gs.earthabides-第25章

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！


he　other　survivors　had　been　more　careful　about　the　matter　than　he　had　been。　Take　the　seven…day　week；　for　instance。　Even　though　you　were　not　religious；　you　had　to　admit　that　the　seven…day　week　with　its　one　day　of　rest　was　a　fine　old　tradition　of　mankind。　It　had　been　going　on　for　at　least　five　thousand　years；　clear　from　Babylonian　times；　and　no　one　knew　how　much　further。　Would　he　ever　be　able　to　figure　out　again　just　which　day　was　Sunday？　
　　As　for　getting　the　proper　day　of　the　year；　that　should　not　be　too　difficult。　He　knew　enough　about　the　fundamentals　of　astronomy　to　do　that；　and　if　he　got　the　time　of　the　solstice　correct；　he　could　figure　back　on　last　year's　calendar　and　perhaps　re…establish　the　day　of　the　week。　
　　This　was　the　time　of　the　year　to　get　busy　on　the　problem。　Although　he　did　not　know　exactly；　he　could　tell　from　the　progress　of　the　weather　and　from　his　general　knowledge　of　how　much　time　had　elapsed　since　the　catastrophe；　that　it　must　have　e　now　pretty　well　toward　the　middle　of　December。　If　the　solstice　was　to　be　in　a　week　or　so；　he　could　easily　tell　by　watching　where　the　sun　set。　
　　Next　day　he　found　a　surveyor's　transit；　and　although　he　did　not。　know　much　about　the　use　of　it；　he　set　it　up　on　the　porch；　facing　the　west。　He　blackened　its　lenses　with　soot；　so　that　he　could　observe　the　sun　without　hurting　his'eyes。　His　very　first　observation　showed　that　the　sun　was　going　down　behind　the　hills　of　San　Francisco；　to　the　south　of　the　Golden　Gate。　From　memory　he　knew　that　this　was　very　near　to　its　most　southern　point　of　setting。　He　left　the　transit　in　position；　and　recorded　the　angle　of　the　sunset。　
　　The　next　evening　it　set　still　a　little　farther　south。　And　then；　as　systems　do；　his　system　went　to　pieces。　A　heavy　storm　blew　in　from　the　ocean；　and　during　a　whole　week　he　could　not　observe　where　the　sun　set。　Next　time　he　saw　it；　it　had　already　started　north。　
　　〃Well；　anyway；〃　he　said；　〃we　must　be　pretty　close　to　it。　If　we　add　one　day　to　the　time　when　we　last　saw　the　sun；　we　ought　to　be　very　near　to　the　solstice；　and　then　if　we　add　ten　days　to　that；　we　would　get　to　New　Years。〃　
　　Isn't　that　rather　silly？〃　she　said。　
　　〃Why？〃　
　　〃Well；　I　mean；　that　is；　shouldn't'the　year　really　start　when　the　sun　turns　north　again？　Don't　you　guess　really　that　was　what　people　tried　to　do　once；　and　things　got　mixed　up　some　way　or　other；　and　got　about　ten　days　out　of　kilter？〃　
　　〃Yes；　I　imagine　it　was　that　way。〃　
　　〃Well；　why　don't　we　just　start　our　New　Year　then　with…what　you　call　it？…the　solstice？　It　seems　simpler。〃　
　　〃Yes；　but　you　can't　just　go　fooling　with　the　calendar。　That's　been　established　for　a　long　time。　You　can't　just　shift　it。；〃　
　　〃Well；　didn't　someone　named　Julian　do　it；　and　weren't　there　riots　and　things？　But　still；　they　did　change　it。〃　
　　〃They　did　change　it！　Yes；　you're　right…and　I　suppose　we　can　change　it　now　if　we　want　to。　It　certainly　gives　a　person　a　sense　of　power！〃　
　　Then　in　playfulness　of　imagination　they　decided　that　living　where　they　did；　they　had　a　system　all　worked　out　before　them；　so　that　they　would　not　even　bother　to　have　months　and　things　like　that　unless　they　wanted　to；　because　from　the　hill　they　could　see　the　sun　setting　around　its　whole　arc。　They　could　merely　date　things　by　the　time　the　sun　set　in　the　middle　of　the　Gate；　or　the　time　it　had　reached　the　first　big　hump　to　the　north；　or　the　time　it　had　begun　to；　reach　the　various　points　along　the　long　slope　of　the　mountain。　What　was　the　use　of　merely　having　months？　
　　〃Say！〃　she　said；　suddenly；　〃it　must　be　pretty　nearly　Christmas；　too。　I　hadn't　thought　of　that。　You　think　I　can　get　down　before　the　stores　close　to　pick　you　a　tie？〃　
