gs.earthabides-第20节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　was　trapped。　Even　though　the　fires　would　burn　themselves　out；　the　roads　across　the　Sierra　would　be　permanently　blocked　by　many　fallen　trees　and　by　landslides　and　washouts　upon　the　denuded　slopes。　
　　In　the　morning；　as　usual；　he　felt　more　cheerful。　If　he　was　trapped；　California　was　a　fortably　large　place　to　be　trapped　in；　and　even　though　the　Sierra　would　be　impassable；　the　southern　road　through　the　desert　might　remain　open　for　a　long　time。　He　was　just　ready　to　start；　but　Princess；　with　her　usual　perverseness；　suddenly　gave　tongue；　and　disappeared　on　a　trail。　Irritated；　he　waited　for　her；　and　when　she　did　not　return；　he　changed　his　plans；　and　spent　most　of　the　day　lolling；　half　naked；　in　the　shade　of　some　trees。　In　the　late　afternoon；　he　started。　
　　At　twilight　he　came　to　the　crest　of　the　hill；　and　looked　out　again　over　the　broad　expanse　of　all…the　Bay　cities。　With　a　sudden　start　of　pleasure　he　saw　that　most　of　the　street…lights　were　still　burning。　There　had　been　no　electric　lights　for　such　a　long　time　that　he　could　really　not　remember　where　he　had　last　seen　them。　All　the　steam…driven　power…plants　must　have　failed　almost　immediately；　and　even　the　smaller　hydro…electric　systems　had　not　lasted　long。　He　felt　a　curious　local　pride　mingling　with　his　pleasure；　perhaps　these　were　the　last　electric　lights　left　burning　in　the　whole　world。　
　　At　the　moment　he　could　almost　think　that　it　had　all　been　some　wild　vagary　of　the　imagination；　and　that　he　had　now　returned　to　a　normally　functioning　city。　
　　The　long　empty　highway　ahead　of　him　gave　the　lie　to　such　thoughts。　He　looked　more　carefully。　A　few　sections；　he　decided；　had　blacked　out　through　local　failure　of　power　since　he　had　been　away　The　lights　on　the　Golden　Gate　Bridge　were　either　extinguished；　or　else　he　could　not　see　them　because　of　the　smoke　drift　upon　the　Bay。　
　　He　turned　into　San　Lupo　Drive。　As　far　as　he　could　see　from　the　street…lights　and　the　headlight　glare；　everything　looked　just　the　same　as　when　he　had　last　left　it。　〃There'll　always　be　a　San　Lupo　Drive！〃　he　thought；　and　then　he　realized　that　at　least　he　was　enough　like　all　the　other　survivors　to　pick　out　some　particular　familiar　spot；　and　though　he　went　away；　to　return　to　it　again　like　the　homing　pigeon。　
　　He　opened　the　front　door；　snapped　the　lights　on　and　looked。　Nothing　was　changed。　He　had　known　that　it　in　be　so；　and　yet　there　had　always　been　hope。　He　felt　no　active　sorrow；　but　only　dullness。　
　　〃The　sere　and　yellow　leaf；〃　he　thought；　saying　a　line　he　had　heard　on　the　stage；　but　not　knowing　what　play。　〃There　would　have　been　a　time。。。。〃　
　　Princess　made　a　sudden　dash　into　the　kitchen；　slipped　on　the　linoleum；　skidded；　yelped　ically；　and　recovered。　Thankful　to　her　again　for　breaking　the　tension；　he　followed　her。　She　was　sniffing　along　the　baseboard；　but　he　failed　to　discover　what　had　excited　her。　
　　〃Well；〃　he　thought；　walking　back　to　the　living…room；　〃if　I　have　no　feelings　left；　that　is　perhaps　strange；　but　at　least　there　is　no　one　now　to　whom　I　can　pretend。　It　is　probably　all　part　of　what　I　am　passing　through。　〃　
　　The　note　which　he　had　left　posted　on　the　desk　was　still　there；　undisturbed；　looking　remarkably　fresh。　He　took　it；　crumpled　it；　threw　it　into　the　fireplace；　scratched　a　match。　He　hesitated　a　moment。　Then　he　touched　the　match　to　the　paper；　and　watched　the　flame　blaze　up。　That　was　finished！　
　　In　that　generation　there　will　be　neither　father　nor　mother；　nor　wife；　nor　child；　nor　friend。　But　it　will　be　as　in　the　ancient　tales　when　the　gods　reared　up　a　new　people　from　stones　or　dragons'　teeth；　and　they　were　all　strangers　with　strange　faces；　and　no　man　knew　his　fellow's　face。　
　　The　next　morning　he　settled　down　to　establish　his　life。　Food；　he　knew　already；　was　no　problem　at　all。　In　the　nearest　business　district　he　began　looking　into　store…windows。　Rats　and　mice　were　making　a　mess　of　everything；　and　the　floors　were　littered　with　gnawed　cartons　and　spilled　food。　Through　one　window；　however；　he　was　startled　to　see　the　gaily　colored　piles　of　fruit　and　vegetables　as　fresh　and　lovely　as　ever。　He　stared　incredulously；　peering　through　the　dust…coated　glass。　Then；　first　with　irritation　and　then　with　amusement；　he　realized　that　the　bright　colors　were　merely　from　the　papier…maché　oranges；　apples；　tomatoes；　and　avocados　which　the　store　in　the　old　days　had　used　for　a　permanent　front…window　display。　
　　After　a　while　he　saw　through　the　windows　a　grocery　which　was　unlittered。　Apparently　it　must　be　rodent…proof。　Carefully　jimmying　a　window；　he　got　into　the　store。　
