gs.earthabides-第36节

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e　after　me…they　will　have　to　solve　their　own　problems。〃　
　　Yet　he　knew；　as　he　thought　again；　that　this　last　was　not　altogether　true　either。　The　people　who　live　in　any　generation　do　much；　he　realized；　either　to　create　or　to　solve　the　problems　for　the　people　who　e　in　the　generations　later。　
　　In　any　case；　he　could　not　help　wondering　what　would　happen　to　The　Tribe　in　the　years　that　were　ahead。　It　worried　him。　After　the　Great　Disaster；　he　had　thought　that　the　people；　if　any　survived　at　all；　would　soon　be　able　to　get　some　things　running　again　and　proceed　gradually　toward　re…establishing　more　and　more　of　civilization。　He　had　even　dreamed　of　a　time　when　electric　lights　might　go　on　again。　But　nothing　like　that　had　happened；　and　the　munity　was　still　dependent　upon　the　leavings　of　the　past。　
　　Now　he　looked　around；　as　he　had　often　looked　before；　at　the　ones　who　were　with　him。　They　were；　so　to　speak；　the　bricks　out　of　which　a　new　civilization　must　be　fashioned。　There　was　Ezra；　for　instance。　Ish　felt　himself　growing　warm　with　the　mere　pleasure　of　friendship　as　he　looked　at　that　thin　ruddy　face　and　pleasant　smile；　even　though　the　smile　showed　the　bad　teeth。　Ezra　had　genius　perhaps；　but　it　was　the　genius　of　living　on　easy　and　friendly　terms　with　people；　and　not　the　creative　drive　that　leads　toward　new　civilizations。　No；　not　Ezra。　
　　And　there　beside　Ezra　was　George；　good　old　George…heavy　and　shambling；　powerful　still；　though　his　hair　had　turned　wholly　gray。　George　was　a　good　man；　too；　in　his　fashion。　He　was　a　first…class　carpenter；　and　had　learned　to　do　plumbing　and　painting　and　the　other　odd　jobs　around　the　house。　He　was　a　very　useful　man；　and　had　preserved　many　basic　skills。　Yet　Ish　always　knew　that　George　was　essentially　stupid；　he　had　probably　never　read　a　book　in　his　life。　No；　not　George。　
　　Next　to　George；　was　Evie；　the　half…witted　one。　Molly　kept　her　well　groomed；　and　Evie；　blond　and　slender；　was　good…looking；　if　you　could　forget　the　vacantness　of　her　face。　She　sat　there　glancing　right　and　left　at　whoever　was　talking。　She　even　gave　an　illusion　of　alertness；　but　Ish　knew　that　she　was　understanding　little；　perhaps　nothing；　of　what　was　being　said。　She　was　no　foundation…stone　for　the　future。　Certainly；　not　Evie。　
　　Then　came　Molly；　Ezra's　older　wife。　Molly　was　not　a　stupid　person；　but　she　had　had　little　education　and　could　certainly　not　be　called　intellectual。　Besides；　like　the　other　women；　she　had　expended　her　energy　at　bearing　and　rearing　children；　and　now　five　of　hers　were　still　alive。　That　was　enough　contribution　to　ask　of　anyone。　No；　not　Molly。　
　　Beyond　Molly；　the　next　person　was　Em。　When　Ish　looked　at　Em；　so　many　feelings　boiled　up　within　him　that　he　knew　any　judgment　he　might　try　to　make　of　her　would　be　of　no　value。　She；　alone；　had　made　the　first　decision　to　have　a　child。　She　had　kept　her　courage　and　confidence　during　the　Terrible　Year。　She　it　was　to　whom　they　all　turned　in　time　of　trouble。　Some　strong　power　lodged　within　her；　to　affirm　and　never　to　deny。　Without　her　they　might　all　have　been　as　nothing。　Yet；　her　power　lay　deep　in　the　springs　of　action；　in　a　particular　situation；　though　she　might　inspire　courage　and　confidence　in　others；　she　herself　seldom　supplied　an　idea。　Ish　knew　that　he　would　always　turn　to　her　and　that　she　was　greater　than　he；　but　he　also　knew　that　she　would　not　be　of　help　in　planning　toward　the　future。　No…though　it　seemed　disloyalty　to　say　so…not　even　Em！　
