gs.earthabides-第8节

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　　As　for　the　cats；　they　had　known　little　more　than　five　thousand　years　of　man's　domination；　and　had　always　accepted　it　with　reservations。　Those　unlucky　enough　to　be　left　penned　inside　houses；　soon　died　of　thirst。　But　those　who　had　been　on　the　outside　managed　better　than　the　dogs　to　scramble…along　one　way　or　another。　Their　hunting　of　mice　became　an　industry；　not　an　amusement。　hey　stalked　birds　now　to　satisfy　the　quick　pang　of　hunger。　They　watched　by　the　mole…tunnel　in　the　uncut　lawn；　and　by　the　gopher…burrow　in　the　vacant　lot。　They　prowled　in　the　streets　and　alleys；　here　and　there　discovering　some　garbage…can　that　the　rats　had　not　yet　looted。　They　spread　outward　from　the　edge　of　the　city；　invading　the　haunts　of　the　quail　and　the　rabbits。　There　they　met　with　the　real　wild…cat；　and　the　end　was　quick　and　sudden；　as　the　stronger　inhabitant　of　the　woods　tore　the　city　cat　to　pieces。　
　　The　sound　of　the　next　horn　was　more　lively。　Toot；　toot；　toot；　it　went；　toot…ta…toot；　toot；　toot；　toot！　No　drunk　man　was　handling　that　one。　When　he　came　close　to　the　sound　of　it；　he　saw　a　man　and　a　woman　standing　there　together。　They　laughed；　and　waved　at　him。　He　drove　up；　and　got　out　of　the　car。　The　man　was　a　big　fellow；　dressed　flamboyantly　in　a　loud　sport…coat。　The　woman　was　young　enough　and　good…looking；　in　a　blowsy　way。　Her　mouth　was　a　red　blob　of　lipstick。　Her　fingers　glittered　with　many　rings。　
　　Ish　took　two　steps　forward；　and　then　stopped；　suddenly。　〃Two　is　pany　and　three　is　a　crowd。〃　The　man's　look　was　definitely　hostile。　And　now　Ish　noticed　that　the　right　hand　was　in　the　bulging　side…pocket　of　the　sport…coat。　
　　〃How　are　you？〃　said　Ish；　halting。　
　　〃Oh；　we're　doing　fine；〃　said　the　man。　The　woman　merely　giggled；　but　Ish　noticed　that　there　was　invitation　in　her　smile；　and　suddenly；　more　than　ever；　he　sensed　danger。　〃Yes；〃　the　man　went　on；　〃yes；　we're　doing　fine。　Plenty　to　eat；　plenty　to　drink；　and　lots　of…〃　He　made　an　obscene　gesture；　and　grinned　at　the　woman。　She　giggled　again；　and　again　Ish　saw　invitation　and　sensed　danger。　
　　He　wondered　what　the　woman　could　have　been　in　the　old　life。　Now　she　looked　merely　like　a　well…to…do　prostitute。　There　were　enough　diamonds　on　her　fingers　to　stock　a　jewelry　store。　
　　〃Is　anybody　else　left　alive？〃　
　　They　looked　at　each　other。　The　woman　giggled　again；　it　seemed　to　be　her　only　answer。　
　　〃No；〃　said　the　man。　〃Nobody　around　here；　I　guess。〃　He　paused；　and　glanced　at　the　woman　again。　〃Not　now；　anyway。〃　
　　Ish　looked　at　the　hand　which　the　man　still　kept　in　the　sidepocket　of　the　coat。　He　saw　the　woman　move　her　hips　provocatively；　and　her　eyes　narrowed　a　little；　as　if　she　said　that　she　would　take　the　victor。　The　eyes　of　this　couple　were　not　suffering　like　the　eyes　of　the　drunk　man。　They　did　not　seem　to　have　sensitive　minds；　and　yet　perhaps　they　too　had　suffered　more　than　men　and　women　could　stand；　and　in　their　own　way　had　gone　bad。　Suddenly；　Ish　realized　that　he　was　closer　to　death；　perhaps；　than　he　had　ever　been　before。　
