gs.earthabides-第43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！


　　As　it　was…perhaps　he　himself　had　been　a　little　scared　at　the　moment…everyone　had　made　as　light　as　possible　of　the　matter；　searched　for　the　easiest　makeshifts；　and　thus　dulled　the　edge　of　what　might　have　been　made　to　seem　a　disaster。　The　Tribe　had　really　taken　the　matter　in　its　stride。　Or…the　identity　of　the　word　popped　an　old　parison　into　his　mind…it　had　rolled　off；　〃like　water　off　a　duck's　back！〃　Four　or　five　hours　later；　and　everybody　had　apparently　settled　again　into　the　old　happy…go…lucky　life！　
　　〃Apparently；〃　yes！　But　after　all；　some　sense　of　shock　and　uncertainty　must　still　be　lingering。　Some　had　gone　fishing　and　some　had　gone　quail…shooting；　and　already　he　had　heard　two　reports　of　a　shot…gun。　But　all　of　these　must　certainly　feel　a　slight　sense　of　irresponsibility；　even　of　guilt；　at　having　left　the　more　important　work。　They　would　e　in　tired　at　evening；　and　then　the　reaction　might　go　the　other　way。　He　would　get　everybody　together　for　a　meeting　then。　If　the　iron　would　not　still　be　red…hot；　it　might　at　least　have　rewarmed　a　little。　
　　Then　he　himself　incongruously　crunched　out　his　second　after…lunch　cigarette；　and　settled　back　to　rest；　fortable　and　unharassed　by　worry；　in　the　big　chair。　〃This　is　fortable；〃　he　thought；　〃〃This　is　。。。　
　　In　those　days　they　will　look　toward　the　sea；　and　cry　out　suddenly；　〃A　ship；　a　ship！　。。。　Yes；　a　ship　certainly！　。。。　Do　you　not　see　the　plume　of　the　drifting　smoke？　。。。　Yes；　it　is　making　for　our　harbor！〃　Then　they　will　be　merry　with　one　another　and　say　gaily：　〃Why　were　we　despondent？。。。。　It　stood　to　reason　that　civilization　could　not　be　destroyed　everywhere！　。。。　Of　course；　I　always　said　。。。。　In　Australia；　or　South　Africa；　one　of　those　isolated　places…or　one　of　the　islands。〃　But　there　will　be　no　ship；　and　only　a　wisp　of　cloud　on　the　horizon。　
　　Or　one　will　wake　from　his　nap　in　the　afternoon；　and　took　upward　quickly。　〃Surely！　。。。　I　knew　it　must　e！　。。。　That　was　the　motor　of　a　plane　。。。。　I　could　not　be　mistaken。〃　But　it　will　be　only　the　locust　in　the　bush；　and　there　will　be　no　plane。　
　　Or　one　will　rig　batteries　to　a　radio…set；　and　sit　with　earphones；　fingering　the　dials。　〃Yes？〃　he　will　say　sharply。　〃Be　quiet　there；　all　of　you！　。。。　Surely；　surely！　。。。　Just　at　920！　。。。　Someone　talking。　I　heard　distinctly；　sounded　Spanish　。。。。　There　again！　。。。　Now　it's　faded！〃　But　there　will　be　no　words　on　the　air；　only　the　tricks　of　the　far…off　thunderstorms。　
　　〃Yes；　this　is　fortable；〃　thought　Ish；　resting　in　the　big　chair。。。。　And　then　suddenly　he　started！　From　the　street　came　the　noise　of　two　loud　reports；　and　he　knew　at　once　that　they　could　be　nothing　but　the　backfiring　of　a　large　truck！　Then；　so　quickly　that　he　did　not　seem　to　take　time　at　all；　he　was　standing　on　the　sidewalk　in　front　of　the　house；　and　there　was　the　truck　in　the　middle　of　the　street。　It　was　a　fine　large　truck　painted　bright　red　with　blue　trim；　and　in　large　white　letters　on　its　side　he　saw：　U。S。　GOVT。　A　man　got　out　of　the　truck；　and　though　he　had　been　driving　it；　he　was　now　（quite　understandably）　wearing　a　cut…away　coat　and　a　high　silk　hat。　