gs.earthabides-第70部分

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　　Something　else　that　was　strange　also；　Ish　thought　now；　was　that　after　all　these　years　the　young　men　still　talked　a　language　which　people　had　once　called　English。　
　　Only；　as　he　considered　more　carefully；　he　realized　that　the　language　too　had　changed。　When　the　young　man　had　said　the　word　〃see；〃　the　sound　was　not　quite　as　it　should　be。　Instead　it　sounded　more　as　if　it　were　〃tsee；〃　or　perhaps；　〃tchee。〃　
　　Some　smoke　was　drifting　in　between　the　rocks　now；　so　that　they　coughed　a　little。　Outside；　there　was　a　great　crackle　of　flame；　a　clump　of　trees　or　a　near…by　house　must　be　burning。　The　dogs　whined　a　little。　Yet　the　air　remained　cool　enough；　so　that　Ish　was　not　afraid。　
　　He　wondered　what　had　bee　of　all　the　others。　There　must　be　several　hundred　people　in　The　Tribe　now。　The　labor　of　asking　questions　seemed　too　much；　and　he　could　tell　from　the　calmness　of　the　young　men　that　there　could　have　been　no　disaster。　Most　likely；　he　thought；　the　others　had　left　at　the　first　threat　of　fire；　and　perhaps　only　at　the　last　moment　Jack　had　remembered　the　old　man…who　was　also　a　god…who　was　sleeping　alone　in　the　house。　
　　Yes；　now　it　was　easier　merely　to　sit　and　look　and　think；　without　asking　questions。　So　he　looked　at　the　faces　again。　
　　Now　one　of　the　young　men　was　playing　with　a　dog。　He　put　out　his　hand；　and　then　jerked　it　away　quickly；　and　the　dog　snapped　playfully　and　growled。　The　dog　and　the　young　man　seemed　almost　to　meet　at　the　same　level；　and　both　seemed　happy。　One　of　the　others　was　carving　a　piece　of　wood。　The　sharp　knife　bit　deeply　into　the　soft　wood；　and　a　figure　took　shape　as　Ish　watched。　Ish　smiled　quietly　to　himself；　for　he　saw　that　the　figure　had　wide　hips　and　generous　breasts；　and　he　realized　that　young　men　had　not　changed　altogether。　Though　he　did　not　even　know　their　names；　except　for　Jack；　yet　they　must　all　be　his　grandsons　or　great…grandsons。　Here　they　sat　in　the　cave…like　gap　between　two　high　rocks；　and　they　played　with　a　dog　or　carved　lusty　little　images　while　outside　the　fire　crackled。　Civilization　had　gone　years　ago；　and　now　the　last　of　the　city　was　burning　around　them；　and　yet　the　young　men　were　happy。　
　　Was　it　all　for　the　best？　From　the　cave　we　e　and　to　the　cave　we　go！　If　that　other　one　had　lived；　if　there　had　been　others　like　him；　it　might　have　been　different。　Again　he　thought　of　Joey…Joey！　And　yet　would　that　have　been　better？　He　wished　suddenly　that　he　could　live　for　a　long　time　still…for　a　hundred　years　more；　or　even　a　hundred　after　that。　All　his　life　now　he　had　observed　the　ways　of　the　peoples　on　the　earth；　and　he　wished　that　he　could　still　observe　in　the　future。　The　next　century　and　the　next　millennium　would　be　interesting。　
　　And　then　for　a　while；　in　the　way　of　very　old　men；　he　merely　sat　quietly；　not　sleeping；　and　yet　not　quite　thinking　either。　
　　Again；　in　that　day　each　little　tribe　will　live　by　itself　and　to　itself　and　go　its　own　way；　and　their　differences　will　soon　be　more　than　they　were　even　in　the　first　days　of　Man；　according　to　the　accidents　of　survival　and　of　place。。。。　
　　Here　they　live　always　in　awe　of　the　Other…world；　and　scarcely　dare　make　water　without　a　prayer。　They　have　skill　with　boats　among　tidal　channels。　To　eat；　they　catch　fish　and　dig　clams；　and　gather　seeds　of　wild…grasses。。。。　
