gs.earthabides-第4节

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m　the　cities；　but　those　remaining　had　suffered；　as　far　as　he　could　make　out　from　the　newspaper　a　week　old；　no　disgraceful　panic。　Civilization　had　retreated；　but　it　had　carried　its　wounded　along；　and　had　faced　the　foe。　Doctors　and　nurses　had　stayed　at　their　posts；　and　thousands　more　had　enlisted　as　helpers。　Whole　areas　of　cities　had　been　designated　as　hospital　zones　and　points　of　concentration。　All　ordinary　business　had　ceased；　but　food　was　still　handled　on　an　emergency　basis。　Even　with　a　third　of　the　population　dead；　telephone　service　along　with　water；　light；　and　power　still　remained　in　most　cities。　In　order　to　avoid　intolerable　conditions　which　might　lead　to　a　total　breakdown　of　morale；　the　authorities　were　enforcing　strict　regulations　for　immediate　mass　burials。　
　　He　read　the　paper；　and　then　read　it　through　again　more　carefully。　There　was　obviously　nothing　else　he　needed　to　do。　When　he　had　finished　it　a　second　time；　he　went　out　and　sat　in　his　car。　There　was　no　particular　reason；　he　realized；　why　he　should　sit　in　his　own　car　rather　than　in　some　other。　There　was　no　more　question　of　property　right；　and　yet　he　felt　more　fortable　being　where　he　had　been　before。　（The　fat　dog　walked　along　the　street　again；　but　he　did　not　call　to　the　dog。）　He　sat　there　a　long　time；　thinking；　rather；　he　scarcely　thought；　but　his　mind　seemed　merely　turning　over　without　getting　anywhere。　
　　The　sun　was　nearly　down　when　he　roused　himself。　He　started　the　engine；　and　drove　the　car　down　the　street；　stopping　now　and　then　to　blow　a　blast　upon　the　horn。　He　turned　off　into　a　side　street；　and　made　the　rounds　of　the　town；　blowing　the　horn　methodically。　The　town　was　small；　and　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour　he　was　back　where　he　had　started。　He　had　seen　no　one；　and　heard　no　answer。　He　had　observed　four　dogs；　several　cats；　a　considerable　number　of　scattered　hens；　one　cow　grazing　in　a　vacant　lot　with　a　bit　of　broken　rope　dangling　from　her　neck。　Nosing　along　the　doorway　of　a　very　decent…looking　house；　there　had　been　a　large　rat。　
　　He　did　not　stop　in　the　business　district　again；　but　drove　on　and　came　to　what　he　now　knew　to　be　the　best　house　in　town。　He　got　out　of　the　car；　carrying　the　hammer　with　him。　This　time　he　did　not　hesitate　before　the　locked　door；　he　struck　it　hard；　three　times；　and　it　crashed　inwards。　As　he　had　supposed；　there　was　a　large　radio　in　the　living…room。　
　　He　made　a　quick　round　of　inspection；　downstairs　and　up。　〃There's　nobody！〃　he　decided。　Then　the　grim　suggestion　of　the　word　itself　struck　him：　Nobody…no　body！　
　　Feeling　the　two　meanings　already　coalescing　in　his　mind；　he　returned　to　the　living…room。　He　snapped　the　radio　on；　and　saw　that　the　electricity　was　still　working。　He　let　the　tubes　warm　up；　and　then　searched　carefully。　Only　faint　crackles　of　static　impinged　on　his　alerted　ear…drums；　there　was　no　program。　He　shifted　to　the　short…wave；　but　it　too　was　silent。　Methodically　he　searched　both　bands　again。　Of　course；　he　thought；　some　stations　might　still　be　operating；　they　would　probably　not　be　on　a　twenty…four…hour　schedule。　
　　He　left　the　radio　tuned　to　a　wave…length　which　was…or　had　been…that　of　a　powerful　station。　If　it　came　on　at　any　time；　he　would　hear　it。　He　went　and　lay　on　the　davenport。　
　　In　spite　of　the　horror　of　the　situation　he　felt　a　curious　spectator's　sense　about　it　all；　as　if　he　were　watching　the　last　act　of　a　great　drama。　This；　he　realized；　was　characteristic　of　his　personality。　He　was…had　been…was　（well；　no　matter）…a　student；　an　incipient　scholar；　and　such　a　one　was　necessarily　oriented　to　observe；　rather　than　to　participate。　
　　Thus　observing；　he　even　gained　a　momentary　ironic　satisfaction　by　contemplating　the　catastrophe　as　a　demonstration　of　a　dictum　which　he　had　heard　an　economics　professor　once　propound…〃The　trouble　you're　expecting　never　happens；　it's　always　something　that　sneaks　up　the　other　way。〃　Mankind　had　been　trembling　about　destruction　through　war；　and　had　been　having　bad　dreams　of　cities　blown　to　pieces　along　with　their　inhabitants；　of　animals　killed　too；　and　of　the　very　vegetation　blighted　off　the　face　of　the　earth。　But　actually　mankind　seemed　merely　to　have　been　removed　rather　neatly；　with　a　minimum　of　disturbance。　This；　he　thought　vaguely；　would　offer　interesting　conditions　of　life　to　the　survivors；　if　eventually　there　were　any。　
　　He　lay　fortably　on　the　davenport；　the　evening　was　warm。　Physically　he　was　exhausted　from　his　illness；　and　he　was　equally　spent　emotionally。　Soon　he　was　sleeping。　
