gs.earthabides-第77节

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　　Obviously；　they　could　not　stay　where　they　were　very　long　because　the　flames　were　bearing　down　upon　them。　
　　〃Where　shall　we　go；　Ish？〃　one　of　them　asked。　Ish　felt　that　this　was　a　strange　question　for　anyone　to　ask　of　him；　who　was　only　an　old　man　and　would　scarcely　know　what　to　do　as　well　as　the　young　ones　would。　Then　he　remembered　that　they　sometimes　asked　him　which　direction　they　should　take　for　their　hunting。　When　he　did　not　answer；　they　pinched　him。　He　did　not　like　to　be　pinched；　and　so　he　thought　hard　now；　as　to　which　way　they　should　go。　The　young　men　themselves；　he　realized；　could　outrun　the　fire；　but　he　himself　would　not　be　strong　enough。　So　he　thought　more　intensely　than　he　had　thought　for　a　long　time；　both　because　he　wished　to　save　his　own　life　and　the　lives　of　the　young　men；　and　also　because　he　was　afraid　that　they　would　pinch　him。　Thinking　so　intently；　he　remembered　the　bare　flat　rock　where　they　had　carved　the　numerals　of　the　years　in　the　time　long　ago。　Round　this　flat　rock　were　other　high　rocks　where　nothing　grew；　and　in　the　spaces　among　these　rocks　they　could　find　shelter　because　nothing　was　there　to　burn。　
　　〃Let　us　go　to　the　rocks！〃　he　said　then；　being　sure　that　they　would　know　what　rocks　he　meant。　
　　Even　though　the　young　men　helped　him；　Ish　was　very　tired　when　they　got　to　the　safety　of　the　rocks。　Once　they　were　there；　however；　he　lay　quietly；　panting　and　recovering　his　strength。　The　fire　was　soon　burning　all　around；　but　among　the　rocks　they　were　not　in　danger。　There　was　an　overhang　to　the　one　rock；　and　another　tall　rock　close　by；　so　that　they　were　almost　in　a　cave。　
　　As　he　lay　there；　Ish　dozed　off　with　his　weariness；　or　perhaps　it　was　more　as　if　he　had　fainted；　because　his　old　heart　was　pounding　wildly　after　the　dash　ahead　of　the　flames。　But　after　a　while　he　came　to　himself；　and　lay　there　quietly；　and　his　mind　seemed　closer　than　it　had　been　for　a　long　time。　
　　Yes；　he　thought；　it　is　now　the　dry　autumn；　and　the　time　of　bad　fires　because　of　dry　north　winds。　And　this　is　the　autumn　following　that　summer　when　I　first　came　to　know　Jack；　and　talked　to　him　about　the　arrowheads。　Since　then　Jack　has　been　the　one　who　has　chiefly　taken　care　of　me；　as　The　Tribe　at　its　meeting　has　undoubtedly　ordered　him　to　do。　After　all；　I　am　very　important。　I　am　a　god。　No；　I　am　not　a　god。　But　perhaps　I　am　the　mouth…piece　of　a　god。　No；　I　know　that　I　am　not　that　either。　But　at　least　they　give　me　care；　and　I　have　fort；　because　I　am　the　last　American。　
　　Then　again；　since　he　was　exhausted　from　his　flight　in　front　of　the　flames；　he　fell　asleep；　or　perhaps　fainted。　
　　After　a　while　he　came　to　himself　once　more。　He　could　not　have　been　unconscious　for　very　long；　for　he　heard　the　flames　still　crackling。　When　he　opened　his　eyes；　all　he　could　see　was　the　grayness　of　the　rock…overhang　above　him；　and　he　realized　that　he　must　be　lying　on　his　back。　He　heard　little　noises　of　scuffling　and　the　playful　growls　of　a　dog。　