　　The　bread　was　inedible；　and　weevils　were　at　work　even　in　some　of　the　carefully　sealed　boxes　of　crackers。　But　the　dried　fruit　and　everything　inside　of　tin　and　glass　was　as　good　as　ever。　As　he　was　picking　out　some　cans　of　olives；　he　heard　an　electric　motor　start。　Curiously；　he　opened　the　refrigerator；　and　found　that　the　butter　was　still　perfectly　preserved。　Next　he　investigated　the　deep…freeze　units；　and　found　fresh　meat；　frozen　vegetables；　ice…cream；　and　even　materials　for　a　green　salad。　When　he　left　with　his　loot；　he　closed　the　window　carefully　behind　him；　to　keep　at　least　that　one　store　free　of　rats。　
　　After　he　had　returned　to　the　house；　he　reflected　upon　his　position　again；　and　decided　that　as　yet　the　mere　maintenance　of　life　would　be　easy；　indefinitely。　Food；　clothing…the　shops　were　full；　and　he　had　only　to　help　himself！　Water　still　gushed　from　the　faucets　at　full　pressure。　Gas　had　failed；　and　if　it　had　been　a　country　of　bitterly　cold　winters；　he　might　have　had　to　consider　laying　in　some　kind　of　fuel　supply。　But　his　gasoline　stove　served　excellently　for　cooking；　if　the　fireplace　was　not　sufficient　in　the　winter；　he　could　round　up　a　battery　of　such　stoves　and　supply　himself　with　all　the　heat　he　needed。　In　fact；　he　soon　began　to　feel　so　pleasantly　self…sufficient　that　he　feared　he　was　turning　into　a　hermit　like　the　old　man　he　had　once　seen。　
　　In　those　days　when　there　had　been　death　even　in　the　air　and　civilization　tottered　toward　its　end…in　those　days；　the　men　who　controlled　the　flow　of　the　water　looked　at　one　another　and　said；　〃Even　though　we　fall　sick　and　die；　still；　the　people　must　have　water。〃　And　they　thought　of　plans　that　they　had　laid　carefully　in　those　times　when　men　feared　that　bombs　would　fall。　Then　they　set　the　valves　and　opened　the　channels；　so　that　the　water　flowed　freely　all　the　way　from　the　great　dams　in　the　mountains　and　through　the　long　siphons　and　into　the　tunnels　and　finally　to　the　reservoirs　from　which　it　would　flow；　all　at　the　pull　of　the　earth；　through　all　the　faucets。　〃Now；〃　they　said；　〃when　we　are　gone；　the　water　will　flow　on…yes；　until　the　pipes　rust　out；　and　that　will　be　the　time　of　a　generation！〃　Then　they　died。　But　they　died　as　men　who　have　finished　their　work　and　lie　down　quietly；　secure　in　their　honor。　
　　So　at　the　end；　there　was　still　the　blessing　of　water；　and　no　one　thirsted。　And　even　when　only　a　few　wanderers　walked　through　the　city　streets；　the　water　still　flowed。　
　　Ish　had　feared　at　first　that　he　would　suffer　from　mere　boredom；　but　he　soon　found　himself　as　busy　as　he　wished　to　be。　The　desire　for　activity　which　had　expressed　itself　in　his　eastern　trip　had　now　faded　out。　He　slept　a　great　deal。　He　also　found　himself　sitting　for　long　periods；　conscious　but　in　sheer　apathy。　Such　lapses；　however；　frightened　him；　and　he　always　tried　to　force　himself　into　some　kind　of　activity。　
　　Fortunately；　though　the　mechanics　of　living　were　not　plicated；　they　took　up　an　appreciable　part　of　his　time。　
　　He　had　to　prepare　his　food；　and　he　soon　found　that　unless　he　washed　the　dishes　promptly；　a　stream　of　ants　appeared；　to　make　everything　twice　as　difficult。　He　was　forced；　for　the　same　reason；　to　wrap　up　the　garbage　and　carry　it　somewhere　away　from　the　house。　He　had　to　feed　Princess；　since　she　was　getting　smelly；　he　even　bathed　her；　over　her　loud　protests。　
　　One　day；　wanting　to　shake　himself　out　of　his　apathy；　he　went　to　the　Public　Library；　smashed　a　lock　with　his　hammer；　and　after　some　browsing　found　himself　（a　little　to　his　own　amusement）　walking　out　with　Robinson　Crusoe　and　The　Swiss　Family　Robinson。　
　　These　books；　however；　did　not　interest　him　greatly。　Crusoe's　religious　preoccupations　seemed　boring　and　rather　silly。　As　for　the　Robinsons；　he　felt　（as　he　had　felt　when　a　boy）　that　the　ship　remained　for　the　family　a　kind　of　infinite　grab…bag　from　which　at　any　time　they　might　take　exactly　what　they　wanted。　
　　Although　the　radio　was　dead；　he　still　had　the　family's　record…player　and　collection　of　records。　After　a　while　he　located　in　a　music　store　a　better　record…player。　It　was　heavy；　but　he　was　just　able　to　get　it　home　on　the　station…wagon　tailgate；　and　set　it　up　in　the　fiving…room。　He　also　took　all　the　records　he　wanted。　Feeling　the　need　of　something　more　too；　he　helped　himself　to　a　fine　accordion。　With　the　aid　of　an　instructionbook；　he　managed　to　make　some　very　soul…satisfying　noises　on　it；　although　Princess　objected　at　times　with　loud　howls。　He　also　supplied　himself　with　drawing…materials；　but　never　got　round　to　using　them。　
　　His　chief　interest　remained　the　careful　observation　of　what　was　happening　to　the　world　after　the　removal　of　man's　controls。　He　drove　around　through　all　parts　of　the　city