wgolding.lordoftheflies-第14节

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　They　walked　along；　two　continents　of　experience　and　feeling；　unable　to　municate。
　〃If　I　could　only　get　a　pig！〃
　〃I'll　e　back　and　go　on　with　the　shelter。〃
　They　looked　at　each　other；　baffled；　in　love　and　hate。　All　the　warm　salt　water　of　the　bathing　pool　and　the　shouting　and　splashing　and　laughing　were　only　just　sufficient　to　bring　them　together　again。
　
　Simon　was　not　in　the　bathing　pool　as　they　had　expected。
　When　the　other　two　had　trotted　down　the　beach　to　look　back　at　the　mountain　he　had　followed　them　for　a　few　yards　and　then　stopped。　He　had　stood　frowning　down　at　a　pile　of　sand　on　the　beach　where　somebody　had　been　trying　to　build　a　little　house　or　hut　Then　he　turned　his　back　on　this　and　walked　into　the　forest　with　an　air　of　purpose。　He　was　a　small；　skinny　boy；　his　chin　pointed；　and　his　eyes　so　bright　they　had　deceived　Ralph　into　thinking　him　delightfully　gay　and　wicked。　The　coarse　mop　of　black　hair　was　long　and　swung　down；　almost　concealing　a　low；　broad　forehead。　He　wore　the　remains　of　shorts　and　his　feet　were　bare　like　Jack's。　Always　darkish　in　color；　Simon　was　burned　by　the　sun　to　a　deep　tan　that　glistened　with　sweat。
　He　picked　his　way　up　the　scar；　passed　the　great　rock　where　Ralph　had　climbed　on　the　first　morning；　then　turned　off　to　his　right　among　the　trees。　He　walked　with　an　accustomed　tread　through　the　acres　of　fruit　trees；　where　the　least　energetic　could　find　an　easy　if　unsatisfying　meal。　Flower　and　fruit　grew　together　on　the　same　tree　and　everywhere　was　the　scent　of　ripeness　and　the　booming　of　a　million　bees　at　pasture。　Here　the　littlums　who　had　run　after　him　caught　up　with　him。　They　talked；　cried　out　unintelligibly；　lugged　him　toward　the　trees。　Then；　amid　the　roar　of　bees　in　the　afternoon　sunlight；　Simon　found　for　them　the　fruit　they　could　not　reach；　pulled　off　the　choicest　from　up　in　the　foliage；　passed　them　back　down　to　the　endless；　outstretched　hands。　When　he　had　satisfied　them　he　paused　and　looked　round。　The　littluns　watched　him　inscrutably　over　double　handfuls　of　ripe　fruit。
　Simon　turned　away　from　them　and　went　where　the　just　perceptible　path　led　him。　Soon　high　jungle　closed　in。　Tall　trunks　bore　unexpected　pale　flowers　all　the　way　up　to　the　dark　canopy　where　life　went　on　clamorously。　The　air　here　was　dark　too；　and　the　creepers　dropped　their　ropes　like　the　rigging　of　foundered　ships。　His　feet　left　prints　in　the　soft　soil　and　the　creepers　shivered　throughout　their　lengths　when　he　bumped　them。
　He　came　at　last　to　a　place　where　more　sunshine　fell。　Since　they　had　not　so　far　to　go　for　light　the　creepers　had　woven　a　great　mat　that　hung　at　the　side　of　an　open　space　in　the　jungle；　for　here　a　patch　of　rock　came　close　to　the　surface　and　would　not　allow　more　than　little　plants　and　ferns　to　grow。　The　whole　space　was　walled　with　dark　aromatic　bushes；　and　was　a　bowl　of　heat　and　light。　A　great　tree；　fallen　across　one　er；　leaned　against　the　trees　that　still　stood　arid　a　rapid　climber　flaunted　red　and　yellow　sprays　right　to　the　top。
　Simon　paused。　He　looked　over　his　shoulder　as　Jack　had　done　at　the　close　ways　behind　him　and　glanced　swiftly　round　to　confirm　that　he　was　utterly　alone。　For　a　moment　his　movements　were　almost　furtive。　Then　he　bent　down　and　wormed　his　way　into　the　center　of　the　mat。　The　creepers　and　the　bushes　were　so　close　that　he　left　his　sweat　on　them　and　they　pulled　together　behind　him。　When　he　was　secure　in　the　middle　he　was　in　a　little　cabin　screened　off　from　the　open　space　by　a　few　leaves。　He　squatted　down；　parted　the　leaves　arid　looked　out　into　the　clearing。　Nothing　moved　but　a　pair　of　gaudy　butterflies　that　danced　round　each　other　in　the　hot　air。　Holding　his　breath　he　cocked　a　critical　ear　at　the　sounds　of　the　island。　Evening　was　advancing　toward　the　island；　the　sounds　of　the　bright　fantastic　birds；　the　bee…sounds；　even　the　crying　of　the　gulls　that　were　returning　to　their　roosts　among　the　square　rocks；　were　fainter。　The　deep　sea　breaking　miles　away　on　the　reef　made　an　undertone　less　perceptible　than　the　susurration　of　the　blood。
　Simon　dropped　the　screen　of　leaves　back　into　place。　The　slope　of　the　bars　of　honey…colored　sunlight　decreased；　they　slid　up　the　bushes；　passed　over　the　green　candle…like　buds；　moved　up　toward　tile　canopy；　and　darkness　thickened　under　the　trees。　With　the　fading　of　the　light　the　riotous　colors　died　and　the　heat　and　urgency　cooled　away。　The　candle…buds　stirred。　Their　green　sepals　drew　back　a　little　and　the　white　tips　of　the　flowers　rose　delicately　to　meet　the　open　air。
