gs.earthabides-第37节

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　　The　threat　did　not　carry　conviction；　and　as　far　as　Ish　could　remember；　he　had　never　seen　the　easygoing　Ezra　punish　a　child。　Nevertheless；　at　the　paternal　order　the　scuffle　subsided　with　no　more　than　the　conventional　protest　from　Weston；　〃Aw；　Betty　started　it！〃　
　　〃Yes；　but　what　do　you　want　ice　for　anyway；　George？〃　This　was　Ralph　speaking。　It　was　a　natural　and　never…failing　phase　of　the　argument。　The　boys；　who　had　never　known　what　it　was　to　have　ice；　had　no　urge　to　make　them　go　to　the　work　of　obtaining　it。　
　　Ish　was　thinking　to　himself　that　George　had　been　asked　that　question　a　great　many　times　in　the　course　of　this　argument　before。　He　really　should　have　had　his　answer　ready；　but　George　was　not　a　quick　thinker　and　was　not　a　man　to　be　hurried。　He　shifted　his　tongue　in　his　mouth；　shaping　words　before　he　actually　set　out　to　reply；　and　in　the　pause　Ish　again　watched　Joey。　The　little　boy's　glance　moved　quickly　from　the　hesitant　George　to　Ezra　and　to　Jack；　as　if　to　see　how　those　others　were　taking　the　pause；　then　Joey's　eyes　sought　his　father's　again。　All　at　once　there　was　a　quick　radeship　and　sense　of　understanding　in　the　glance。　Joey　seemed　to　be　saying　that　either　his　father　or　he　would　find　an　answer　quickly　and　not　hesitate　as　George　was　doing。　
　　Then　something　exploded　inside　Ish's　brain。　He　did　not　hear　the　words　that　at　last　began　to　unroll　slowly　from　George's　mouth。　
　　〃Joey！〃　Ish　was　thinking…and　the　name　seemed　to　reverberate　all　through　his　consciousness。　〃Joey！　He　is　the　one！〃　
　　〃Thou　knowest　not；〃　Koheleth　wrote　in　his　wisdom；　〃how　the　bones　do　grow　in　the　womb　of　her　that　is　with　child。〃　And　though　the　centuries　have　passed　since　Koheleth　looked　upon　all　things　and　found　them　fickle　as　wind；　yet　still　we　know　little　of　what　goes　to　the　making　of　a　man…least　surely　of　all；　why　usually　there　issue　forth　only　those　who　see　what　is；　and　why　rarely；　now　and　then；　there　es　forth　among　them　the　chosen　one；　Child　of　the　Blessing；　who　sees　not　what　is；　but　sees　what　is　not；　and　seeing　thus　what　is　not；　imagines　also　what　may　be。　Yet　without　this　rare　one　all　men　are　as　beasts。　
　　First　in　the　dark　depths　and　the　flooding；　those　unlike　halves　must　meet　that　carry　within　them　each　the　perfect　half　of　genius。　But　that　is　not　all！　Also　the　child　must　be　born　to　the　world　in　fitting　time　and　place；　fulfilling　its　need。　But　even　that　is　not　all。　Also　the　child　must　live；　in　a　world　where　death　walks　daily。　
　　When　each　year　children　are　born　in　millions；　now　and　then　the　infinitesimal　chance　will　happen；　and　there　will　be　greatness　and　vision。　But　how　will　it　be；　if　the　people　are　broken　and　scattered；　and　the　children　only　a　few？　
　　Then；　almost　without　knowing　what　had　happened；　Ish　found　himself　on　his　feet。　He　was　talking。　In　fact；　he　was　making　a　speech。　〃Look　here；〃　he　was　saying；　〃we've　got　to　do　something　about　all　this。　We've　waited　long　enough！〃　