　　Here　they　are　darker…skinned　and　talk　another　language；　and　worship　a　dark…skinned　mother　and　child。　They　keep　horses　and　turkeys；　and　grow　corn　in　the　flat　by　the　river。　Thev　catch　rabbits　in　snares；　but　have　no　bows。。。。　
　　Here　they　are　still　darker。　They　speak　English；　but　say　no　r's；　and　their　speech　is　thick。　They　keep　pigs　and　chickens；　and　raise　corn。　Also　they　raise　cotton；　but　make　no　use　of　it；　except　to　offer　a　little　to　their　god；　knowing　it　from　of　old　to　be　a　thing　of　power。　Their　god　has　the　form　of　an　alligator；　and　they　call　him　Olsaytn。。。。　
　　Here　they　shoot　with　the　bow；　skillfully；　and　their　hunting…dogs　are　trained　to　give　tongue。　They　love　assembly　and　debate。　Their　womenfolk　walk　proudly。　The　symbol　of　their　god　is　a　hammer；　but　they　pay　him　no　great　reverence。。。。　
　　Many　others　there　are　too；　each　differing。　In　the　distant　years　after　these　first　years；　the　tribes　will　grow　more　numerous　and　e　together；　and　cross…fertilize　in　body　and　in　mind。　Then；　doubtless；　blindly　and　of　no　one's　planning；　will　e　new　civilizations　and　the　new　wars。　
　　After　a　while　they　grew　hungry　and　very　thirsty。　Since　the　fire　had　now　died　down　in　places；　one　of　the　young　men　sallied　out。　When　he　came　back；　he　was　carrying　an　old　aluminum　tea…kettle。　Ish　recognized　it　as　the　one　which　had　been　kept　at　the　near…by　spring。　The　young　man　offered　it　first　to　Ish；　and　he　took　a　long　drink　of　the　cool　water。　Then　the　others　drank。　
　　Afterwards　the　same　young　man　pulled　a　flat　tin　can　out　of　the　hip…pocket　of　his　blue　jeans。　The　label　had　long　since　fallen　away　from　the　can；　and　the　metal　was　well　rusted。　The　three　discussed　vigorously　among　themselves　whether　they　should　eat　whatever　might　be　in　the　can。　Some　people　had　died；　one　of　them　argued；　from　eating　out　of　cans。　They　argued　vigorously；　but　did　not　ask　Ish's　advice。　If　there　was　a　picture　of　a　fish　or　some　fruit　on　the　outside　of　the　can；　then　you　knew　that　that　kind　of　food　was　inside。　But　even；　one　of　them　declared；　a　rusty　can　might　be　dangerous　when　you　knew　what　was　in　it；　for　in　some　way；　if　the　rust　went　clear　through　the　can；　then　what　was　inside　might　be　spoiled。　
　　As　Ish；　who　was　not　in　the　argument；　could　have　told　them；　the　obvious　thing　to　do　was　to　open　the　can　and　see　in　what　condition　the　food　inside　might　be。　But　being　a　very　old　man　and　having　gained　some　wisdom　with　life；　he　realized　that　they　were　arguing　merely　for　the　fun　of　it；　and　that　eventually　they　would　get　around　to　a　decision。　
　　After　a　while；　indeed；　they　hacked　the　can　open　with　one　of　the　knives；　and　inside　was　some　reddish　brown　material。　To　Ish　it　was　obviously　a　can　of　salmon。　They　smelled　at　it　inquisitively；　and　decided　that　it　was　not　spoiled。　Also　they　inspected　the　inside　of　the　can；　and　found　that　no　rust　had　penetrated　through　it。　They　divided　the　salmon；　and　gave　a　share　to　Ish。　
　　Ish　had　not　seen　or　eaten　any　canned　salmon　for　a　long　time。　The　meat　looked　much　darker　to　him　than　it　should　look　and　it　was　lacking　in　flavor。　But　its　taste…or　lack　of　taste…he　decided；　might　be　partly　the　result　of　his　own　dullness　of　palate　at　his　age。　If　it　had　not　been　so　much　trouble　to　talk；　he　would　have　liked　to　deliver　a　lecture　to　the　young　men　about　all　the　miracles　that　lay　behind　their　eating　this　little　snack　of　salmon。　The　fish　must　have　been　caught　many　years　before；　probably　off　the　coast　of　Alaska；　a　thousand　miles　and　more　from　the　place　where　they　were　now　eating　it。　But　even　if　it　had　not　been　so　much　trouble　to　talk；　still　he　recollected　he　could　not　even　have　made　the　young　men　understand　what　he　was　talking　about。　They　had　seen　the　ocean；　perhaps；　because　it　was　not　very　far　from　where　they　lived；　but　they　would　have　no　conception　of　a　great　ship　sailing　the　ocean；　and　they　would　have　not　known　what　he　meant　when　he　talked　of　a　thousand　miles。　