　　〃Which　way　are　you　going？〃　said　the　man；　and　the　import　of　his　words　was　clear。　
　　〃Oh；　just　wandering　around；〃　said　Ish；　and　the　woman　giggled。　
　　Ish　turned　and　walked　toward　the　car；　more　than　half　expecting　to　be　shot　in　the　back。　He　made　it；　got　into　the　car；　and　drove　away。。。　
　　He　had　heard　no　sounds　this　time；　but　as　he　turned　the　corner；　there　she　was；　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　street；　a　long…legged　teen…age　girl　with　stringy　blond　hair。　She　stood；　suddenly　stopped；　as　a　deer　stands　surprised　in　a　glade。　With　a　quick　movement　of　a　shrewd　and　hunted　thing；　she　leaned　forward；　squinting　against　the　sun　into　the　windshield；　trying　to　see　who　was　there。　Then　she　turned　and　ran　swiftly；　again　like　a　deer。　She　dodged　through　a　hole　in　a　board　fence　and　was　gone。　
　　He　walked　down　to　the　hole　in　the　fence；　and　looked　through　it；　and　called；　and　called　again。　He　had　no　reply。　He　half　expected　there　would　be　at　least　a　mocking　laugh　from　some　window；　or　the　flip　of　a　skirt　around　a　corner；　and　if　he　had　had　even　as　much　encouragement　as　that；　he　would　have　continued　the　pursuit。　But　there　was　nothing　flirtatious　about　this　one。　Perhaps　she　had　had　experiences　already；　and　knew　that　in　such　times　the　only　safety　for　a　young　girl　was　in　quick　and　final　flights。　He　waited　around　some　minutes；　but　nothing　happened；　and　so　he　went　on。。。。　
　　Again　there　had　been　horn…signals；　but　they　had　stopped　before　Ish　could　get　to　them。　He　drove　around　in　the　vicinity　for　some　minutes；　and　at　last　saw　an　old　man　ing　out　of　a　grocery　store；　pushing　a　baby…carriage　piled　high　with　canned　goods　and　cartons。　When　Ish　came　closer；　he　saw　that　the　old　man　was　perhaps　not　so　very　old。　If　his　scraggly　white　beard　had　been　shaved　away；　he　might　have　appeared　a　vigorous　sixty。　As　it　was；　he　was　unkempt　and　dirty；　and　his　clothes　looked　as　if　he　had　been　sleeping　in　them。　
　　Of　the　few　whom　he　had　met　that　day；　Ish　found　the　old　man　most　municative；　and　yet　he　too　stood　off　by　himself。　He　took　Ish　to　his　house　near　by；　which　he　was　stocking　of　all　manner　of　things…some　useful；　some　quite　useless。　The　mere　mania　of　possession　had　taken　mand；　and　the　old　man　was　well　on　the　way；　without　restraints；　toward　being　the　typical　hermit　and　miser。　In　the　former　life；　Ish　learned；　the　old　man　had　actually　been　married。　He　had　been　a　clerk　in　a　hardware　store。　Yet　probably　he　had　always　been　unhappy　and　lonely；　restricted　in　his　contacts　with　other　people。　Now；　apparently；　he　was　happier　than　he　had　been　before；　because　there　was　no　one　to　interfere　with　him　and　he　could　merely　withdraw　and　store　up　around　himself　all　these　material　goods。　He　had　canned　food；　sometimes　in　neat　boxes；　sometimes　in　mere　piles　and　heaps　of　cans。　But　he　also　had　a　dozen　crates　of　oranges；　more　than　he　could　possibly　eat　before　they　spoiled。　He　had　beans　in　cellophane　bags；　and　one　of　the　bags　had　broken　already；　spilling　the　beans　across　the　floor。　