　　But　now　with　this　return　to　consciousness　his　mind　seemed　even　clearer　than　before；　so　clear　indeed　that　he　was　startled　at　first；　and　then　a　little　frightened。　For　he　seemed　to　know　all　the　past　and　all　the　future　too；　as　well　as　what　was　actually　present。　
　　〃This　second　world…it　has　gone　too。〃　The　thoughts　flickered　through　his　mind。　〃I　saw　the　great　world　go。　Now　this　little　world；　my　second　world；　is　going。　It　is　going　by　fire。　This　fire　that　we　have　known　so　long…fire　that　warms　us；　fire　that　destroys　us。　They　used　to　say　that　because　of　the　bombs　we　would　go　back　and　live　in　caves。　Well；　here　is　a　cave…but　we　have　not　marched　by　the　road　that　anyone　imagined。　I　survived　the　loss　of　that；　my　great　world；　but　I　shall　not　outlast　the　destruction　of　this；　my　little　world。　I　am　an　old　man　now；　and　also　my　mind　is　too　clear。　I　know。　This　is　near　the　end。　From　the　cave　we　came；　and　to　the　cave　we　return。〃　
　　Just　as　his　mind　had　grown　clearer；　so　also　his　sight　seemed　clearer　than　usual。　After　a　while；　feeling　stronger；　he　sat　up；　and　then　he　could　see　all　the　others。　At　first　he　was　surprised　because　there　were　not　only　three　young　men　but　also　two　dogs。　He　did　not　remember　having　seen　the　dogs　before。　They　were　ordinary　dogs　of　the　kind　used　for　hunting…not　large；　long　haired；　mostly　black　with　some　white　on　them；　a　kind　of　sheep　dog；　he　supposed　they　would　have　been　called　in　the　Old　Times。　They　were　intelligent　dogs；　and　even　well…mannered。　They　lay　quietly　now　in　the　cave…like　overhang　of　the　rocks；　and　did　not　make　any　excitement　of　barking。　
　　Then　Ish　looked　at　the　young　men。　Since　now；　all　at　once；　he　seemed　to　see　the　past　and　the　future　as　well　as　the　present；　he　could　look　more　clearly　at　the　young　men　for　the　mixture　of　the　past；　present　and　future　that　they　really　were。　Their　clothing　was　like　Jack's。　They　had　soft；　well…fashioned　moccasin…like　footgear　of　deer…hide；　they　also　wore　blue　jeans　with　bright　copper　rivets　in　them。　Above　their　waists　they　had　only　the　tawny　lion…skins　with　the　dangling　paws　and　the　claws　still　attached。　Each　one　of　them　had　his　bow　and　quiver　Of　arrows；　and　each　wore　a　knife　at　his　belt；　although　they　could　not　make　knives。　One　of　them　had　a　spear　with　a　shaft　as　tall　as　himself；　and　extending　above　the　shaft；　a　spear…head。　When　Ish　looked　at　it　more　carefully；　he　saw　that　it　was　really　an　old　butcher…knife　with　an　eighteen…inch　blade。　The　blade　had　been　socketed　into　the　end　of　the　spear…shaft；　and　since　the　blade　was　very　sharp…pointed；　this　was　a　formidable　weapon　for　the　close　fighting。　
　　Then　at　last　Ish　looked　at　the　faces　of　the　young　men；　and　he　saw　that　they　were　different　from　the　faces　of　the　men　of　long　ago。　These　faces　were　young；　but　also　they　were　calm；　and　they　seemed　to　bear　on　them　few　lines　of　strain　and　worry　and　fear。　
　　〃See！〃　said　one　of　them。　and　he　was　nodding　in　the　direction　of　Ish。　〃See…he　is　better　now！　He　is　looking　around。〃　Ish　realized　that　the　voice　was　kindly；　and　he　felt　a　great　love　for　the　young　man　even　though　a　little　while　ago　he　had　been　afraid　that　that　particular　one　would　be　the　first　to　pinch　him。　
