gs.earthabides-第62节

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ly　offer　no　sure　protection。　Once　the　thing　was　done；　the　punishment　which　they　could　mete　out　to　Charlie　would　be　mere　social　vengeance；　and　no　avail　against　the　spread　of　the　diseases。　They　had　no　means　of　actually　imprisoning　Charlie；　and　the　weight　of　all　that　responsibility；　if　they　should　improvise　a　jail　of　bars　and　locks；　would　be　too　much　for　a　small　munity　to　enforce　indefinitely。　The　obvious　thing　was　banishment。　They　could　merely　take　him　away　from　the　munity　and　tell　him　to　go　on。　He　could　manage　to　live　well　enough。　If　he　returned；　the　penalty　would　be　death。　
　　Death…they　stirred　uneasily　even　at　the　mention　of　it！　Now　it　had　been　a　long　time　since　there　had　been　either　war　or　execution。　That　their　society　might　have　to　inflict　such　a　final　penalty；　the　very　thought　was　strangely　disturbing　to　all　their　minds。　
　　〃But　what　about　it？〃　Em　seemed　to　voice　all　their　fears。　〃What　if　he　sneaks　back　somewhere？　After　all；　there　are　only　a　few　of　us　older　people；　and　he　makes　friends　easily　with　the　younger　ones。　What　if　he　makes　friends　with　some　of　the　boys　and　they　protect　him？　And　he　could　make　friends　with　some　of　the　girls；　too；　not　necessarily　Evie。〃　
　　〃We　might　take　him　a　long　way　down　the　road；〃　said　Ezra。　〃We　could　take　him　in　the　jeep　and　drop　him　off　fifty　miles；　maybe　a　hundred　miles；　away。〃　And　then　after　a　pause；　he　corrected　his　own　judgment。　〃Yes；　but　still；　he　could　get　back　easy　in　a　month　or　so…and　then。。。　well；　I　was　just　thinking；　what　would　keep　him　from　hanging　round　with　a　rifle　and　bushwhacking　one　of　us。　Oh；　maybe　the　boys　could　run　him　down　with　the　dogs　afterwards；　but　one　of　us　would　be　good　and　dead　anyway！　I　don't　want　to　spend　the　rest　of　my　life　being　afraid　to　get　within　rifle…range　of　every　clump　of　bushes。〃　
　　〃You　can't　punish　a　man　for　something　he　ain't　done　yet；〃　said　George　stolidly。　
　　〃Why　not！〃　said　Em　sharply。　They　all　turned　quickly　toward　her；　but　she　was　silent。　
　　〃Why。。。　you　can't。。。　of　course；　you　can't。〃　George　was　laboriously　stating　the　case。　〃He's　got　to　do　something；　and　then　there's。。。　a　joo…rie。　It　says　so。。。　the　law。〃　
　　〃What　law？〃　
　　There　was　a　pause；　and　then　the　talk　shifted　away；　as　if　no　one　quite　had　the　courage　to　follow　Em。　
　　Ish；　feeling　that　he　must　be　fair；　brought　up　another　matter。　
　　〃Of　course　we　don't　know　he　really　has　any　diseases　at　all。　We've　no　doctor　to　find　out。　Maybe　he　had　something　a　long　time　ago。　Maybe　he's　just　boasting。　Some　men　would！〃　
　　〃That's　just　it！〃　said　Ezra。　〃Not　having　a　doctor；　we　don't　know。　Yes；　he　might　be　just　boasting。　Do　we　want　to　take　a　chance？　If　this　thing　ever　gets　started。。。。　Besides；　I　think　the　guy　is　sick。　He　moves　slow；　like　something　was　wearing　on　him。〃　
　　〃They　say　sulfa　pills　work；〃　said　Ish；　trying　still　to　be　fair；　to　suppress　that　deep　feeling　of　triumph。　
　　Then；　as　he　looked　at　George；　he　was　almost　appalled　at　the　horror　and　revulsion　that　he　saw…George；　the　middle…class　citizen；　full　of　superstitions　against　the　〃social　diseases〃；　George；　the　deacon；　remembering　that　text　about　〃the　sins　of　the　fathers。〃　But　Em　was　speaking：　