　　In　addition　to　food　he　had　boxes　and　boxes　of　electric…light　bulbs　and　radio…tubes；　a　cello　（though　he　could　not　play）；　a　high　pile　of　one　issue　of　the　same　magazine；　a　dozen　alarm　clocks；　and　a　host　of　other　miscellaneous　materials　which　he　had　collected；　not　with　any　definite　idea　of　use；　but　merely　for　the　fortable　feeling　of　security　which　came　to　him　from　surrounding　himself　with　all　kinds　of　possessions。　The　old　man　was　pleasant　enough；　but　he　was　already；　Ish　reflected；　essentially　dead。　The　shock；　reacting　upon　his　already　withdrawn　character；　had　sent　him　close　to　insanity。　He　would　merely　go　on　piling　up　things　around　himself；　living　to　himself；　withdrawing　farther　and　farther。　
　　Yet；　when　Ish　started　to　leave；　the　old　man　seized　his　arm　in　panic。　
　　〃Why　did　it　happen？〃　he　asked　wildly。　〃Why　am　I　spared？〃　
　　Ish　looked　in　disgust　at　the　suddenly　terror…stricken　face。　The　mouth　was　open；　it　seemed　drooling。　
　　〃Yes；〃　he　snapped　back；　angry；　and　glad　to　express　his　anger；　〃yes…why　were　you　spared　and　so　many　better　men　taken？〃　
　　The　old　man　glanced　involuntarily　about　him。　His　fear　was　now　abject；　inhuman。　
　　〃That's　what　I　was　afraid　of！〃　he　half…whispered。　
　　Ish　reacted　into　pity。　
　　〃Oh；　e　on！〃　he　said。　〃There's　nothing　to　be　afraid　of！　Nobody　knows　why　you　survived。　You　were　never　bitten　by　a　rattlesnake；　were　you？〃　
　　〃No…〃　
　　〃Well；　no　matter。　This　business　of　natural　immunity；　I　believe…nobody　understands　it。　But　even　in　the　worst　pestilences　not　everybody　gets　sick。〃　
　　But　the　other　shook　his　head。　〃I　must　have　been　a　great　sinner；〃　he　said。　
　　〃Well；　in　that　case；　you　should　have　been　taken。　
　　〃He…〃　the　old　man　paused　and　looked　around；　〃He　may　be　reserving　me　for　something　special。〃　And　he　shivered。。。。　
　　Approaching　the　toll…gates；　Ish　felt　himself　automatically　begin　to　wonder　whether　he　had　a　quarter　handy　for　toll。　During　a　wild　second　he　imagined　himself　playing　an　insane　scene　in　which　he　slowed　the　car　down　and　held　out　an　imaginary　coin　to　an　imaginary　hand　stretched　out　to　take　it。　But；　though　he　had　to　slow　the　car　a　little　to　go　through　the　narrow　passageway；　he　did　not　stretch　out　his　hand。　
　　He　had　told　himself　that　he　would　cross　to　San　Francisco；　and　see　what　things　were　like　there。　Once　on　the　bridge；　however；　he　realized　that　the　bridge　itself　had　drawn　him。　It　was　the　largest　and　boldest　work　of　man　in　the　whole　area；　like　all　bridges；　it　was　a　symbol　of　unity　and　security。　The　thought　of　going　to　San　Francisco　had　been　an　excuse。　He　had　really　wished　to　renew　some　kind　of　munion　with　the　symbol　of　the　bridge　itself。　
　　Now　it　lay　empty。　Where　six　lines　of　cars　had　speeded　east　and　west；　now　the　white　lines　on　the　pavement　stretched　off　unbroken　toward　their　meeting　at　infinity。　A　seagull　that　was　perched　on　the　railing　flapped　lazily　as　the　sound　of　the　car　drew　close；　and　slid　off　on　a　downward　plane。　
　　At　a　whim；　he　crossed　to　the　left　side　and　drove　unobstructed　along　the　wrong　lane。　He　passed　through　the　tunnel；　and　the　high　towers　and　long　curves　of　the　suspension…bridge　rose　before　his　eyes　in　magnificent　perspective。　As　usual；　some　painting　had　been　in　progress；　to　contrast　with　the　prevailing　silver　gray；　one　cable　was　splotched　with　orange…red。　
　　Then　s