　　He　looked　back　at　her　with　a　little　smile。　〃I　suppose　we　ought　to　feel　pretty　lugubrious　this　Christmas；　and　yet；　some　way；　I　can't。〃　
　　〃Next　year；〃　she　said；　〃this　ought　to　be　even　more　fun。　We'll　have　to　get　him　his　first　tree。〃　
　　〃Yes；　and　he　can　have　a　rattle；　too；　can't　he？　What　I'm　looking　forward　to；　though；　is　when　he　can　get　an　electric　train；　and　I　can　run　it。　No；　poor　guy；　I　guess　there'll　never　be　an　electric　train　for　him。　Maybe；　though；　when　we　have　grandchildren；　in　twenty…five　years；　maybe；　we'll　be　able　to　get　the　electricity　working　again！〃　
　　〃Twenty…five　years！　I'll　be　a　pretty　old　woman　by　that　time。　It's　strange；　thinking　forwards　now；　as　well　as　backwards。　For　a　while；　I　only　thought　backwards。　But　that　thinking　ahead　brings　up　something　else　to　my　mind；　also…the　years！　We'll　have　to　keep　track　of　the　years。　Don't　people　on　desert　islands　cut　notches　in　trees　or　something　like　that？　You　see；　he'll　want　to　know　what　year　it　is；　so　he　can　vote　or　get　a　passport；　or　report　to　his　draft　board；　maybe。　Only　perhaps；　you　aren't　going　to　restore　things　like　that　for　us　in　this　new　civilization。　What　is　this　year；　anyway；　now？〃　
　　Again　he　thought　that　was　like　a　woman；　to　put　even　such　an　all…important　thing　as　the　very　date　in　terms　of　her　unborn　child。　But　yet；　as　so　often；　her　instinct　was　right…a　great　pity　if　the　historical　record　should　be　broken　at　some　point！　Doubtless　in　the　long　run；　archeologists　could　restore　the　continuity　by　means　of　varves　or　dendrochronology；　but　it　would　save　a　lot　of　work　if　someone　merely　kept　the　tradition。　
　　〃You're　right；〃　he　said。　〃And　it's　simple；　too；　of　course。　We　know　what　year　it　is　now；　and　when　we　decide　we've　e　to　New　Years；　we'll　just　chisel　a　new　date　on　some　good　rock；　and　then　every　year　chisel　the　next　one。　The　chiseling　will　be　quite　a　job；　and　so　we'll　always　remember　whether　we　are　up…to…date　or　not。〃　
　　〃Isn't　that　rather　silly；　too？〃　she　said。　〃I　mean；　starting　out　with　a　date　in　four　figures。　As　far　as。　I'm　concerned；〃　she　paused　for　a　moment　and　looked　around　with　that　quiet　air　which　sometimes　was　so　impressive；　〃as　far　as　I'm　concerned；　this　past　year　might　as　well　be　the　Year　One。〃　
　　That　evening　there　was　no　rain。　The　clouds　still　hung　low；　but　the　air　was　clear　beneath　them。　You　could　have　seen　the　lights　of　San　Francisco；　if　there　had　been　any　lights。　
　　He　stood　on　the　porch；　and　looked　out　toward　the　dark　west；　breathing　the　cool　damp　air　in　deeply。　His　mood　was　still　close　to　exaltation。　
　　〃Now　we　have　finished　with　the　past；〃　he　thought。　〃These　last　few　months；　the　tag…end　of　the　year…we　shall　let　the　past　have　them。　This　is　the　Moment　Zero；　and　we　stand　between　two　eras。　Now　the　new　life　begins。　Now　we　mence　the　Year　One。　The　Year　One！〃　
　　Now　there　lay　before　him　no　longer　the　mere　drama　of　a　world　without　men　and　of　its　constant　adaptation。　No　longer　would　personal　readjustment　be　his　own　dominating　problem。　Now　there　stretched　away　in　the　years　ahead；　the　unfolding　drama　of　a　new　society；　reconstructing　itself；　moving　on。　And　now　he　would　not　be　the　lonely　spectator；　at　least；　not　merely　that。　He　could　read。　He　was　equipped　with　the　background　of　much　knowledge　already。　He　would　extend　that　into　technics；　into　psychology；　into　political　science；　if　that　were　needed。　
　　There　must　be　others　that　he　could　find　also　to　join　with　them…good　people　who　would　help　in　the　new　world。　He　would　start　looking　for　people　again。　He　would　look　craftily；　tying　to　keep　away　from　all　those　who　had　suffered　too　much　from　the　shock；　whose　minds　or　bodies　were　not　what　one　wanted　to　build　up　the　new　society。　