The　man　said　nothing；　but　Ish　of　course　knew　that　this　was　the　Governor　of　California。　Ish　felt　himself　filled　suddenly　with　an　inexpressible　happiness。　For　again　there　was　security　and　constituted　authority　and　the　strength　of　the　many；　instead　of　only　the　few　in　the　midst　of　surrounding　darknessi；　and　now　he；　Ish；　was　no　longer　a　weak　and　neglected　child　wandering　alone　in　the　vast　unfriendly　world。。。。　
　　In　that　bewilderment　of　happiness　too　great　to　be　bome；　he　awoke。　The　insides　of　his　hands　were　moist；　and　his　heart　pounded。　As　he　looked　around　the　familiar　room；　the　happiness　faded　out　like　a　dying　light；　and　in　its　place　succeeded　a　woe；　equally　unutterable。　
　　After　another　moment　the　woe　too　faded　out　as　his　conscious　controls　took　over。　That　intense　happiness　of　the　dream；　so　overwhelming　that　it　had　awakened　him…he　knew　now　that　it　had　sprung　again　from　that　often…repeated　dream…〃wish　fulfillment；〃　they　used　to　say。　How　many　times　throughout　these　twenty…one　years　had　he　dreamed　it　in　some　form　or　other！　Not　during　the　first　year　or　two　indeed…his　sense　of　loneliness　and　insecurity　had　seemed　to　grow　cumulatively　with　the　years；　piling　up　faster　than　the　birth　of　new　children　could　counteract　it。　
　　Yes；　today　the　symbolism　had　been　very　plain。　It　varied；　though　usually　it　was　plain　enough。　He　felt　a　little　surprised　that　it　so　often　took　the　form　of　the　return　of　the　United　States　Government。　In　the　Old　Times　he　had　never　considered　himself　a　flag…waving　patriot；　and　he　had　not　thought　often　about　such　things　as　the　benefits　of　citizenship。　But　no　more；　indeed；　did　a　person　think　of　the　air　he　breathed；　until　it　was　taken　away。　A　sense　of　the　vastness　and　solidity　of　the　United　States　of　America　must　have　affected　the　sub…conscious　feelings　of　its　citizens；　he　reflected；　much　more　than　most　of　them　had　imagined。　
　　By　now　he　had　brought　his　mind　back　to　his　actual　world。　He　stirred　in　the　chair。　By　the　position　of　the　sun　he　judged　that　he　had　slept　an　hour。　Again　he　heard　the　distant　report　of　the　shot…gun　from　the　quail…hunters。　He　smiled　wanly；　associating　it　with　the　back…firing　truck。　Anyway…now　he　would　set　about　getting　the　others　together　for　the　meeting　which　he　had　planned　for　that　evening。　
　　Water　supplies　remained　scanty　throughout　the　day；　but　at　least　no　one　suffered　from　thirst。　That　evening　the　older　ones；　including　Robert　and　Richard　who　were　only　sixteen；　gathered　at　Ish's　house　at　his　invitation。　Ish　found　no　one　very　much　disturbed。　It　would　be　a　good　idea　（this　seemed　to　be　the　general　opinion）　to　try　digging　a　well　near　one　of　the　houses；　rather　than　to　move　to　some　houses　nearer　a　natural　water　supply。　Yes；　they　probably　would　have　to　watch　sanitation　carefully　under　the　new　arrangements　and　see　that　the　children　were　instructed　in　such　matters。　