　　As　he　stood　there；　he　was　only　in　his　own　living…room；　and　he　was　talking　only　to　the　few　people　who　were　there。　He　knew　that　they　were　only　a　few；　and　yet　it　seemed　to　him　not　so　much　as　if　he　were　talking　just　to　these　few　in　this　little　room；　but　rather　that　he　was　in　some　great　amphitheater　and　talking　to　a　whole　nation　or　to　all　the　people　of　the　world。　
　　〃This　has　got　to　stop！〃　he　said。　〃We　mustn't　go　on　living　forever　just　in　this　happy　way；　scavenging　among　all　the　supplies　that　the　Old　Times　left　here　for　us；　not　creating　or　doing　anything　for　ourselves。　These　things　will　an　give　out　some　day…if　not　in　our　years；　in　our　children's；　or　grandchildren's。　What　will　happen　then？　What　will　they　do　when　they　won't　know　how　to　produce　more　things？　Food；　they　can　get；　I　suppose…there　will　still　be　cattle　and　rabbits。　But　what　about　all　the　more　plicated　things　we　enjoy？　What；　even；　about　building　fires　after　the　matches　have　all　been　used；　or　spoiled？〃　
　　He　paused；　and　looked　around　again。　They　all　seemed　pleased；　and　seemed　to　be　agreeing　with　him。　Joey's　face　was　transcendent　with　excitement。　
　　〃That　refrigerator　you　were　talking　about　just　now；　a　of　you！〃　Ish　went　on。　〃That's　an　example。　We　talk　about　it；　but　we　never　do　anything。　We're　like　that　story…that　old　king　in　the　old　story…the　one　who　sat　enchanted　and　everything　moved　around　hun；　but　he　could　never　make　any　move　to　break　the　spell。　I　used　to　think　we　were　just　suffering　from　the　shock　of　the　Great　Disaster。　Perhaps　that　was　it；　in　those　first　days。　When　people　have　their　whole　world　go　to　pieces　around　them；　they　can't　expect　to　make　a　fresh　start　immediately。　But　that　was　twenty…one　years　ago；　and　many　of　us　have　even　been　born　since　that　time。　
　　〃There　are　lots　of　things　we　should　do。　We　should　get　some　more　domestic　animals；　not　just　dogs。　We　ought　to　be　growing　more　of　our　own　food　now；　not　just　raiding　the　old　grocery　stores　still。　We　ought　to　be　teaching　the　children　to　read　and　write　more。　（No　one　has　ever　supported　me　strongly　enough　in　that。）　We　can't　go　on　scavenging　like　this　forever…we　must　go　forward。〃　
　　He　paused；　searching　for　words　by　which　to　point　out　to　them　the　old　truism　that　unless　we　go　forward　we　inevitably　go　back；　but　suddenly　they　all　applauded　loudly；　as　if　he　had　finished。　He　thought　that　he　had　really　swayed　them　by　a　sudden　flood　of　eloquence；　but　then　he　realized；　as　he　looked　around；　that　the　applause　was　largely　in　good…natured　irony。　
　　〃That's　the　fine　old　speech　again；　Dad；〃　Roger　remarked。　Ish　glared　at　him　angrily　for　a　moment；　having　really　been　the　leader　of　The　Tribe　for　twenty…one　years；　he　did　not　like　to　have　himself　put　down　thus　as　merely　an　old　codger　with　some　funny　ideas。　But　then　Ezra　laughed　good…naturedly；　and　everybody　joined　in　the　laughter；　and　the　tension　fell　off。　
　　〃Well；　what　are　we　going　to　do　about　it　then？〃　Ish　asked。　〃I　may　have　made　the　same　speech　before；　but　even　if　I　have；　it's　true；　nevertheless。〃　
　　He　paused　expectantly。　Then　Jack；　who　was　Ish's　oldest　son；　unlimbered　himself　from　where　he　was　lolling　on　the　floor；　and　got　to　his　feet。　Jack　was　taller　and　much　more　powerful　than　his　father　now；　he　was；　himself；　a　father。　
