gs.earthabides-第32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！


　permanently；　but　they　feared　the　triangle…situation；　even　when　the　outsider　was　as　easygoing　and　perceptive　as　Ezra。　So　one　day　when　he　seemed　restless　they　sent　him　off；　telling　him　jokingly　to　find　himself　a　pretty　girl　and　then　e　back　and　join　them。　They　were　sad　after　he　had　gone。　
　　At　the　time　of　his　leaving　the　sun　was　again　far　to　the　south。　So；　when　they　went　to　the　flat　rock　and　cut　the　numeral　2；　Ezra　was　still　in　their　minds；　though　he　was　gone　and　they　did　not　expect　to　see　him　again。　He　would　have　been；　they　thought；　a　good　helper；　a　good　person　to　have　around。　To　his　memory　they　called　it　the　Year　of　Ezra。　
　　The　Year　3　was　the　Year　of　the　Fires。　Just　after　mid…summer　the　smoke　suddenly　drifted　over　everything；　and　it　stayed；　lighter　and　heavier；　through　three　months。　The　babies　sometimes　woke　up　coughing　and　choking；　their　eyes　watering。　
　　Ish　could　realize　what　was　happening。　The　western　forests　were　no　longer　primeval　woodlands　of　big　trees　through　which　a　fire　could　sweep　and　do　little　damage。　On　the　contrary；　because　of　logging　and　man…caused　fires；　the　forests　consisted　mostly　of　thick　and　highly　inflammable　second…growth；　made　all　the　worse　by　slash…piles　and　brush…fields。　Man　had　produced　this　kind　of　forest；　and　it　was　dependent　upon　him；　surviving　only　because　of　his　vigorous　efforts　at　fire…suppression。　Now　the　hoses　lay　neatly　coiled　and　the　bull…dozers　reddened　with　rust；　and　in　this　summer；　a　very　dry　one；　over；　all　northern　California；　and　doubtless　in　Oregon　and　Washington　too；　the　lightning…set　fires　were　raging　unbatted　through　the　tangled　second…growth　and　blazing　up　in　the　tinder…dry　slash…piles。　One　horrible　week　they　even　saw　the　fires　burning　brightly　in　the　night；　all　along　the　north　side　of　the　Bay；　sweeping　the　slopes　of　the　mountain　from　bottom　to　top；　and　dying　out　only　when　there　was　nothing　left　to　burn。　The　broad　arms　of　the　Bay　fortunately　kept　the　fire　on　the　north　side；　and　there　were　no　lightning　storms　on　the　south　side　to　start　new　fires。　When　it　was　all　over；　Ish　believed　that　there　must　be　very　few　forests　left　unburned　in　California；　and　centuries　would　be　required　to　grow　them　again。　
　　In　this　year　also　Ish　really　settled　down　to　reading…another　sign　that　he　was　finally　adjusting　to　the　situation。　He　got　his　books　from　the　City　Library；　and　kept　the　million　volumes　of　the　University　as　a　great　reserve　to　be　tapped　when　the　time　was　ripe。　Although　he　often　thought　that　he　should　use　his　reading　to　make　himself　skillful　in　such　fields　as　medicine　and　agriculture　and　mechanics；　he　found　that　what　he　actually　wanted　to　read　was　the　story　of　mankind。　He　plunged　through　innumerable　volumes　of　anthropology　and　history；　and　went　on　into　philosophy；　particularly　the　philosophy　of　history。　He　mad　novels　and　poems　and　plays；　which　also　were　the　story　of　mankind。　
　　Sometimes　in　the　evening；　when　he　was　reading　and　Em　was　knitting；　and　the　babies　were　asleep　upstairs　and　Princess　was　lying　lazily　in　front　of　the　fire…sometimes　then　Ish　would　look　up　and　think　that　his　father　and　mother　had　passed　many　evenings　in　just　the　same　way。　But　then　he　would　see　the　gasoline　lamp　and　turn　his　eyes　up　to　the　dead　electriclight　bulbs　in　the　ceiling…fixture。　
　　The　Year　4　was　the　Year　of　the　ing。。。。　One　day　in　early　spring；　about　noon；　Princess　leaped　up　barking　wildly　and　dashed　for　the　street；　and　then　they　heard　a　car…horn　tooting。　Ezra　had　been　gone　for　more　than　a　year；　and　they　had　stopped　thinking　about　him。　But　there　he　was…in　a　jalopylooking　car；　overflowing　with　people　and　household　goods。　Ish　couldn't　help　thinking　of　an　Okie　outfit　arriving　in　California　in　the　Old　Times。　
　　Besides　Ezra；　there　crawled　out　of　the　car　a　woman　of　about　thirty…five；　a　younger　woman；　a　frightened…looking　half…grown　girl；　and　a　little　boy。　Ezra　introduced　the　older　woman　as　Molly；　and　the　younger　as　Jean；　and　after　each　name　he　added　calmly　and　without　embarrassment；　〃My　wife。〃　
　　Ish　suffered　only　mild　shock　at　the　fact　of　bigamy。　He　had　been　through　a　great　many　experiences　already；　and　he　reacted　quickly　to　realize　that　plurality　of　wives　had　been　an　accepted　part　of　many　great　civilizations　in　the　past　and　might　well　be　again　in　the　future。　It　was　certainly　a　practical　situation　when　there　were　two　women　available　and　only　one　man；　especially　when　the　man　was　like　Ezra；　able　to　live　fortably　with　people　under　all　sorts　of　conditions。　
