many　better　men　taken？〃　
　　The　old　man　glanced　involuntarily　about　him。　His　fear　was　now　abject；　inhuman。　
　　〃That's　what　I　was　afraid　of！〃　he　half…whispered。　
　　Ish　reacted　into　pity。　
　　〃Oh；　e　on！〃　he　said。　〃There's　nothing　to　be　afraid　of！　Nobody　knows　why　you　survived。　You　were　never　bitten　by　a　rattlesnake；　w