　　Somewhere　within　him　there　lingered　still　that　one　deep　fear　that　she　might　die　in　childbirth；　that　the　whole　hope　of　the　future　might　thus　fade。　And　yet；　he　could　really　not　fear　it　very　deeply。　Her　courage　burned　too　brightly。　She　was　life。　He　could　not　associate　her　with　death。　She　was　the　light　for　the　future；　she　and　those　that　would　spring　from　her。　〃0　mother　of　nations！　And　her　children　shall　call　her　blessed！〃　
　　He　himself　would　have　had　only　the　courage　to　live　on；　feeling　death　creep　in　closer　year　by　year　as　once　the　darkness　had　crept　in　from　the　ers　of　the　room　when　the　lights　were　failing。　Her　stronger　spirit　had　struck　back　against　death；　and　already　life　built　up　anew　within　her。　From　her　depths　courage　flowed　out　to　him。　
　　It　was　curious；　doubtless　even　illogical；　that　the　thought　of　the　ing　child　should　make　so　much　difference。　But　he　granted　the　difference。　He　had　known　despair；　but　now　he　knew　hope。　He　looked　forward　with　confidence　to　the　time　when　the　sun　would　again　be　setting　in　the　southern　end　of　its　long　arc　and　the　two　of　them…or　the　three…would　go　to　carve　into　some　rock　the　numeral　mernorating　the　end　of　the　Year　One。　It　was　not　finished。　The　thing　would　go　on。　A　phrase　leaped　into　his　mind。　
　　〃Oh；　world　without　end！〃　he　thought。　As　he　stood　there；　looking　out　into　the　dark　west　over　the　empty　city；　breathing　deeply　of　the　cool　damp　air；　the　words　sang　in　his　mind；　〃Oh；　world　without　end！　World　without　end！〃　
　　Here　ends　Part　I。　The　inter…chapter　called　Quick　Years　follows；　after　a　time…interval　of　one　year。　
　　
　　Quick　Years
　　Not　far　from　the　house　on　San　Lupo　Drive　there　was　that　area　which　had　once　been　a　small　public　park。　Tall　rocks　rose　picturesquely；　and　at　one　place　the　tops　of　two　of　them　leaned　together；　forming　a　high　narrow　cave。　Near　by；　a　smooth　rock…surface；　as　large　as　the　floor　of　a　small　room；　sloped　with　the　hillside；　but　was　not　too　steep　to　sit　on　fortably。　In　those　older　times　which　had　been　before　even　those　that　were　now　called　the　Old　Times；　some　tribe　of　simple　people　had　lived　thereabouts；　and　on　the　smooth　rock…surface　you　still　saw　the　little　holes　where　those　people　had　pounded　with　stones　to　make　their　acorn…mash。　
　　One　day；　after　the　round　of　the　seasons　had　passed　and　the　sun　for　the　second　time　sank　well　to　the　south　of　the　Golden　Gate；　Ish　and　Em　climbed　the　hillside　toward　the　rocks。　The　afternoon　was　calm　and　sunny；　warm　for　mid…winter。　Em　carried　the　baby；　wrapped　in　a　soft　blanket。　（She　was　pregnant　again；　although　not　yet　heavy　on　her　feet。）　Ish　carried　his　hammer　and　a　cold…chisel。　Princess　started　with　them；　but　as　always　went　baying　off　on　the　trail　of　one　of　her　rabbits。　
　　When　they　came　to　the　rock；　Em　sat　down　on　it　in　the　sun　and　nursed　the　baby；　and　Ish　worked　with　hammer　and　chisel；　cutting　into　the　smooth　surface　the　single　numeral。　The　rock　was　hard；　but　with　the　heavy　hammer　and　the　sharp　chisel；　he　soon　finished　an　upright　line。　But　it　was　fun　to　adom　the　work　a　little；　and　some　ceremony　seemed　fitting　to　mark　the　end　of　their　first　full　circuit　of　the　sun　from　south　back　to　south。　So　Ish　cut　a　clean　serif　at　the　base　of　the　line；　and　a　little　hook　at　the　top；　so　that　the　finished　figure　resembled　the　neat　I　which　he　remembered　in　the　times　of　printing。　When　he　was　done；　he　sat　close　beside　Em　in　the　sun。　The　baby　had　finished　feeding；　and　was　happy。　They　played　with　him。　〃Well；〃　said　Ish；　〃that　was　the　Year　One！〃　
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Em；　〃but　I　think　I　shall　always　remember　it　as　the　Year　of　the　Baby。　Names　are　easier　to　remember　than　numbers。〃　
　　Thus　from　the　very　beginning　it　came　about　that　they　called　each　year　not　so　often　by　its　number　as　by　a　name　based　on　something　that　had　happened　during　that　time。　
　　In　the　spring　of　the　second　year；　Ish　planted　his　first　garden。　He　had　never　liked　gardening；　and　that　probably　explained　why；　in　spite　of　good　resolutions　and　two　half