　　So　he　ate　quietly；　and　let　his　eyes　rove　from　one　of　the　young　men　to　another。　More　and　more　often；　however；　his　eyes　came　to　rest　upon　that　particular　one　who　was　called　Jack。　Life　could　not　have　been　altogether　easy　for　Jack。　He　had　a　scar　on　his　right　arm；　and；　unless　Ish's　eyes　deceived　him；　the　left　hand　had　suffered　some　kind　of　accident　and　was　a　little　twisted。　Yes；　Jack　must　have　suffered；　and　yet　his　face；　like　those　of　the　others；　was　clear　of　lines　and　free　in　all　its　movements。　
　　Again　Ish　felt　his　heart　yearn　toward　the　young　man；　for　in　spite　of　the　scar　and　the　twisted　hand　the　young　man　seemed　child…like　and　innocent；　and　Ish　was　afraid　that　at　some　time　the　world　would　strike　back　hard　against　him　and　find　him　unprepared。　Once　Ish　recollected　that　he　had　asked　a　question　of　this　young　man　named　Jack。　He　had　asked　him；　〃Are　you　happy？〃　And　the　young　man　had　answered　in　such　a　strange　way　that　Ish　had　doubted　whether　he　had　understood　what　the　words　meant。　That　was　the　way　the　things　happened　over　all　these　years；　though　the　language　itself　had　not　changed　more　than　a　little；　yet　there　were　ideas　and　differences　that　had　gone　out　of　people's　thought。　No　longer　perhaps　did　they　make　that　sharp　distinction　between　pleasure　and　sorrow　that　people　had　once　made　in　the　times　of　civilization。　Perhaps　other　distinctions　too　had　faded　out。　
　　So　Jack　may　not　even　have　understood　the　question　exactly　when　he　had　replied　then：　〃Yes；　I　am　happy。　Things　are　as　they　are；　and　I　am　part　of　them。〃　
　　But　at　least　merriment　had　not　gone　out　of　the　world。　As　Ish　rested　beneath　the　rock…overhang；　he　saw　the　others　playing　with　their　dogs　or　joking　with　one　another。　They　laughed　easily　and　often。　And；　as　that　one　still　carved　at　his　wooden　figurine；　he　whistled　a　tune。　It　was　a　gay　tune；　and　Ish　remembered　its　lilt　but　not　its　name　or　the　words　to　sing　with　it。　Yet　it　brought　to　him　a　feeling　of　small　bells；　and　snow；　and　little　glowing　red　and　green　lights；　and　festivity。　Yes；　that　must　have　been　a　gay　song　even　in　the　Old　Days；　and　now　it　sounded　gayer　than　ever。　Gaiety…that　had　survived　the　Great　Disaster！　
　　The　Great　Disaster！　Ish　had　not　thought　of　those　words　for　a　long　time。　Now　they　seemed　to　have　lost　meaning。　Those　people　who　had　died　then　would　now　be　dead　anyway；　from　mere　passage　of　time。　Now　it　seemed　to　make　little　difference　whether　they　had　all　died　in　one　year；　or　slowly　over　many　years。　And　as　for　the　loss　of　civilization…about　that　too　he　had　long　doubted。　
　　The　young　man　still　whistled　gaily；　and　Ish　thought　that　he　could　remember　the　words　〃Oh；　what　fun　it　is。。。〃　He　could　ask　the　young　man　about　the　words。　As　he　sat　there　in　the　deep　cleft　between　the　two　rocks；　however；　Ish　still　found　himself　too　tired　to　bother　asking　questions。　Nevertheless　his　mind　was　clear。　It　was　frighteningly　clear；　and　he　could　not　remember　when　before　he　had　been　able　to　think　so　deeply　in　behind　the　surface　of　things。　
　　〃What　is　all　this？〃　he　thought　to　himself。　〃Why　is　my　mind　so　keen　today？〃　He　thought　that　perhaps　it　might　be　from　the　shock　of　being　pulled　out　of　bed