gs.earthabides-第23节

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ll　to　the　ground。　If　a　power…house　failed；　just　as　quickly　the　other　power…houses　in　the　system　stretching　across　hundreds　of　miles　took　up　the　stack；　and　sent　out　more　power　to　fulfill　the　need。　
　　Yet　in　any　system；　as　in　a　chain　or　a　road；　there　is　always　a　weakest　link。　（That　is　the　fatal　flaw　of　all　systems。）　The　water　would　continue　to　flow；　the　great　generators　could　spin　upon　their　oil…bathed　bearings　for　years。　But　the　flaw　lay　in　the　governors　which　controlled　the　generators。　No　one　had　ever　bothered　to　make　them　wholly　automatic。　Once　every　ten　days　they　were　inspected　for　oil；　once　a　month；　perhaps；　there　was　need　to　add　oil　to　them。　After　two　months　without　care　the　oil　supplies　grew　low；　and　one　by　one；　as　the　weeks　passed；　the　governors　began　to　go　out　of　action。　When　one　failed；　automatically　the　great　water…nozzle　changed　angle　and　the　water　flowed　through　without　touching　the　wheel。　Then　the　generator　ceased　revolving；　and　sent　out　no　more　power。　As　generator　after　generator　was　thus　cut　out　of　the　system；　the　strain　upon　the　few　remaining　ones　became　greater　and　greater　and　the　decline　of　the　system　became　cumulative。　
　　When　he　awoke；　he　noticed　that　the　lights　had　faded　still　more。　The　filaments　in　the　electric　lamps　were　only　an　orange…red　now。　He　could　look　at　them　without　hurting　his　eyes。　Now；　although　he　had　not　turned　off　any　of　the　lamps；　the　room　was　in　half…darkness。　
　　〃The　lights　are　going　out！　The　lights　are　going　out！〃　How　often；　in　how　many　centuries　had　those　words　been　saidsometimes　in　matter…offact　tones；　sometimes　in　panic…now　literally；　now　as　symbol？　How　much　light　had　meant　in　all　the；　story　of　Man！　Light　of　the　world！　Light　of　life！　Light　of　knowledge！　
　　A　deep　shiver　shook　him；　but　he　stilled　his　panic。　After　all；　he　thought；　the　great　system　of　Power…and…Light　had　held　up　for　an　amazingly　long　time；　all　its　automatic　processes　functioning　though　the　men　were　gone。　He　thought　clear　back　to　that　first　day　when　he　had　e　down　out　of　the　mountains　not　yet　even　knowing　what　had　happened。　Then　he　had　passed　the　power…house；　and　felt　the　reassurance　that　everything　must　be　normal　because　he　saw　the　water　pouring　out　from　the　tailraces　and　heard　the　dim　continuous　hum　of　the　generators。　He　felt　again　a　curious　touch　of　local　pride　in　thinking　of　it。　Perhaps　no　system　had　lasted　so　long。　These　ntight　well　be　the　last　electric　lights　to　be　left　burning　in　the　world；　and　when　they　faded；　the　lights　would　be　out　for　a　long；　long　time。　
　　No　longer　sleepy；　he　sat　there；　feeling　that　he　should　not　go　to　sleep；　wishing　at　least　that　the　end　would　e　quickly　and　with　dignity　and　not　be　dragged　out　too　long。　Again；　he　felt　the　light　fading；　and　he　thought；　'This　is　the　end！〃　But　still　it　lingered；　the　filaments　now　only　a　cherry…red。　
　　And　then　again　they　faded。　As　a　sled　on　a　hillside；　slowly　first；　then　gaining　momentum。　Just　for　a　moment；　he　thought　（or　imagined）；　they　flared　more　brightly…and　then　they　were　gone。　
