wgolding.lordoftheflies-第5章
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l。 A school of tiny； glittering fish flicked hither and thither。 Ralph spoke to himself； sounding the bass strings of delight。
〃Whizzoh！〃
Beyond the platform there was more enchantment。 Some act of God…a typhoon perhaps； or the storm that had acpanied his own arrival…had banked sand inside the lagoon so that there was a long； deep pool in the beach with a high ledge of pink granite at the further end。 Ralph had been deceived before now by the specious appearance of depth in a beach pool and he approached this one preparing to be disappointed。 But the island ran true to form and the incredible pool； which clearly was only invaded by the sea at high tide； was so deep at one end as to be dark green。 Ralph inspected the whole thirty yards carefully and then plunged in。 The water was warmer than his blood and he might have been swimming in a huge bath。
Piggy appeared again； sat on the rocky ledge； and watched Ralph's green and white body enviously。
〃You can't half swim。〃
〃Piggy。〃
Piggy took off his shoes and socks； ranged them carefully on the ledge； and tested the water with one toe。
〃It's hot！〃
〃What did you expect？〃
〃I didn't expect nothing。 My auntie…〃
〃Sucks to your auntie！〃
Ralph did a surface dive and swam under water with his eyes open； the sandy edge of the pool loomed up like a hillside。 He turned over； holding his nose； and a golden light danced and shattered just over his face。 Piggy was looking determined and began to take off his shorts。 Presently he was palely and fatly naked。 He tiptoed down the sandy side of the pool； and sat there up to his neck in water smiling proudly at Ralph。
〃Aren't you going to swim？〃
Piggy shook his head。
〃I can't swim。 I wasn't allowed。 My asthma…〃
〃Sucks to your ass…mar！〃
Piggy bore this with a sort of humble patience。
〃You can't half swim well。〃
Ralph paddled backwards down the slope； immersed his mouth and blew a jet of water into the air。 Then he lifted his chin and spoke。
〃I could swim when I was five。 Daddy taught me。 He's a mander in the Navy。 When he gets leave hell e and rescue us。 What's your father？〃
Piggy flushed suddenly。
〃My dad's dead；〃 he said quickly； 〃and my mum…〃
He took off his glasses and looked vainly for something with which to clean them。
〃I used to live with my auntie。 She kept a candy store。 I used to get ever so many candies。 As many as I liked。 When'll your dad rescue us？〃
〃Soon as he can。〃
Piggy rose dripping from the water and stood naked； cleaning his glasses with a sock。 The only sound that reached them now through the heat of the morning was the long； grinding roar of the breakers on the reef。
〃How does he know we're here？〃
Ralph lolled in the water。 Sleep enveloped him like the swathing mirages that were wrestling with the brilliance of the lagoon。
〃How does he know we're here？〃
Because； thought Ralph； because； because。 The roar from the reef became very distant。
〃They'd tell him at the airport。〃
Piggy shook his head； put on his flashing glasses and looked down at Ralph。
〃Not them。 Didn't you hear what the pilot said？ About the atom bomb？ They're all dead。〃
Ralph pulled himself out of the water； stood facing Piggy； and considered this unusual problem。
Piggy persisted。
〃This an island； isn't it？〃
〃I climbed a rock；〃 said Ralph slowly； 〃and I think this is an island。〃
〃They're all dead；〃 said Piggy； 〃an' this is an island。 Nobody don't know we're here。 Your dad don't know； nobody don t know…〃
His lips quivered and the spectacles were dimmed with mist。
〃We may stay here till we die。〃
With that word the heat seemed to increase till it became a threatening weight and the lagoon attacked them with a blinding effulgence。
〃Get my clothes；〃 muttered Ralph。 〃Along there。〃
He trotted through the sand； enduring the sun's enmity； crossed the platform and found his scattered clothes。 To put on a grey shirt once more was strangely pleasing。 Then he climbed the edge of the platform and sat in the green shade on a convenient trunk。 Piggy hauled himself up； carrying most of his clothes under his arms。 Then he sat carefully on a fallen trunk near the little cliff that fronted the lagoon； and the tangled reflections quivered over him。
Presently he spoke。
〃We got to find the others。 We got to do something。〃
Ralph said nothing。 Here was a coral island。 Protected from the sun； ignoring Piggy's ill…omened talk； he dreamed pleasantly。
Piggy insisted。
〃How many of us are there？〃
Ralph came forward and stood by Piggy。
〃I don't know。〃
Here and there； little breezes crept over the polished waters beneath the haze of heat。 When these breezes reached the platform the palm fronds would whisper； so that spots of blurred sunlight slid over their bodies or moved like bright； winged things in the shade。
Piggy looked up at Ralph。 All the shadows on Ralph's face were reversed； green above； bright below from the lagoon。 A blur of sunlight was crawling across his hair。
〃We got to do something。〃
Ralph looked through him。 Here at last was the imagined out never fully realized place leaping into real life。 Ralph's lips parted in a delighted smile and Piggy； taking this smile to himself as a mark of recognition； laughed with pleasure。
〃If ft really is an island…〃
〃What's that？〃
Ralph had stopped smiling and was pointing into the lagoon。 Something creamy lay among the ferny weeds。
〃A stone。〃
〃No。 A shell〃
Suddenly Piggy was a…bubble with decorous excitement
〃S'right。 It's a shell！ I seen one like that before。 On someone's back wall A conch he called it。 He used to blow it and then his mum would e。 It's ever so valuable…〃
