gs.earthabides-第27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！


g　time。　But　of　even　greater　importance；　he　had　faced　the　possibility　that　there　would　e　a　time　when　there　would　no　longer　be　any　cars；　and　yet　still　he　could　live　happily　and　without　fear。　
　　The　next　day；　indeed；　the　new　battery　in　the　station…wagon　was　dead　again。　Either　it　was　defective　or　he　had　made　some　mistake　in　installing　it。　This　time；　however；　he　was　in　no　panic。　In　fact　he　did　not　even　bother　to　do　anything　about　it　for　a　couple；　of　days。　Then　they　repeated　the　process。　Either　by　luck　or　by　greater　care；　they　had　better　success；　and　the　battery　continued　to　work。　
　　Sleek　with　lacquer；　shining　with　chromium；　their　motors　machined　to　the　thousandth　of　the　inch；　their　mutators　accurate　as　watches；　they　had　been　the　pride　and　the　symbol　of　civilization。　
　　Now；　they　were　locked　ingloriously　in　garages；　or　stood　in　the　lots；　or　were　parked　at　the　curb。　The　dead　leaves　dropped；　the　blowing　dust　settled。　The　rains　fell；　and　spotted　the　dust；　and　made　the　leaves　stick　more　tightly　and　then　more　dust　and　more　leavesfell。　The　windshields　were　so　thickly　coated　that　you　could　scarcely　see　through　them　now。　
　　More　deeply；　they　changed　little。　The　rust　ate　here　and　there；　but　on　the　grease…smeared　surfaces　it　could　not　work　rapidly。　Unused；　the　coils　and　the　timers；　the　carburetors　and　the　spark…plugs；　all　remained　as　good　as　ever。　
　　In　the　batteries　the　slow　processes　of　chemistry　worked　day　and　night；　breaking　down；　neutralizing。　A　few　months；　and　the　unused　batteries　were　dead。　But　as　long　as　the　battery　and　acid　were　kept　separate；　neither　deteriorated；　and　it　would　always　be　a　small　matter　to　add　the　acid　and　start　out　again　with　a　new　battery；　the　batteries　were　not　the　weakest　link。　
　　More　likely　it　was　the　tires。　In　the　rubber　the　processes　of　decay　worked　slowly。　The　tires　would　last　a　year；　five　years。　But　nevertheless；　the　weakness　worked　in　them。　The　air　leaked　from　the　tires；　and　after　the　car　had　stood　on　the　flat　tires　for　a　while；　they　were　no　longer　of　any　use。　Even　in　the　warehouses；　decay　worked　in　the　rubber。　The　stored　tires　would　have　ten　years；　and　still　some　life。　Twenty　years　they　would　last；　perhaps　even　more。　Quite　likely　the　roads；　themselves；　would　be　broken　and　men　forget　how　to　drive　cars　and　lose　the　desire　for　driving　them　before　the　cars　themselves　were　rendered　undrivable。　
　　Her　head　rested　in　the　crook　of　his　arm；　and　he　looked　down　upon　the　black　liquid　eyes。　They　lay　on　the　davenport　in　the　living…room。　Her　face　looked　darker　than　ever　now　in　the　twilight。　
　　There　was　one　question；　he　knew；　that　they　had　not　yet　faced；　and　now　she　brought　it　forward。　
　　〃That　would　be　fine！〃　she　said。　
　　〃I　don't　know。〃　
　　〃Yes；　it　would。〃　
　　〃I　don't　like　it。〃　
　　〃You　mean　you　don't　like　it　about　me？〃。　
　　〃Yes。　It's　dangerous。　There'd　be　no　one　else　but　me；　and　I　wouldn't　be　any　use。〃　
　　〃But　you　can　read…all　the　books。〃　
　　〃Books！〃　he　laughed　a　little　as　he　spoke。　〃The　Practical　Midwife？　The　Pathology　of　Parturition？　I　don't　think　I'd　like　to　face　it；　even　if　you　would。〃　
