wgolding.lordoftheflies-第16部分

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y　alone。　For　a　moment　his　movements　were　almost　furtive。　Then　he　bent　down　and　wormed　his　way　into　the　center　of　the　mat。　The　creepers　and　the　bushes　were　so　close　that　he　left　his　sweat　on　them　and　they　pulled　together　behind　him。　When　he　was　secure　in　the　middle　he　was　in　a　little　cabin　screened　off　from　the　open　space　by　a　few　leaves。　He　squatted　down；　parted　the　leaves　arid　looked　out　into　the　clearing。　Nothing　moved　but　a　pair　of　gaudy　butterflies　that　danced　round　each　other　in　the　hot　air。　Holding　his　breath　he　cocked　a　critical　ear　at　the　sounds　of　the　island。　Evening　was　advancing　toward　the　island；　the　sounds　of　the　bright　fantastic　birds；　the　bee…sounds；　even　the　crying　of　the　gulls　that　were　returning　to　their　roosts　among　the　square　rocks；　were　fainter。　The　deep　sea　breaking　miles　away　on　the　reef　made　an　undertone　less　perceptible　than　the　susurration　of　the　blood。
　Simon　dropped　the　screen　of　leaves　back　into　place。　The　slope　of　the　bars　of　honey…colored　sunlight　decreased；　they　slid　up　the　bushes；　passed　over　the　green　candle…like　buds；　moved　up　toward　tile　canopy；　and　darkness　thickened　under　the　trees。　With　the　fading　of　the　light　the　riotous　colors　died　and　the　heat　and　urgency　cooled　away。　The　candle…buds　stirred。　Their　green　sepals　drew　back　a　little　and　the　white　tips　of　the　flowers　rose　delicately　to　meet　the　open　air。
　Now　the　sunlight　had　lifted　clear　of　the　open　space　and　withdrawn　from　the　sky。　Darkness　poured　out；　submerging　the　ways　between　the　trees　tin　they　were　dim　and　strange　as　the　bottom　of　the　sea。　The　candle…buds　opened　their　wide　white　flowers　glimmering　under　the　light　that　pricked　down　from　the　first　stars。　Their　scent　spilled　out　into　the　air　and　took　possession　of　the　island。
　
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　FOUR
　Painted　Faces　and　Long　Hair
　
　The　first　rhythm　that　they　became　used　to　was　the　slow　swing　from　dawn　to　quick　dusk。　They　accepted　the　pleasures　of　morning；　the　bright　sun；　the　whelming　sea　and　sweet　air；　as　a　time　when　play　was　good　and　life　so　full　that　hope　was　not　necessary　and　therefore　forgotten。　Toward　noon；　as　the　floods　of　light　fell　more　nearly　to　the　perpendicular；　the　stark　colors　of　the　morning　were　smoothed　in　pearl　and　opalescence；　and　the　heat…as　though　the　impending　sun's　height　gave　it　momentum…　became　a　blow　that　they　ducked；　running　to　the　shade　and　lying　there；　perhaps　even　sleeping。
　Strange　things　happened　at　midday。　The　glittering　sea　rose　up；　moved　apart　in　planes　of　blatant　impossibility；　the　coral　reef　and　the　few　stunted　palms　that　clung　to　the　more　elevated　parts　would　float　up　into　the　sky；　would　quiver；　be　plucked　apart；　run　like　raindrops　on　a　wire　or　be　repeated　as　in　an　odd　succession　of　mirrors。　Sometimes　land　loomed　where　there　was　no　land　and　flicked　out　like　a　bubble　as　the　children　watched。　Piggy　discounted　all　this　learnedly　as　a　〃mirage〃；　and　since　no　boy　could　reach　even　the　reef　over　the　stretch　of　water　where　the　snapping　sharks　waited；　they　grew　accustomed　to　these　mysteries　and　ignored　them；　just　as　they　ignored　the　miraculous；　throbbing　stars。　At　midday　the　illusions　merged　into　the　sky　and　there　the　sun　gazed　down　like　an　angry　eye。　Then；　at　the　end　of　the　afternoon；　the　mirage　subsided　and　the　horizon　became　level　and　blue　and　clipped　as　the　sun　declined。　That　was　another　time　of　parative　coolness　but　menaced　by　the　ing　of　the　dark。　When　the　sun　sank；　darkness　dropped　on　the　island　like　an　extinguisher　and　soon　the　shelters　were　full　of　restlessness；　under　the　remote　stars。
　Nevertheless；　the　northern　European　tradition　of　work；　play；　and　food　right　through　the　day；　made　it　impossible　for　them　to　adjust　themselves　wholly　to　this　new　rhythm。　The　littlun　Percival　had　early　crawled　into　a　shelter　and　stayed　there　for　two　days；　talking；　singing；　and　crying；　till　they　thought　him　batty　and　were　faintly　amused。　Ever　since　then　he　had　been　peaked；　red…eyed；　and　miserable；　a　littlun　who　played　little　and　cried　often。