　　The　little　boy　was　Ralph；　Molly's　son。　He　had　been　bom　only　a　few　weeks　before　the　Great　Disaster；　and　had　presumably　either　inherited　immunity　or　absorbed　it　through　his　mother's　milk。　This　was　the　only　case；　so　far　as　they　knew；　of　two　members　of　the　same　family　surviving。　The　half…grown　girl　they　called　Evie；　but　nobody　really　knew　her　right　name。　Ezra　had　found　her　living　in　squalor　and　solitude；　opening　cans　to　find　what　she　needed；　grubbing　for　worms　and　snails。　She　must　have　been　five　or　six　years　old　at　the　time　of　theGreat　Disaster。　Whether　she　had　always　been　half…witted；　or　whether　the　shock　of　death　and　solitude　had　rendered　her　so；　no　one　knew。　She　cowered　and　whimpered；　and　even　Ezra　could　win　a　smile　from　her　only　now　and　then。　She　knew　a　few　words；　and　after　they　had　been　kind　to　her　for　a　long　time；　she　gradually　came　to　talk　more；　but　she　never　grew　normal。　
　　Later　in　the　same　year　Ish　and　Ezra　went　off　together　for　a　few　days　in　Ish's　old　station…wagon。　The　trip　was　not　a　pleasant　one；　they　had　tire…trouble　and　engine…trouble；　and　the　roads　were　rough。　Nevertheless　they　acplished　what　they　had　set　out　to　do。　
　　They　located　George　and　Maurine；　whom　Ezra　had　found　on　one　of　his　wanderings。　George　was　a　big　shambling　fellow；　gray　around　the　temples；　good…natured；　uncertain　in　speech　but　deft　in　his　trade；　which　was　carpentry。　（〃Too　bad！〃　thought　Ish。　〃A　mechanic　or　a　farmer　would　have　been　better　for　us！〃）　Maurine　was　his　female　counterpart；　except　that　she　was　some　ten　years　younger；　around　forty　probably。　She　loved　housekeeping　as　George　loved　carpentry。　As　for　their　mental　processes；　you　might　call　George　dull；　but　you　would　have　to　call　Maurine　stupid。　
　　Privately　Ish　and　Ezra　discussed　George　and　Maurine；　and　decided　that　they　were　good　solid　people；　fortable　to　have　around；　more　a　source　of　strength　than　of　weakness。　（It　was　a　little；　Ish　thought　wryly；　like　deciding　whether　you　would　give　someone　a　bid　to　your　fraternity；　and　when　there　were　so　few　to　choose　from；　you　couldn't　be　too　choosy。）　In　the　end　George　and　Maurine　came　along　back　in　the　station…wagon。　
　　Ish　and　Maurine　found　that　they　had　one　experience　in　mon。　As　a　little　girl　in　South　Dakota；　she　had　been　bitten　by　a　rattlesnake。　
　　Toward　the　end　of　this　year　Em　bore　her　second　son；　whom　they　named　Roger。　So　by　that　time　the　people　living　on　San　Lupo　Drive　numbered　seven　adults；　andfour　children；　and　Evie　besides。　About　then　they　began；　at　first　as　a　joke；　to　talk　of　themselves　as　The　Tribe。　
　　The　Year　5　supplied　no　very　startling　occurrence。　Both　Molly　and　Jean　had　babies；　and　Ezra　was　as　pleased　as　a　two…time　father　should　be。　In　the　end　they　called　it　the　Year　of　the　Bulls。　This　was　because　there　was　a　plague　of　cattle　that　year；　just　as　from　the　first　months　they　all　remembered　the　plagues　of　the　ants　and　the　rats。　Cattle　had　gradually　got　to　be　more　and　more　numerous。　Very　rarely　did　anyone　see　a　horse；　never；　a　sheep。　But　it　was　good　country　for　cattle；　and　they　reached　a　climax　in　this　year；　and　became　a　nuisance。　To　be　sure；　you　easily　got　all　the　steak　you　wanted；　though　it　was　tough。　But　you　had　continual　trouble　running　into　a　cross　bull　when　you　were　merely　wanting　to　walk　here　or　there。　You　could　always　shoot　a　bull；　but　shooting　one　near　the　houses　either　meant　that　you　had　to　go　to　all　the　trouble　of　burying　the　carcass；　or　of　dragging　it　away；　or　else　you　suffered　from　the　smell。　They　all　had　to　bee　adept　at　stepping　quickly　out　of　the　way　when　a　bull　charged；　and　they　came　to　make　something　of　a　sport　of　this；　and　to　call　it　〃bull…dodging。〃　
　　The　Year　6　was　an　eventful　one。　During　its　course　all　four　of　the　women　bore　children…even　Maurine；　who　had　seemed　too　old。　There　was；　however…ikow　that　Em　had　led　the　way…a　strong　drive　toward　the　having　of　many　children。　Each　of　the　adults　had　for　a　time　lived　alone；　had　experienced　what　they　now　called　the　Great　Loneliness；　and　the　strange　dread　that　went　with　it。　Even　now　their　little　group　was　only　a　tiny　candle　against　the　pressure　of　surrounding　darkness。　Each　new…born　baby　seemed　to　give　the　uncertain　flame　a　stronger　hold　and　to　push　the　darkness　of　annihilation　back　a　little。　At　the　end　of　this　year　the　number　of　children；　which　was　ten；　exceeded　the　number　of　adults…and　then　of　course　there　was　Evie；　who　was　hardly　to　be　counted　in　either　group。　
　　But　it　was　an　eventful　year　for　other　reasons　too。　It　was　a　year　of　drought　and　of　little　grass；　and　the　too　numerous　cattle　grew　thin　and　wandered　everywhere；　searching　food。　Driven　madly　by　hunger；　they　crashed　the　strong　fence　around　the　little　vegetable　plot　one　night。　The　aroused　men　emptied　rifles　into　the　milling　cattle　at　short　range；　but　before　they　could　be　driven　off；　the　garden　was　utterly　ruined…ironically；　by　being