　　〃But；　yet；　you　really　could　find　some　books　and　read　them。　That　would　be　a　lot　of　use。　And　I　wouldn't　really　need　so　much　help。〃　She　paused　a　moment：　〃I've　been　through　it　twice　before；　you　know。　It　wasn't　bad。〃　
　　〃Maybe　not。　But　it　might　be　different　this　time　without　hospitals　and　doctors　and　all　that。　And　just　why；　why　do　you　think　so　much　about　it？〃　
　　〃Biology；　don't　they　call　it；　or　something　like　that？　I　guess　it's　natural。〃　
　　〃Do　you　think　life　must　go　on；　we　have　a　duty　to　the　future；　all　that？〃　
　　She　paused　a　minute。　He　could　tell　that　she　was　thinking；　and　thinking　was　not　the　best　thing　that　she　did；　she　reacted　at　deeper　levels　than　those　of　mere　thought。　
　　〃Oh；　I　don't　know；〃　she　said。　〃I　don't　know　whether　life　needs　to　go　on。　Why　should　it？　Just　as　likely　I'm　selfish。　I　want　a　baby　for　myself。　I　mean；　oh；　I　don't　talk　this　sort　of　thing　well。　I'd　like　to　be　kissed；　though。〃　He　did　it。　
　　〃I　wish　I　could　talk；〃　she　said。　〃I　wish　I　could　tell　what　it　is　I　think　about　it。〃　
　　Then　she　stretched　her　arm　out；　and　took　a　match　from　the　box　on　the　table。　She　smoked；　more　than　he　did；　and　he　expected　her　to　take　a　cigarette　also。　But　she　did　not。　It　was　a　big　kitchen…match；　the　kind　she　liked。　She　turned　it　between　thumb　and　finger；　saying　nothing。　Then　she　scratched　it　against　the　box。　
　　The　matchhead　spurted　into　a　flare。　Then　the　fierceness　faded　out；　and　the　wood　of　the　match…shank　burned　quietly　in　yellow　flame。　Suddenly　she　blew　it　out。　
　　Vaguely　he　knew　that　she；　who　did　not　find　words　easily；　had　tried…perhaps　half　unconsciously…to　act　out　something　that　she　could　not　say。　Slowly　he　thought　that　he　understood。　The　match　lived；　not　when　it　lay　in　the　box；　but　merely　when　it　burned…and　it　could　not　burn　forever。　So　too　with　men　and　women。　Not　by　denying　life　was　life　lived。　
　　He　thought　then　of　his　old　fear　during　the　first　days　and　of　the　time　when　he　had　overthrown　it；　when　he　had　unlashed　the　motorcycle　from　the　tail…gate　of　the　station…wagon　in　the　desert　and　tossed　it　to　one　side。　He　remembered　the　wild　feeling　of　exaltation　which　had　e　when　he　had　offered　defiance　to　death　and　all　the　powers　of　darkness。　He　felt　her　body　stir　gently　in　his　arms。　Yes；　he　thought　humbly；　that　strong　courage　was　his　only　at　great　moments…with　her　it　was　part　of　daily　life。　
　　〃All　right；〃　he　said；　〃I　suppose　you're　right。　I'll　read　the　books。〃　
　　〃You　know；〃　she　said；　〃I　might　need　a　little　more　help　than　that！〃　
　　Her　body　was　close　and　warm　against　him。　Still　he　held　back；　feeling　all　the　loneliness　and　the　emptiness　and　the　terror。　Who　was　he　to　set　mankind　again　on　the　long　and　uncertain　road　to　the　future？　But　it　was　only　for　a　moment。　Then　her　courage　and　the　confidence　of　her　courage　flowed　out　from　her　to　him。　〃Yes；〃　he　thought；　〃she　will　be　the　mother　of　nations！　Without　courage　there　is　nothing！〃　
　　And　then　suddenly　he　was　conscious　again　of　her　body；　and　his　strength　came　upon　him。　