　　Beyond　Em；　lolling　on　the　floor；　were　Ralph　and　Jack　and　Roger；　the　three　who　were　still　called　boys；　even　though　they　themselves　were　married　and　had　children。　Ralph　was　Molly's　son　who　was　married　to　Ish's　daughter；　Mary；　Jack　and　Roger　were　Ish's　own　sons。　But　as　he　looked　at　them　now；　Ish　felt　very　far　from　them；　even　though　his　connection　by　family　was　as　close　as　could　well　be。　Though　he　was　only　some　twenty　years　older；　still　he　seemed　separated　from　them　by　centuries。　They　had　not　known　the　Old　Times；　and　so　they　could　not　look　forward　much　and　think　how　things　might　again　be　in　the　future。　No；　probably　not　the　boys　either。　
　　Ish's　eyes　had　moved　around　the　circle；　and　he　was　looking　now　at　Jean；　Ezra's　younger　wife。　She　had　borne　ten　children；　and　seven　of　them　were　still　alive。　She　had　a　mind　of　her　own；　as　her　refusal　to　join　in　the　church…services　had　shown。　Still；　she　was　not　a　person　of　new　ideas。　No；　not　Jean。　
　　As　for　Maurine；　George's　wife；　she　had　not　even　bothered　to　e　to　the　gathering；　but　had　gone　directly　from　the　rock　to　her　own　house；　where　she　would　already　be　engaged　at　sweeping　or　dusting　or　some　other　of　her　perpetual　and　beloved　tasks　of　housewifery。　Of　all　persons；　certainly　not　Maurine。　
　　Three　other　adults　also　were　not　present。　They　were　Mary；　Martha；　and　young　Jeanie；　who　were　married　to　the　three　boys。　Mary　had　always　seemed　to　Ish　the　most　stolid　of　all　his　children；　and　now　with　her　own　children　ing　so　fast；　she　grew　a　little　more　bovine；　yearly。　Martha　and　Jeanie　also　were　mothers；　and　motherhood　was　absorbing　them。　No；　none　of　these。　
　　Present　and　absent；　twelve　adults！　He　still　had　difficulty　in　realizing　that　there　was　no　vast　reservoir　of　humanity　from　which　to　draw。　
　　Half　a　dozen　children　were　interspersed　among　the　adults　or　circled　around　restlessly　on　the　outside　of　the　circle。　Instead　of　going　to　help　with　the　bonfire；　these　few　had　kept　with　the　adults…half…bored；　and　yet　apparently　thinking　that　such　a　large　gathering　of　their　elders　was　important　and　should　be　watched。　Ish　let　his　attention　shift　to　them；　speculatively。　Sometimes　they　listened　to　what　the　older　people　were　saying；　and　sometimes　they　merely　poked　each　other　or　scuffled。　Yet；　in　them；　careless　as　they　seemed；　rested　the　hope。　The　older　people　could　probably　slide　along　on　the　present　arrangements　as　long　as　they　lived；　but　the　children　might　have　to　adapt。　Could　any　of　them　supply　the　spark？　
　　And　now；　as　he　began　to　focus　on　the　children；　Ish　saw　that　one　of　them　was　not　scuffling　with　any　other；　but　was　sitting　there；　steadily　listening　to　what　the　older　ones　were　saying；　his　big　eyes　glancing　back　and　forth　with　a　bright　glow　of　intelligence　and　interest。　This　was　Joey。　
