gs.earthabides-第3章

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　haven't　been　missing　any　meals；　anyway；〃　he　said。　（Then　he　had　a　sudden　feeling　of　tightness　in　die　throat　when　he　thought　of　things　the　dog　might　be　eating。）　The　dog　was　not　friendly；　it　skirted　him；　keeping　distance；　then　it　went　on　down　the　street。　He　made　no　effort　to　call　it　closer　or　to　follow　it；　after　all；　the　dog　could　not　tell　him。　
　　I　could　play　detective　by　going　into　some　of　these　stores　and　looking　around；〃　he　thought。　Then　he　had　a　better　idea。　
　　Across　the　street　was　a　little　pool…room　where　he　had　often　stopped　to　buy　a　newspaper。　He　went　over　to　it。　The　door　was　locked。　He　looked　through　the　window；　and　saw　newspapers　in　the　rack。　He　stared　hard　against　the　reflection　of　the　light　in　the　window；　and　suddenly　he　saw　that　there　were　headlines　as　large　as　for　Pearl　Harbor。　He　read：　
　　CRISIS　ACUTE
　　What　crisis？　With　sudden　determination　he　strode　back　to　the　car；　and　picked　up　the　hammer。　A　moment　later　he　stood　with　the　heavy　head　poised　in　front　of　the　door。　
　　Then　suddenly　all　the　restraints　of　habit　stopped　him。　Civilization　moved　in；　and　held　his　arm；　almost　physically。　You　couldn't　do　this！　You　didn't　break　into　a　store　this　way…you；　a　law…abiding　citizen！　He　glanced　up　and　down　the　street；　as　if　a　policeman　or　a　posse　might　be　bearing　down　upon　him。　
　　But　the　empty　street　brought　him　back　again；　and　panic　overbore　the　restraints。　〃Hell；〃　he　thought；　I　can　pay　for　the　door　if　I　have　to！〃　
　　With　a　wild　feeling　of　burning　his　bridges；　of　leaving　civilization　behind；　he　swung　the　heavy　hammer…head　with　all　his　force　against　the　door…lock。　The　wood　splintered；　the　door　flew　open；　he　stepped　in。　
　　His　first　shock　came　when　he　picked　up　the　newspaper。　The　Chronicle；　the　one　he　remembered；　was　thick…twenty　or　thirty　pages　at　least。　The　newspaper　he　picked　up　was　like　a　little　country　weekly；　a　single　folded　sheet。　It　was　dated　Wednesday　of　the　preceding　week。　
　　The　headlines　told　him　what　was　most　essential。　The　United　States　from　coast　to　coast　was　overwhelmed　by　the　attack　of　some　new　and　unknown　disease　of　unparalleled　rapidity　of　spread；　and　fatality。　Estimates　for　various　cities；　admittedly　little　more　than　guesses；　indicated　that　between　25　percent　and　35　percent　of　the　population　had　already　died。　No　reports；　he　read；　were　available　for　Boston；　Atlanta；　and　New　Orleans；　indicating　that　the　news…services　in　those　cities　had　already　broken　down。　Rapidly　scanning　the　rest　of　the　paper；　he　gained　a　variety　of　impressions…a　hodge…podge　which　he　could　scarcely　put　together　in　any　logical　order。　In　its　symptoms　the　disease　was　Re　a　kind　of　super…measles。　No　one　was　sure　in　what　part　of　the　world　it　had　originated；　aided　by　airplane　travel；　it　had　sprung　up　almost　simultaneously　in　every　center　of　civilization；　outrunning　all　attempts　at　quarantine。　
　　In　an　interview　a　notable　bacteriologist　indicated　that　the　emergence　of　some　new　disease　had　always　been　a　possibility　which　had　worried　the　more　far…thinking　epidemiologists。　He　mentioned　in　the　past　such　curious　though　minor　outbreaks　as　the　English　sweat　and　Q…fever。　As　for　its　origin；　he　offered　three　possibilities。　It　might　have　emerged　from　some　animal　reservoir　of　disease；　it　might　be　caused　by　some　new　microorganism；　most　Rely　a　virus；　produced　by　mutation；　it　might　be　an　escape；　possibly　even　a　vindictive　release；　from　some　laboratory　of　bacteriological　warfare。　The　last　was　apparently　the　popular　idea。　The　disease　was　assumed　to　be　airborne；　possibly　upon　particles　of　dust。　A　curious　feature　was　that　the　isolation　of　the　individual　seemed　to　be　of　no　avail。　
　　In　an　interview　conducted　by　trans…Atlantic　telephone；　a　crusty　old　British　sage　had　mented；　〃Man　has　been　growing　more　stupid　for　several　thousand　years；　I　myself　shall　waste　no　tears　at　his　demise。〃　On　the　other　hand　an　equally　crusty　American　critic　had　got　religion：　〃Only　faith　can　save　us　now；　I　am　praying　hourly。〃　
　　A　certain　amount　of　looting；　particularly　of　liquor　stores　was　reported。　On　the　whole；　however；　order　had　been　well　preserved；　possibly　through　fear。　Louisville　and　Spokane　reported　conflagrations；　out　of　control　because　of　decimated　fire…departments。　
　　Even　in　what　they　must　have　suspected　to　be　their　last　issue；　the　gentlemen　of　the　press；　however；　had　not　neglected　to　include　a　few　of　their　beloved　items　of　curiosity。　In　Omaha　a　religious　fanatic　had　run　naked　through　the　streets；　calling　out　the　end　of　the　world　and　the　opening　of　the　Seventh　Seal。　In　Sacramento　a　crazed　woman　had　opened　the　cages　of　a　circus　menagerie　for　fear　that　the　animals　might　starve　to　death；　and　had　been　mauled　by　a　lioness。　Of　more　scientific　interest；　the　Director　of　the　San　Diego　zoo　reported　his　apes　and　monkeys　to　be　dying　off　rapidly；　the　other　animals　unaffected。　
　　As　he　read；　Ish　felt　himself　growing　weak　with　the　cumulative　piling　up　of　horror　and　an　overwhelming　sense　of　solitude。　Yet　he　still　read　on；　fascinated。　
　　Civilization；　the　human　race…at　least；　it　seemed　to　have　gone　down　gallantly。　Many　people　were　reported　as　escaping　from　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　str