　　To　thee　be　the　glory；　because　the　love　of　life　was　brighter　before　thy　face　than　the　fear　of　death　was　dark。　Thou　art　Demeter　and　Hertha　and　Isis；　Cybele　of　the　Lions；　and　the　Mountain…Mother。　From　thy　daughters　shall　spring　tribes；　and　from　thy　grandsons；　nations！　Thy　name　is　The　Mother；　and　they　shall　call　thee　blessed。　
　　There　will　be　laughter　and　song　again。　Maidens　will　walk　in　the　meadows；　young　men；　leap　by　the　brooks。　Their　children's　children　shall　be　again　as　the　pine　trees　of　the　mountainside。　They　shall　call　thee　blessed；　because　in　a　dark　time　thy　look　was　toward　the　light。　
　　While　they　were　still　uncertain；　Em　looked　out　one　morning　and　said；　〃See；　some　rats！〃　
　　He　looked。　Sure　enough；　two　rats　were　nosing　their　way　along　the　base　of　the　hedge；　foraging　about　or　merely　investigating。　Em　pointed　out　the　rats　to　Princess　through　the　window；　and　then　opened　the　door。　But　being　a　dog　who　gave　tongue　to　tell　the　hunter　where　the　chase　was　leading；　she　leaped　out　baying；　and　the　rats　vanished　before　she　was　anywhere　near　them。　
　　That　afternoon　they　saw　more　rats　at　several　times；　one　place　and　another；　near　the　house；　in　the　street；　or　running　in　the　gardens。　
　　Next　morning　the　wave　had　engulfed　them。　Rats　were　everywhere。　These　were　merely　ordinary…looking　rats；　no　larger　or　smaller　than　rats　were　expected　to　be；　not　particularly　fat　or　particularly　lean…just　rats。　Ish　thought　of　the　way　the　ants　had　been　some　time　ago；　and　felt　a　cold　shiver　run　through　him。　
　　The　only　thing　to　do　was　to　make　an　investigation；　and　thus　render　the　rats　less　horrible；　because　when　you　knew　sometlung　about　the　situation；　you　saw　the　interest　that　lay　in　it。　
　　In　the　station…wagon　they　drove　about　here　and　there；　often　crushing　some　rat　which　decided　to　dash　across　the　street；　just　ahead　of　their　fires。　At　first　they　shuddered　a　little　at　the　soft　squash；　and　looked　at　each　other；　but　before　long　it　had　bee　so　mon　that　they　thought　nothing　about　it。　The　area　which　the　rats　were　occupying　was　roughly　the　city；　although　they　spread　outward　from　the　built…up　area；　covering　somewhat　larger　an　area　than　the　ants　had　done。　…　
　　What　had　happened；　in　general；　was　clear　enough。　Ish　remembered　some　kind　of　statistics　which　declared　that　the　number　of　rats　in　a　city　was　generally　about　equal　to　the　number　of　people。　
　　〃Well；〃　he　explained　to　Em；　〃you　start　then　with；　say；　a　million　rats；　half　of　them　being　does　or　bitches　or　whatever　you　call　lady　rats。　Some　of　the　stores　and　warehouses　are　rat…proof；　but　still　there　has　been　for　all　this　tune　what　you　can　call　an　unlimited　supply　of　food。〃　
　　〃Then　how　many　rats　should　there　be　now？〃　
　　〃I　can't　do　that　problem　in　my　head。　I'll　try　later。〃　
　　That　evening　at　home　he　sat　down　to　it　as　a　mathematical　problem。　With　the　aid　of　his　father's　encyclopedia　he　determined　that　rats　had　approximately　one　litter　a　month；　with　an　average　of　about　ten　young。　That　is；　one　month　of　uninterrupted　breeding　might　have　produced　about　a　population　of　ten　million　rats　in　this　given　area。　These　young　females；　in　turn；　would　begin　to　breed　before　they　reached　the　age　of　two　months。　There　must　be　so