　The　smaller　boys　were　known　now　by　the　generic　title　of　〃littluns。〃　The　decrease　in　size；　from　Ralph　down；　was　gradual；　and　though　there　was　a　dubious　region　inhabited　by　Simon　and　Robert　and　Maurice；　nevertheless　no　one　had　any　difficulty　in　recognizing　biguns　at　one　end　and　littluns　at　the　other。　The　undoubted　littluns；　those　aged　about　six；　led　a　quite　distinct；　and　at　the　same　time　intense；　life　of　their　own。　They　ate　most　of　the　day；　picking　fruit　where　they　could　reach　it　and　not　particular　about　ripeness　and　quality。　They　were　used　now　to　stomach…aches　and　a　sort　of　chronic　diarrhoea。　They　suffered　untold　terrors　in　the　dark　and　huddled　together　for　fort。　Apart　from　food　and　sleep；　they　found　time　for　play；　aimless　and　trivial；　in　the　white　sand　by　the　bright　water。　They　cried　for　their　mothers　much　less　often　than　might　have　been　expected；　they　were　very　brown；　and　filthily　dirty。　They　obeyed　the　summons　of　the　conch；　partly　because　Ralph　blew　it；　and　he　was　big　enough　to　be　a　link　with　the　adult　world　of　authority；　and　partly　because　they　enjoyed　the　entertainment　of　the　assemblies。　But　otherwise　they　seldom　bothered　with　the　biguns　and　their　passionately　emotional　and　corporate　life　was　their　own。
　They　had　built　castles　in　the　sand　at　the　bar　of　the　little　river。　These　castles　were　about　one　foot　high　and　were　decorated　with　shells；　withered　flowers；　and　interesting　stones。　Round　the　castles　was　a　plex　of　marks；　tracks；　walls；　railway　lines；　that　were　of　significance　only　if　inspected　with　the　eye　at　beach…level。　The　littluns　played　here；　if　not　happily　at　least　with　absorbed　attention；　and　often　as　many　as　three　of　them　would　play　the　same　game　together。
　Three　were　playing　here　now。　Henry　was　the　biggest　of　them。　He　was　also　a　distant　relative　of　that　other　boy　whose　mulberry…marked　face　had　not　been　seen　since　the　evening　of　the　great　fire；　but　he　was　not　old　enough　to　understand　this；　and　if　he　had　been　told　that　the　other　boy　had　gone　home　in　an　aircraft；　he　would　have　accepted　the　statement　without　fuss　or　disbelief。
　Henry　was　a　bit　of　a　leader　this　afternoon；　because　the　other　two　were　Percival　and　Johnny；　the　smallest　boys　on　the　island。　Percival　was　mouse…colored　and　had　not　been　very　attractive　even　to　his　mother；　Johnny　was　well　built；　with　fair　hair　and　a　natural　belligerence。　Just　now　he　was　being　obedient　because　he　was　interested；　and　the　three　children；　kneeling　in　the　sand；　were　at　peace。
　Roger　and　Maurice　came　out　of　the　forest。　They　were　relieved　from　duty　at　the　fire　and　had　e　down　for　a　swim。　Roger　led　the　way　straight　through　the　castles；　kicking　them　over；　burying　the　flowers；　scattering　the　chosen　stones。　Maurice　followed；　laughing；　and　added　to　the　destruction。　The　three　littluns　paused　in　their　game　and　looked　up。　As　it　happened；　the　particular　marks　in　which　they　were　interested　had　not　been　touched；　so　they　made　no　protest。　Only　Percival　began　to　whimper　with　an　eyeful　of　sand　and　Maurice　hurried　away。　In　his　other　life　Maurice　had　received　chastisement　for　filling　a　younger　eye　with　sand。　Now；　though　there　was　no　parent　to　let　fall　a　heavy　hand；　Maurice　still　felt　the　unease　of　wrongdoing。　At　the　back　of　his　mind　formed　the　uncertain　outlines　of　an　excuse。　He　muttered　something　about　a　swim　and　broke　into　a　trot。
　Roger　remained；　watching　the　littluns。　He　was　not　noticeably　darker　than　when　he　had　dropped　in；　but　the　shock　of　black　hair；　down　his　nape　and　low　on　his　forehead；　seemed　to　suit　his　gloomy　face　and　made　what　had　seemed　at　first　an　unsociable　remoteness　into　something　forbidding。　Percival　finished　his　whimper　and　went　on　playing；　for　the　tears　had　washed　the　sand　away。　Johnny　watched　him　with　china…blue　eyes；　then　began　to　fling　up　sand　in　a　shower；　and　presently　Percival　was　crying　again。
　When　Henry　tired　of　his　play　and　wandered　off　along　the　beach；　Roger　followed　him；　keeping　beneath　the　palms　and　drifting　casually　in　the　same　direction。　Henry　walked　at　a　distance　from　the　palms　and　the　shade　because　he　was　too　young　to　keep　himself　out　of　the　sun。　He　went　down　the　beach　and。　busied　himself　at　the　water's　edge。　The　great　Pacific　tide　was　ing　in　and　every　few　seconds　the　relatively　still　water　of　the　lagoon　heaved　forwards　an　inch；　There　were　creatu