　　Princess　stirred　in　her　sleep；　then　suddenly　barked　the　halfbark　of　a　dream。　Was　it　a　death　knell？　
　　He　went　outside。　〃Perhaps；〃　he　thought；　〃that　was　just　the　failure　of　some　local　line。〃　But　he　was　really　sure　that　it　had　not　been。　He　peered　through　the　darkness；　all　the　thicker　for　the　smoke　that　was　heavy　in　the　air；　changing　the　moon　into　an　orange　ball。　He　could　see　no　light…not　along　the　streets；　nor　anywhere　on　the　bridge。　This；　then；　was　the　end。　〃Let　there　be　no　light；　and　there　was　no　light！〃　
　　〃No　use　being　melodramatic〃　he　thought。　Going　inside；　he　stumbled　around　until　he　had　found　the　drawer　where　his　mother　kept　candles。　Putting　one　into　a　candlestick；　he　sat　again　by　its　feeble　but　steady　and　continuing　light。　Nevertheless　he　continued　to　feel　a　little　shaken。　
　　
　　Chapter　6
　　The　fading　out　of　the　lights　had　a　strangely　severe　effect　upon　Ish。　Even　in　the　full　daylight；　he　seemed　to　feel　those　shadows　creeping　in　from　the　edges　toward　him。　The　Dark　Ages　were　closing　in。　
　　He　found　himself　hoarding　matches　and　flashlights　and　candles；　piling　them　up　in　spite　of　himself；　as　a　psychological　protection。　
　　Yet　actually；　in　a　little　while；　he　discovered　that　the　absence　of　electric　light　was　not　really　as　important　to　him　as　the　absence　of　electric　power；　particularly　of　refrigeration。　The　ice…box　was　dead　now；　and　his　food　spoiled。　In　the　deepfi…eeze　units　the　fresh　meat；　and　butter；　and　heads　of　lettuce　soon　relapsed　into　mere　smelling　masses　of　corruption。　
　　Now　came　the　change　of　the　season。　He　was　pletely　lost　as　to　the　passage　of　the　weeks　and　months；　but　with　the　geographer　Is　eye　he　could　still　tell　something　about　the　time　of　year　from　the　look　of　things。　Now　he　guessed　it　must　be　October；　and　the　first　rain　came　to　confirm　him；　from　the　way　it　settled　down；　it　seemed　likely　to　last　longer　than　one　expected　of　the　first　storm。　
　　He　stayed　at　home；　managing　to　amuse　himself　fairly　well。　He　played　his　accordion。　He　browsed　through　several　books　…ones　he　had　always　meant　to　read　and　now　was　undoubtedly　going　to　have　time　to　do　so。　Now　and　then　he　looked　out　at　the　fine　drifting　rain　and　the　clouds　low　over　the　tops　of　the　houses。　
　　The　next　day　he　went　out　to　see　what　was　happening；　still　thinking　of　the　drama　he　was　prepared　to　watch。　Not　so　much　had　occurred；　it　seemed　at　first。　But　after　a　while　he　began　to　notice　things。　On　San　Lupo　Drive　a　drain…pipe　had　plugged　with　the　washing　in　of　all　the　unswept　leaves　that　lay　in　the　gutter。　After　the　drain…pipe　had　plugged；　the　water　had　swirled　across　the　street　to　the　downhill　side　and　flooded　over　the　curb。　The　stream　of　water　had　worked　its　way　across　the　tangle　of　tall　grass　which　had　been　the　Harts'　lawn；　and　seeped　under　the　door。　Their　floors　and　rugs　must　be　soaked；　and　slimy　with　mud。　Below　the　house　the　water　had　broken　out；　and　run　through　the　rose…garden；　leaving　a　small　gully　behind　it；　at　last　disappearing　into　the　drainage　of　a　storm…sewer　on　the　street　below。　It　was　just　a　little　matter；　and　yet　it　showed　what　must　be　happening　all　over　the　country。　