Near to Ralph's elbow a palm sapling leaned out over the lagoon。 Indeed； the weight was already pulling a lump from the poor soil and soon it would fall。 He tore out the stem and began to poke about in the water； while the brilliant fish flicked away on this side and that。 Piggy leaned dangerously。
〃Careful！ You'll break it…〃
〃Shut up。〃
Ralph spoke absently。 The shell was interesting and pretty and a worthy plaything； but the vivid phantoms of his day…dream still interposed between him and Piggy； who in this context was an irrelevance。 The palm sapling； bending； pushed the shell across the weeds。 Ralph used one hand as a fulcrum and pressed down with the other till the shell rose； dripping； and Piggy could make a grab。
Now the shell was no longer a thing seen but not to be touched； Ralph too became excited。 Piggy babbled：
〃…a conch； ever so expensive。 I bet if you wanted to buy one； you'd have to pay pounds and pounds and pounds …he had it on his garden wall； and my auntie…〃
Ralph took the shell from Piggy and a little water ran down his arm。 In color the shell was deep cream； touched here and there with fading pink。 Between the point； worn away into a little hole； and the pink lips of the mouth； lay eighteen inches of shell with a slight spiral twist and covered with a delicate； embossed pattern。 Ralph shook sand out of the deep tube。
〃…mooed like a cow；〃 he said。 〃He had some white stones too； an' a bird cage with a green parrot。 He didn't blow the white stones； of course； an‘ he said…〃
Piggy paused for breath and stroked the glistening thing that lay in Ralph's hands。
〃Ralph！〃
Ralph looked up。
〃We can use this to call the others。 Have a meeting。 They'll e when they hear us…〃
He beamed at Ralph。
〃That was what you meant； didn't you？ That's why you got the conch out of the water？''
Ralph pushed back his fair hair。
〃How did your friend blow the conch？〃
〃He kind of spat；〃 said Piggy。 〃My auntie wouldn't let me blow on account of my asthma。 He said you blew from down here。〃 Piggy laid a hand on his jutting abdomen。 〃You try； Ralph。 You'll call the others。〃
Doubtfully； Ralph laid the small end of the shell against his mouth and blew。 There came a rushing sound from its mouth but nothing more。 Ralph wiped the salt water off his lips and tried again； but the shell remained silent。
〃He kind of spat。〃
Ralph pursed his lips and squirted air into the shell； which emitted a low； farting noise。 This amused both boys so much that Ralph went on squirting for some minutes； between bouts of laughter。
〃He blew from down here。〃
Ralph grasped the idea and hit the shell with air from his diaphragm。 Immediately the thing sounded。 A deep； harsh note boomed under the palms； spread through the intricacies of the forest and echoed back from the pink granite of the mountain。 Clouds of birds rose from the tree…tops； and something squealed and ran in the undergrowth。
Ralph took the shell away from his lips。
〃Gosh！〃
His ordinary voice sounded like a whisper after the harsh note of the conch。 He laid the conch against his lips； took a deep breath and blew once more。 The note Doomed again： and then at his firmer pressure； the note； fluking up an octave； became a strident blare more penetrating than before。 Piggy was shouting something； his face pleased； his glasses flashing。 The birds cried； small animals scuttered。 Ralph's breath failed； the note dropped the octave； became a low wubber； was a rush of air。
The conch was silent； a gleaming tusk； Ralph's face was dark with breathlessness and the air over the island was full of bird…clamor and echoes ringing。
〃I bet you can hear that for miles。〃
Ralph found his breath and blew a series of short blasts。
Piggy exclaimed： 〃There's one！〃
A child had appeared among the palms； about a hundred yards along the beach。 He was a boy of perhaps six years； sturdy and fair； his clothes torn； his face covered with a sticky mess of fruit。 His trousers had been lowered for an obvious purpose and had only been pulled back half…way。 He jumped off the palm terrace into the sand and his trousers fell about his ankles； he stepped out。 of them and trotted to the platform。 Piggy helped him up。 Meanwhile Ralph continued to blow till voices shouted in the forest The small boy squatted in front of Ralph； looking up brightly and vertically。 As he received the reassurance of something purposeful being done he began to look satisfied； and his only clean digit； a pink thumb； slid into his mouth。
Piggy leaned down to him。
〃What's yer name？〃
〃Johnny。〃
Piggy muttered the name to himself and then shouted it to Ralph； who was not interested because he was still blowing。 His face was dark with the violent pleasure of making this stupendous noise； and his heart was making the stretched shirt shake。 The shouting in the forest was nearer。
Signs of life were visible now on the beach。 The sand； trembling beneath the heat haze； concealed many figures in its miles of length； boys were making their way toward the platform through the hot； dumb sand。 Three small children； no older than Johnny； appeared from startlingly dose at hand where they had been gorging fruit in the forest A dark little boy； not much younger than Piggy； parted a tangle of undergrowth； walked on to the platform； and smiled cheerfully at everybody。 More and more of them came。 Taking their cue from the innocent Johnny； they sat down on the fallen palm trunks and waited。 Ralph continued to blow short； penetrating blasts。 Piggy moved among the crowd； asking names and frownin