　　〃I　asked　'What　law'？〃　she　said。　〃There　are　the　laws　in　the　old　law…books　still；　I　guess。　They　don't　mean　much　to　us；　now　that　things　are　different。　That　old　law；　like　George　said…it　waited　till　somebody　did　something；　and　then　it　punished。　But　the　thing　was　done。　Can　we　take　that　responsibility　now？　There　are　all　the　children。〃　
　　Suddenly　there　seemed　nothing　more　to　say。　They　all　sat　silent；　each　considering　possibilities。　
　　〃No；〃　Ish　found　himself　thinking；　she　does　not　have　a　philosophy。　She　mentions　the　children　and　makes　it　a　special　case；　Yet　there　is　perhaps　something　deeper　even　than　a　philosophy　in　her。　She　is　the　mother；　she　thinks　close　to　all　the　basic　things　of　life。〃　
　　Probably　it　was　not　so　much　a　long　time　that　passed　as　what　seemed　a　long　time。　Then　Ezra　spoke。　
　　〃While　we　sit　here；　even…things　happen　fast　these　days！　We'd　better　do　something。〃　And　then　he　added；　more　as　if　thinking　aloud；　〃I　saw；　in　those　days…yes；　I　saw　lots　of　good　ones　die。　Yes；　a　lot　of　good　ones　have　died。　I　almost　got　used　to　death　。。。　no；　never　quite。〃　
　　〃Should　we　take　a　vote？〃　asked　Ish。　
　　〃What　on？〃　said　George。　
　　Again　there　was　a　pause。　
　　〃We　can　run　him　out；〃　said　Ezra；　〃or　。。。　the　other。　We　can't　imprison　him；　and　what　else　is　there？〃　
　　Then　Em　faced　the　issue　squarely。　
　　〃We　can　vote　Banishment；　or　we　can　vote　Death。〃　
　　There　was　plenty　of　paper　in　the　living…room　desk。　The　children　enjoyed　drawing　pictures　on　it。　After　a　little　hunting　around；　Em　located　four　pencils。　Ish　tore　a　sheet　of　paper　into　four　small　ballots；　kept　one　himself；　and　gave　one　to　each　of　the　others。　With　four　people　to　vote；　there　might；　of　course；　be　a　tie。　
　　Ish　took　his　own　slip　of　paper；　and　wrote　a　big　B　on　it；　and　then　paused。　
　　This　we　do；　not　hastily；　this　we　do；　not　in　passion；　this　we　do；　without　hatred。　
　　This　is　not　the　battle；　when　a　man　strikes　fiercely　and　fear　drives　him　on。　This　is　not　the　hot　quarrel　when　two　strive　for　place　or　the　love　of　a　woman。　
　　Knot　the　rope；　whet　the　ax；　pour　the　poison；　pile　the　faggots。　
　　This　is　the　one　who　killed　his　fellow　unprovoked；　this　is　the　one　who　stole　the　child　away；　this　is　the　one　who　spat　upon　the　image　of　our　God；　this　is　the　one　who　leagued　himself　with　the　Devil　to　be　a　witch；　this　is　the　one　who　corrupted　our　youth；　this　is　the　one　who　told　the　enemy　of　our　secret　places。　
　　We　are　afraid；　but　we　do　not　talk　of　fear。　We　have　many　deep　thoughts　and　doubts；　but　we　do　not　speak　them。　We　say；　〃Justice〃；　we　say；　〃The　Law〃；　we　say；　〃We；　the　people〃；　we　say；　〃The　State。〃　