　　Men　had　built　roads　and　drains　and　walls　and　thousands　of　other　obstructions　to　the　natural　flow　of　water。　These　could　survive　and　function　only　because　men　were　constantly　at　hand　to　repair　and　clean　the　thousands　of　little　breaks　and　blockages　which　showed　up　at　every　change　of　the　weather。　Ish　himself　could　have　cleaned　out　that　clogged　drain　in　two　minutes　by　merely　scraping　the　leaves　back　from　the　grating　where　they　had　plugged　it。　But　he　saw　no　point　to　stretching　out　his　hand。　There　were　thousands；　millions；　of　spots　where　the　same　thing　must　be　happening。　The　roads　and　the　drains　and　the　walls　had　been　constructed　only　for　man's　conveWence；　and　now　that　man　was　gone　there　was　no　need　of　them。　The　water　might　just　as　well　follow　its　natural　courses；　and　cut　back　through　the　rose…garden。　Soaked　and　muddy；　the　Harts'　rugs　would　begin　to　rot　where　they　lay。　No　matter！　To　think　of　that　as　something　bad　was　merely　to　think　in　terms　of　what　had　once　been　and　no　longer　existed。　
　　As　he　walked　back　home；　he　suddenly　came　upon　a　large　black　billy…goat　cahnly　eating　the　hedge　which　Mr。　Osmer　used　to　clip　so　carefully。　Ish　looked　at　the　billy…goat　in　amusement　and　in　some　curiosity；　wondering　where　he　could　have　e　from。　（No　one　kept　goats　anywhere　near　such　a　respectable　sum　as　San　Lupo。）　The　goat　desisted　from　eating　the　hedge；　and　looked　at　Ish。　Perhaps；　thought　Ish；　the　animal　was　looking　also　at　the　man　in　amusement　and　some　curiosity。　Men　now　had　rarity…value。　Having　looked　for　a　few　seconds；　as　if　it　irtight　be　equal　to　equal；　the　goat　again　returned　to　the　more　profitable　business　of　eating　the　long　shoots　which　had　grown　out　from　the　hedge。　Doubtless　they　were　very　succulent。　
　　Princess　suddenly　returned　from　some　expedition　of　her　own；　and　flew　at　the　strange　animal　in　a　frenzy　of　barking。　The　goat　put　down　his　horns　and　made　a　sudden　dash　at　the　dog。　Princess；　who　seldom　had　much　stomach　for　a　fight；　turned　quickly　with　her　rabbit…like　dodge；　and　raced　back　to　her　man。　The　goat　resumed　eating。　
　　A　few　minutes　later　Ish　saw　the　goat　walking　calmly　along　the　sidewalk；　as　if　he　owned　it　and　all　of　San　Lupo　Drive。　
　　〃Well；　why　not？〃　thought　Ish。　〃Perhaps　he　does。　This　is　certainly　a　New　Deal。〃　
　　During　this　time；　when　the　ram　kept　lurn　mostly　indoors；　his　thoughts　turned　a　little　toward　religion；　as　they　had　when　he　walked　through　the　Cathedral。　This　time　he　found　a　large　annotated　Bible　on　his　father's　bookshelves；　and　tried　browsing　here　and　there　in　it。　
　　The　Gospels　seemed　strangely　unsatisfying；　probably　because　they　dealt　mostly　with　the　problems　of　a　man　involved　in　the　social　group。　〃Render　unto　Caesar。。。〃　was　a　strangely　unprofitable　text　when　there　was　no　more　Caesar；　and　not　even　a　Collector　of　Internal　Revenue。　
　　〃Sell　whatever　thou　hast；　and　give　to　the　poor。。。　As　ye　would　that　men　should　do　unto　you　。。。　Love　thy　neighbor　as　thyself〃…all　these　presupposed　a　functioning　society　of　many　people。　As　the　world　now　was；　a　Pharisee　or　Sadducee　might　perhaps　still　follow　the　set　rites　of　formalized　religion；　but　the　very　humanity　of　the　teachings　of　Jesus　rendered　them　ob