　　High　overhead；　moon　and　planets　and　stars　swung　in　their　long　smooth　curves。　They　had　no　eyes；　and　they　saw　not；　yet　from　the　time　when　man's　fancy　first　formed　within　him；　he　has　imagined　that　they　looked　down　upon　the　earth。　
　　And　if　so　we　may　still　imagine；　and　if　they　looked　down　upon　the　earth　that　night；　what　did　they　see？　
　　Then　we　must　say　that　they　saw　no　change。　Though　smoke　from　stacks　and　chimneys　and　campfires　no　longer　rose　to　dim　the　atmosphere；　yet　still　smoke　rose　from　volcanos　and　from　forest…fires。　Seen　even　from　the　moon；　the　planet　that　night　must　have　shown　only　with　its　accustomed　splendor…no　brighter；　no　dimmer。　
　　He　awoke　in　the　full　light。　Flexing　his　hand；　he　found　that　the　pain　of　the　snake…bite　had　shrunk　back　to　local　soreness。　His　head　felt　clear　too；　and　he　realized　that　the　other　illness；　if　it　had　been　another　illness　and　not　an　effect　of　the　snake…bite；　had　also　grown　better。　Then　suddenly　he　started；　and　was　aware　of　something　which　he　had　not　considered　before。　The　obvious　explanation　was　that　he　had　actually　had　this　new　disease；　and　that　it　had　batted　with　the　snake…venom　in　his　blood；　the　one　neutralizing　the　other。　That　at　least　offered　the　simplest　explanation　of　why　he　was　still　alive。　
　　As　he　lay　there　quietly　on　the　davenport；　he　was　very　calm。　The　isolated　bits　of　the　puzzle　were　now　beginning　to　fit　into　their　places。　The　men　who　fled　in　panic　at　seeing　someone　lying　sick　in　the　cabin…they　had　merely　been　some　poor　fugitives；　afraid　that　the　pestilence　had　already　preceded　them。　The　car　that　had　gone　up　the　road　in　the　darkness　had　carried　other　fugitives；　possibly　even　the　Johnsons。　The　excited　collie　had　been　trying　to　tell　him　that　strange　things　had　happened　at　the　power…house。　
　　But　as　he　lay　there；　he　was　not　greatly　perturbed　even　at　the　thought　that　he　might　be　the　only　person　left　in　the　world。　Possibly　that　was　because　he　had　not　seen　many　people　for　some　time；　so　that　the　shock　of　the　new　realization　could　not　e　to　him　as　strongly　as　to　one　who　had　seen　his　fellow…creatures　dying　on　all　sides。　At　the　same　time　he　could　not　really　believe；　and　he　had　no　reason　to　believe；　that　he　alone　was　left　upon　the　earth。　The　last　report　in　the　paper　indicated　that　the　population　had　merely　shrunk　by　perhaps　a　third。　The　evacuation　of　a　small　town　like　Hutsonville　showed　merely　that　the　population　had　scattered　or　withdrawn　to　some　other　center。　Before　he　shed　any　tears　over　the　destruction　of　civilization　and　the　death　of　man；　he　should　discover　whether　civilization　was　destroyed　and　whether　man　was　dead。　Obviously　the　first　call　was　for　him　to　return　to　the　house　where　his　parents　had　lived…or；　he　hoped；　might　still　be　living。　Having　thus　laid　out　for　himself　a　definite　plan　for　the　day；　he　felt　the　quiet　satisfaction　which　always　came　to　him　when　confusion　of　mind　yielded　even　to　temporary　certainty。　
　　Getting　up；　he　searched　both　radio　bands　again；　and　again　without　result。　
　　He　went　into　the　kitchen；　throwing　open　the　door　of　the　refrigerator；　he　found　that　it　was　still　working。　On　the　shelves　was　a　fair　assortment　of　food；　though　not　as　much　as　might　have　been　expected。　Apparently　supplies　had　failed　a　little　before　the　house　had　been　abandoned；　and　the　larder　was　paratively　scant。　Nevertheless　there　were　half　a　dozen　eggs；　most　of　a　pound　of　butter；　and　some　bacon；　along　with　several　heads　of　lettuce；　a　little　celery；　and　a　few　odds　and　ends。　Looking　into　a　cupboard；　he　found　a　can　of　grapefruit…juice；　in　a　bread…drawer　there　was　a　loaf　of　bread；　dry　but　not　impossible。　He　estimated　that　it　might　have　been　there　for　five　days；　and　so　he　had　a　better　idea　than　before　of　the　time　at　which　the　town　might　have　been　abandon　With　such　materials　at　hand　he　was　enough　of　a　camper　to　have　built　a　fire　outdoors　and　contrived　an　excellent　meal；　but　he　snapped　the　switches　of　the　electric　stove　and　felt　the　heat　begin　to　radiate。　He　cooked　himself　a　hearty　breakfast；　managing　even　to　make　the　bread　into　acceptable　toast。　As　always　when　he　came　out　of　the　mountains；　he　was　hungry　for　fresh　green　stuff；　and　so　to　his　conventional　breakfast　of　bacon；　eggs　and　coffee；　he　added　a　generous　head…lettuce　salad。　
　　Returning　to　the　davenport；　he　helped　himself　from　a　red　lacquer　box　on　the　near…by　table；　and　smoked　an　after…breakfast　cigarette。　As　yet；　he　reflected；　the　maintenance　of　life　offered　no　problem。　
　　The　cigarette　was　not　even　yet　badly　dried　out。　With　a　good　breakfast　and　a　good　cigarette；　he　did　not　feel　himself　worrying。　Actually　he　had　put　worry　in　abeyance；　and　had　decided　that　he　would　not　indulge　in　it　until　he　had　really　found　out　just　how　much　need　there　was。　
　　When　he　had　finished　the　cigarette；　he　reflected　that　there　was