　　〃I'm　sorry；　Dad；〃　he　said；　〃but　I've　got　to　go。〃　
　　〃What's　the　matter？　What　is　it？〃　Ish　snapped　back　to　him；　a　little　irritated。　
　　〃Well；　nothing　so　very　much；　but　there's　something　I　have　to　do　this　afternoon。〃　
　　〃Won't　it　wait？〃　
　　Jack　was　already　moving　toward　the　door。　
　　〃I　suppose　it　might　wait；〃　he　said；　as　he　put　his　hand　on　the　door　knob。　〃But　I　think　I'd　better　be　going　anyway。〃　
　　There　was　silence　for　a　moment；　except　for　the　sounds　of　the　door　opening；　and　shutting；　as　Jack　went　out。　Ish　felt　himself　suddenly　angry；　and　he　knew　that　his　face　was　flushed。　
　　〃Go　on　talking；　Ish；〃　Ish　heard　the　voice；　and　knew　through　his　anger　that　it　was　Ezra's。　〃We　would　like　to　hear　just　what　you　think　we　ought　to　do；　you　have　the　ideas。〃　Yes；　it　was　Ezra's　voice；　and　Ezra　as　usual　was　saying　something　quickly　to　cover　up　the　difficulty　and　make　people　feel　better。　He　was　even　flattering　Ish。　
　　Nevertheless；　at　the　voice；　Ish　relaxed。　Why　should　he　be　angry　with　Jack　for　acting　independently？　He　should；　rather；　be　happy。　Jack　was　a　grown　man　now；　no　longer　a　little　boy　and　merely　a　son。　The　flush　faded　from　Ish's　face；　but　still　he　felt　a　profound　sense　of　trouble　within　him；　and　he　was　led　on　to　talk　more。　If　the　incident　could　do　nothing　else；　at　least　it　could　supply　him　with　a　text。　
　　〃This　business　with　Jack　right　here　now；　that's　something　I　want　to　talk　about；　too。　We've　drifted　along　all　these　years　not　doing　anything　about　producing　our　own　food　and　getting　civilization　back　into　some　kind　of　running…order；　as　regards　all　the　material　things。　That's　one　matter；　and　an　important　one；　but　it　isn't　the　only　one。　Civilization　wasn't　just　only　gadgets　and　how　to　make　them　and　run　them。　It　was　all　sorts　of　social　organization　too…all　sorts　of　rules；　and　laws；　and　ways　of　life；　among　people　and　groups　of　people。　The　family…that's　all　we　have　left　of　a　that　organization！　That's　natural；　I　suppose。　But　the　family　can't　be　enough　when　there　get　to　be　more　people。　When　a　little　child　does　something　we　don't　like；　the　father　and　mother　correct　it；　and　bring　it　into　line。　But　when　one　of　the　children　grows　up；　that's　all　over。　We　haven't　any　laws…we　aren't　a　democracy；　or　a　monarchy；　or　a　dictatorship；　or　anything。　If　someone…Jack；　for　instance…wants　to　walk　out　on　what　seems　to　be　a　kind　of　important　meeting；　nobody　can　stop　him。　Even　if　we　take　a　vote　here　and　decide　to　do　something；　even　then；　there's　no　means　of　enforcement…oh；　a　little　public　opinion；　perhaps；　but　that's　all。〃　
　　He　had　trailed　off　to　a　lame　ending；　rather　than　ing　to　a　conclusion。　He　had　been　speaking　more　from　the　emotional　drive　that　Jack's　move　had　aroused　in　him。　He　was　not　a　trained　orator；　and　had　certainly　no　practice。　
　　Yet；　as　he　looked　around；　he　saw　that　the　speech　had　apparently　made　a　very　good　impression。　Ezra　was　the　one　who　spoke　first。　
　　〃Yes；　you　bet！〃　he　said。　〃Don't　you　remember　all　of　those　wonderful　times　we　used　to　have　back　in　those　days。　Golly；　what　wouldn't　I　give　just　now　to　be　over　there　with　George's　big　radio　and　turn　it　right　on　an