　　There　was　no　presiding　officer。　Occasionally　someone　deferred　to　Ish　to　settle　a　point；　but　this　deference；　he　realized；　might　be　because　he　held　a　faintly　recognized　natural　leadership　of　intellect　or　even　for　no　better　reason　than　that　he　was　the　host。　There　was　no　secretary　taking　a　record　of　what　happened。　But　then；　there　were　no　motions　made　and　no　votes　taken。　As　always；　it　was　more　a　social　than　a　parliamentary　gathering。　Ish　listened　to　the　conversation　back　and　forth。　
　　〃e　to　think　of　it；　though…how's　anybody　know　we'd　get　water　in　that　well？〃　
　　〃Can't　be　a　well　till　you　do　get　water。〃　
　　〃Well；　that　hole…in…the…ground　then？〃　
　　〃You　got　something　there！〃　
　　〃Maybe　this　would　do　better。。。。　Run　a　pipe　over　to　some　click　or　spring；　and　hitch　it　onto　our　old　pipes。〃　
　　〃How　about　it；　George？　That　sound　O。K。？〃　
　　〃。。。。　Why；　sure。。。。　I　guess　so。。。　Yeah。。。　I　guess　I　could　connect　up　some　pipes。〃　
　　〃Trouble　would　be；　though；　when　everybody　wants　water　at　once。〃　
　　〃Have　to　build　a　dam…earth…dam　would　be　all　right…so's　to　have　a　little　bitty　head　behind　your　water。〃　
　　〃Guess　we　could　do　that？〃　
　　〃。。。。　Sure　。。。　Be　some　work；　though。〃　
　　As　the　conversation　wandered　on　almost　placently；　Ish　found　himself　gradually　being　more　disturbed。　To　him　it　seemed　as　if　this　day　had　seen　a　retrograde　and　perhaps　irretrievable　step。　Suddenly　he　found　himself　on　his　feet；　and　he　was　really　making　a　speech　to　the　ten　people　who　were　there　before　him。　
　　〃This　shouldn't　have　happened；〃　he　said。　〃We　shouldn't　have　let　this　creep　up　on　us。　Any　time　in　the　last　six　months　we　should　have　been　able　to　see　that　the　water　in　the　reservoir　was　failing；　but　we　never　even　went　to　look　at　it。　And　here　we　are；　caught　suddenly；　and　shoved　back　so　that　we'll　perhaps　never　be　able　to　catch　up　with　things　again。　We've　made　too　many　mistakes。　We　ought　to　be　teaching　the　children　to　read　and　write。　（No　one　has　ever　supported　me　strongly　enough　in　that。）　We　ought　to　send　an　expedition　to　find　out　what's　happening　other　places。　It's　not　safe　not　to　know　what　may　be　happening　just　over　the　hill。　We　should　have　more　domestic　animals…some　hens；　anyway。　We　ought　to　be　growing　food。。。〃　
　　Then；　when　he　was　really　in　full　career；　someone　started　clapping；　and　he　stopped　for　applause；　feeling　pleased。　But　everyone　was　laughing　good…naturedly；　and　again　he　realized　that　the　applause　was　ironic。　
　　Through　the　noise　of　the　hand…clapping　he　heard　one　of　the　boys　saying：　〃Good　old　dad！　He's　said　it　again！〃　
　　And　another　replied：　
　　〃Time　for　George　and　the　refrigerator！〃　
　　Ish　joined　in　the　laughter。　He　was　not　angry　this　time；　but　he　was　crestfallen　at　having　unconsciously　repeated　himself　and　even　more　at　having　again　failed　to　make　his　point。　Then　Ezra　was　speaking…good　old　Ezra　who　was　always　quick　to　cover　up　anyone's　embarrassment！　
　　〃Yes；　that's　the　old　speech；　but　maybe　there's　a　new　point　there。　How　about　that　business　of　sending　out　an　expedition？〃　
　　To　Ish's　surprise　a　vigorous　discussion　arose；　and　in　its　course　he　was　struck　again　by　the　unpredictable　quality　of　people；　particularly　in　a　group。　He　had　thrown　out　the　new　idea　without　any　special　forethought；　it　had　sprung　spontaneously　from　the　events　of　the　day…the　surprise　which　had　e　upon　them　because　they　had　not　ta