　　No　sooner　had　Ish's　eyes　focused　for　a　moment　upon　Joey；　than　Joey's　alertly　wandering　glance　noticed　the　attention　his　father　was　giving　him。　He　squirmed　with　delight；　and　his　face　broke　into　the　all…embracing　grin　of　a　nine…year…old。　Upon　the　impulse　of　the　moment；　Ish　winked　slyly　at　his　youngest　son。　Joey's　grin　could　scarcely　have　bee　any　broader　than　it　was；　but　in　some　way　it　seemed　to　spread。　Ish　caught　the　flutter　of　an　eyelid　in　return。　Then；　not　to　embarrass　Joey；　Ish　turned　his　glance　elsewhere。　
　　There　was　a　slow　argument　going　on　among　George　and　Ezra　and　the　boys。　Ish　had　heard　it　all　before；　and　was　not　enough　interested　to　participate　or　even　to　listen　to　all　of　it。　
　　〃One　of　them　things　don't　weigh　more'n　four　hundred　pounds　anyway；　I　think；〃　George　was　saying。　
　　〃Yes；　maybe；〃　Jack　replied。　〃But　just　the　same；　that's　a　lot　to　lug　up　here。〃　
　　〃Aw；　that's　not　so　much！〃　said　Ralph；　who　was　heavy…set　and　powerful；　and　liked　to　show　off　his　strength。　
　　And　so；　thought　Ish；　the　argument　would　go　on；　as　he　had　heard　it　often　before；　about　whether　it　was　possible　to　get　a　gas…refrigerator　somewhere；　and　set　it　up；　and　supply　it　with　still　charged　tanks　of　pressurized　gas；　and　so　have　ice　again。　Yet；　in　the　end；　nothing　would　be　done；　not　because　the　project　was　impossible　or　even　inordinately　difficult；　but　merely　because　everybody　was　fairly　well　contented　with　things　as　they　were；　and　in　a　region　of　notably　cool　summers　there　was　no　great　drive　which　led　anyone　to　want　to　have　ice。　Yet；　in　a　vague　way；　the　old　argument　disturbed　him。　
　　He　let　his　gaze　shift　back　to　Joey。　Joey　was　small；　even　for　his　age。　Ish　enjoyed　watching　the　little　boy's　face；　the　quick　way　in　which　his　eyes　shifted　from　one　speaker　to　another；　never　missing　a　point。　In　fact；　Ish　could　see　that　Joey　often　picked　up　the　point　of　a　sentence；　even　before　the　speaker　arrived　at　the　end　of　it；　especially　with　a　slow　speaker；　like　old　George。　This　must　be；　Ish　reflected；　a　tremendous　day　for　Joey。　A　year　had　actually　been　named　after　him；　the　Year　When　Joey　Read。　No　other　child　had　ever　had　any　such　honor　as　that。　Perhaps　it　was　even　such　a　distinction　as　to　be　bad　for　him。　Yet；　the　idea　had　e　spontaneously　from　the　other　children；　a　tribute　to　sheer　intellect。　
　　The　languid　argument　was　still　going　on。　George　was　talking　now：　
　　〃No；　there　shouldn't　be　no　great　trick　to　connecting　up　the　pipes。〃　
　　〃But；　George；〃　this　voice　was　Ezra's　with　its　quicker　tempo　and　faint　tone　of　Yorkshire　still　noticeable　after　all　these　years；　〃has　gas…pressure　kept　up　in　those　tanks　of　pressed　gas？　I　should　think；　p'raps；　after　all　this　time　。。。。。。　
　　Ezra's　voice　trailed　off　that　moment　at　a　sudden　rumpus　between　two　of　the　children。　Weston；　Ezra's　own　twelve…year…old　son；　was　engaged　in　a　punching　contest　with　Betty；　his　half…sister。　
　　〃Stop　it；　Weston；〃　Ezra　snapped　out。　〃Stop　it；　I　say；　or　I'll　warm　your　pants　for　you！〃　
　　The　threat　did　not　carry　conviction；　and　as　far　as　Ish　could　remember；　he　had　never　seen　the　easygoing