　　Something　else　that　was　strange　also；　Ish　thought　now；　was　that　after　all　these　years　the　young　men　still　talked　a　language　which　people　had　once　called　English。　
　　Only；　as　he　considered　more　carefully；　he　realized　that　the　language　too　had　changed。　When　the　young　man　had　said　the　word　〃see；〃　the　sound　was　not　quite　as　it　should　be。　Instead　it　sounded　more　as　if　it　were　〃tsee；〃　or　perhaps；　〃tchee。〃　
　　Some　smoke　was　drifting　in　between　the　rocks　now；　so　that　they　coughed　a　little。　Outside；　there　was　a　great　crackle　of　flame；　a　clump　of　trees　or　a　near…by　house　must　be　burning。　The　dogs　whined　a　little。　Yet　the　air　remained　cool　enough；　so　that　Ish　was　not　afraid。　
　　He　wondered　what　had　bee　of　all　the　others。　There　must　be　several　hundred　people　in　The　Tribe　now。　The　labor　of　asking　questions　seemed　too　much；　and　he　could　tell　from　the　calmness　of　the　young　men　that　there　could　have　been　no　disaster。　Most　likely；　he　thought；　the　others　had　left　at　the　first　threat　of　fire；　and　perhaps　only　at　the　last　moment　Jack　had　remembered　the　old　man…who　was　also　a　god…who　was　sleeping　alone　in　the　house。　
　　Yes；　now　it　was　easier　merely　to　sit　and　look　and　think；　without　asking　questions。　So　he　looked　at　the　faces　again。　
　　Now　one　of　the　young　men　was　playing　with　a　dog。　He　put　out　his　hand；　and　then　jerked　it　away　quickly；　and　the　dog　snapped　playfully　and　growled。　The　dog　and　the　young　man　seemed　almost　to　meet　at　the　same　level；　and　both　seemed　happy。　One　of　the　others　was　carving　a　piece　of　wood。　The　sharp　knife　bit　deeply　into　the　soft　wood；　and　a　figure　took　shape　as　Ish　watched。　Ish　smiled　quietly　to　himself；　for　he　saw　that　the　figure　had　wide　hips　and　generous　breasts；　and　he　realized　that　young　men　had　not　changed　altogether。　Though　he　did　not　even　know　their　names；　except　for　Jack；　yet　they　must　all　be　his　grandsons　or　great…grandsons。　Here　they　sat　in　the　cave…like　gap　between　two　high　rocks；　and　they　played　with　a　dog　or　carved　lusty　little　images　while　outside　the　fire　crackled。　Civilization　had　gone　years　ago；　and　now　the　last　of　the　city　was　burning　around　them；　and　yet　the　young　men　were　happy。　
　　Was　it　all　for　the　best？　From　the　cave　we　e　and　to　the　cave　we　go！　If　that　other　one　had　lived；　if　there　had　been　others　like　him；　it　might　have　been　different。　Again　he　thought　of　Joey…Joey！　And　yet　would　that　have　been　better？　He　wished　suddenly　that　he　could　live　for　a　long　time　still…for　a　hundred　years　more；　or　even　a　hundred　after　that。　All　his　life　now　he　had　observed　the　ways　of　the　peoples　on　the　earth；　and　he　wished　that　he　could　still　observe　in　the　future。　The　next　century　and　the　next　millennium　would　be　interesting。　
　　And　then　for　a　while；　in　the　way　of　very　old　men；　he　merely　sat　quietly；　not　sleeping；　and　yet　not　quite　thinking　either。　
　　Again；　in　that　day　each　little　tribe　will　live　by　itself　and　to　itself　and　go　its　own　way；　and　their　differences　will　soon　be　more　than　they　were　even　in　the　first　days　of　Man；　according　to　the　accidents　of　survival　and　of　place。。。。　
　　Here　they　live　always　in　awe　of　the　Other…world；　and　scarcely　dare　make　water　without　a　prayer。　They　have　ski