　　Still　Ish　sat　with　his　pencil　poised　above　the　B　on　his　slip　of　paper。　He　knew；　far　within　the　deeper　reaches　of　his　thought；　that　Charlie's　banishment　would；　in　all　likelihood；　not　solve　the　situation。　Charlie　would　be　back；　he　was　a　strong　and　dangerous　man；　and　could　exert　much　influence　upon　the　younger　people。　〃What's　the　matter？〃　Ish　was　thinking。　〃Am　I　still　just　worrying　about　the　leadership？　Am　I　worrying　that　Charlie　will　replace　me？〃　He　could　not　be　sure。　Yet；　at　the　same　time；　he　knew　that　The　Tribe　faced　here　something　real　and　dangerous　and　even　dreadful；　in　the　long　run　threatening　its　very　existence。　In　that　final　realization　he　knew　that　he　could　write　only　the　one　word　there；　out　of　love　and　responsibility　for　his　children　and　grandchildren。　He　scratched　out　the　B　and　wrote　the　other　word。　Its　five　letters　stared　back　vacantly　at　him；　and　then　for　a　moment　he　had　a　sudden　revulsion　of　feeling。　Was　this　ever　right？　By　writing　that　word；　was　he　not　bringing　back　into　the　world　all　the　beginnings　of　war　and　tyranny；　of　the　oppression　of　the　individual　by　the　mass；　in　themselves　diseases　worse　than　any　which　Charlie　could　carry。　And　why　did　it　all　have　to　move　so　fast？　
　　He　started　to　scratch　the　word　out；　but　stopped　again。　No；　he　was　torn　two　ways；　but　he　could　not　quite　scratch　it。　If　Charlie　should　kill　someone；　that　might　make　it　easier　to　inflict　the　final　penalty；　and　yet　that　was　only　the　old　conventional　way　of　thinking。　The　eye　for　the　eye；　and　the　tooth　for　the　tooth！　To　execute　the　murderer　never　brought　back　the　murdered；　and　was　only　vengeance。　To　be　effective；　punishment　should　not　be　retribution　so　much　as　a　prevention。　
　　How　long　had　he　paused？　He　suddenly　came　to　the　realization　that　he　was　sitting　there　silent；　staring　at　the　paper；　while　the　other　three　were　waiting　for　him。　After　all；　his　was　only　one　vote；　the　others　could　out…vote　him；　and　so　he　could　have　his　conscience　to　himself　and　still　Charlie　would　only　be　banished。　〃Give　me　your　slips；〃　he　said。　
　　They　passed　them　in；　and　he　laid　them　face　up　before　him　on　the　desk。　Four　times　he　looked；　and　he　read：　〃Death　。。。　death　。。。　death　。。。　death。〃　
　　
　　Chapter　8
　　They　shoveled　the　dirt　back　into　the　grave　beneath　the　oak　tree。　They　dragged　branches　and　carried　heavy　stones　to　cover　it；　so　that　what　lay　beneath　would　be　safe　from　burrowing　coyotes。　After　that；　they　all　walked　back；　the　long　mile。　
　　They　kept　close　together；　as　if　needing　one　another's　support。　Ish　walked　among　them；　swinging　his　hammer　in　his　tight　hand。　He　had　had　no　use　for　the　hammer；　but　still　he　had　taken　it　along。　Now　the　downward　pull　of　its　weight　seemed　to　keep　him　firmly　on　the　ground。　He　had　held　it　in　his　hand；　like　a　badge　of　office；　when　they　had　gone　to　find　Charlie　and；　flanked　by　the　boys'　leveled　rifles；　Ish　had　said　the　words　and　heard　Charlie　begin　to　curse　obscenely。　
　　Now　it　would　never　be　the　same　again。　Ish　did　not　like　to　think　of　what　had　happened；　and　when　he　did　think　of　it；　he　felt　a　little　sick；　physically。　Perhaps；　if　it　had　not　been　for　George's　solidity；　they　could　never　have　gone　through　with　it　finally。　George；　with　his　practical　skill；　had　knotted　the　rope　and　set　up　the　ladder。　
　　No；　he　would　never　like　to　think　of　it　in　the　future；　either。　He　was　sure　of　that　also。　This　was　an　end；　and　this　was　also　a　beginning。　It　was　the　end　of　those　twenty…one　years　when　they　had　lived；　now　he　thought；　in　a　kind　of　idyllic　state；　as　it　might　have　been　in　some　old