　Now　the　sunlight　had　lifted　clear　of　the　open　space　and　withdrawn　from　the　sky。　Darkness　poured　out；　submerging　the　ways　between　the　trees　tin　they　were　dim　and　strange　as　the　bottom　of　the　sea。　The　candle…buds　opened　their　wide　white　flowers　glimmering　under　the　light　that　pricked　down　from　the　first　stars。　Their　scent　spilled　out　into　the　air　and　took　possession　of　the　island。
　
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　FOUR
　Painted　Faces　and　Long　Hair
　
　The　first　rhythm　that　they　became　used　to　was　the　slow　swing　from　dawn　to　quick　dusk。　They　accepted　the　pleasures　of　morning；　the　bright　sun；　the　whelming　sea　and　sweet　air；　as　a　time　when　play　was　good　and　life　so　full　that　hope　was　not　necessary　and　therefore　forgotten。　Toward　noon；　as　the　floods　of　light　fell　more　nearly　to　the　perpendicular；　the　stark　colors　of　the　morning　were　smoothed　in　pearl　and　opalescence；　and　the　heat…as　though　the　impending　sun's　height　gave　it　momentum…　became　a　blow　that　they　ducked；　running　to　the　shade　and　lying　there；　perhaps　even　sleeping。
　Strange　things　happened　at　midday。　The　glittering　sea　rose　up；　moved　apart　in　planes　of　blatant　impossibility；　the　coral　reef　and　the　few　stunted　palms　that　clung　to　the　more　elevated　parts　would　float　up　into　the　sky；　would　quiver；　be　plucked　apart；　run　like　raindrops　on　a　wire　or　be　repeated　as　in　an　odd　succession　of　mirrors。　Sometimes　land　loomed　where　there　was　no　land　and　flicked　out　like　a　bubble　as　the　children　watched。　Piggy　discounted　all　this　learnedly　as　a　〃mirage〃；　and　since　no　boy　could　reach　even　the　reef　over　the　stretch　of　water　where　the　snapping　sharks　waited；　they　grew　accustomed　to　these　mysteries　and　ignored　them；　just　as　they　ignored　the　miraculous；　throbbing　stars。　At　midday　the　illusions　merged　into　the　sky　and　there　the　sun　gazed　down　like　an　angry　eye。　Then；　at　the　end　of　the　afternoon；　the　mirage　subsided　and　the　horizon　became　level　and　blue　and　clipped　as　the　sun　declined。　That　was　another　time　of　parative　coolness　but　menaced　by　the　ing　of　the　dark。　When　the　sun　sank；　darkness　dropped　on　the　island　like　an　extinguisher　and　soon　the　shelters　were　full　of　restlessness；　under　the　remote　stars。
　Nevertheless；　the　northern　European　tradition　of　work；　play；　and　food　right　through　the　day；　made　it　impossible　for　them　to　adjust　themselves　wholly　to　this　new　rhythm。　The　littlun　Percival　had　early　crawled　into　a　shelter　and　stayed　there　for　two　days；　talking；　singing；　and　crying；　till　they　thought　him　batty　and　were　faintly　amused。　Ever　since　then　he　had　been　peaked；　red…eyed；　and　miserable；　a　littlun　who　played　little　and　cried　often。
　The　smaller　boys　were　known　now　by　the　generic　title　of　〃littluns。〃　The　decrease　in　size；　from　Ralph　down；　was　gradual；　and　though　there　was　a　dubious　region　inhabited　by　Simon　and　Robert　and　Maurice；　nevertheless　no　one　had　any　difficulty　in　recognizing　biguns　at　one　end　and　littluns　at　the　other。　The　undoubted　littluns；　those　aged　about　six；　led　a　quite　distinct；　and　at　the　same　time　intense；　life　of　their　own。　They　ate　most　of　the　day；　picking　fruit　where　they　could　reach　it　and　not　particular　about　ripeness　and　quality。　They　were　used　now　to　stomach…aches　and　a　sort　of　chronic　diarrhoea。　They　suffered　untold　terrors　in　the　dark　and　huddled　together　for　fort。　Apart　from　food　and　sleep；　they　found　time　for　play；　aimless　and　trivial；　in　the　white　sand　by　the　bright　water。　They　cried　for　their　mothers　much　less　often　than　might　have　been　expected；　they　were　very　brown；　and　filthily　dirty。　They　obeyed　the　summons　of　the　conch；　partly　because　Ralph　blew　it；　and　he　was　big　enough　to　be　a　link　with　the　adult　world　of　authority；　and　partly　because　they　enjoyed　the　entertainment　of　the　assemblies。　But　otherwise　they　seldom　bothered　with　the　biguns　and　their　passionately　emotional　and　corporate　life　was　their　own。
　They　had　built　castles　in　the　sand　at　the　bar　of　the　little　river。　These　castles　were　about　one　foot　high　and　were　decorated　with　shells；　withered　flowers；　and　interesting　stones。　Round　the　castles　was　a　plex　of　marks；　tracks；　walls；　railway　lines；　that　were　of　significance　only　if　inspected　with　the　eye　at　beach…level。　The　littluns　played　here；　if　not　happily　at　least　with　absorbed　attention；　and　often　as　many　as　three　of　them　would　play　the　same　game　together。
　Three　were　playing　here　now。　Henry　was　the　biggest　of　them。　He　was　also　a　distant　relative　of　that　other　boy　whose　mulberry…marked　face　had　not　been　seen　since　the　evening　of　the　great　fire；　but　he　was　not　old　enough　to　understand　this；　and　if　he　had　been　told　that　the　other　boy　had　gone　home　in　an　aircraft；　he　would　have　accepted　the　statement　without　fuss　or　disbelief。
　Henry　was　a　bit　of　a　leader　this　afternoon；　because　the　other　two　were　Percival　and　John