wgolding.lordoftheflies-第20部分

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！


　Then　Jack　leapt　to　his　feet；　slashed　off　a　great　hunk　of　meat；　and　flung　it　down　at　Simon's　feet。
　〃Eat！　Damn　you！〃
　He　glared　at　Simon。
　〃Take　it！〃
　He　spun　on　his　heel；　center　of　a　bewildered　circle　of　boys。
　〃I　got　you　meat！〃
　Numberless　and　inexpressible　frustrations　bined　to　make　his　rage　elemental　and　awe…inspiring。
　〃I　painted　my　face…I　stole　up。　Now　you　eat…all　of　you　…and　I…〃
　Slowly　the　silence　on　the　mountain…top　deepened　till　the　click　of　the　fire　and　the　soft　hiss　of　roasting　meat　could　be　heard　clearly。　Jack　looked　round　for　understanding　but　found　only　respect。　Ralph　stood　among　the　ashes　of　the　signal　fire；　his　hands　full　of　meat；　saying　nothing。
　Then　at　last　Maurice　broke　the　silence。　He　changed　the　subject　to　the　only　one　that　could　bring　the　majority　of　them　together。
　〃Where　did　you　find　the　pig？〃
　Roger　pointed　down　the　unfriendly　side。　〃They　were　there…by　the　sea。〃
　Jack；　recovering；　could　not　bear　to　have　his　story　told。　He　broke　in　quickly。
　〃We　spread　round。　I　crept；　on　hands　and　knees。　The　spears　fell　out　because　they　hadn't　barbs　on。　The　pig　ran　away　and　made　an　awful　noise…〃
　〃It　turned　back　and　ran　into　the　circle；　bleeding…〃
　All　the　boys　were　talking　at　once；　relieved　and　excited。
　〃We　closed　in…〃
　The　first　blow　had　paralyzed　its　hind　quarters；　so　then　the　circle　could　close　in　and　beat　and　beat…
　〃I　cut　the　pig's　throat…〃
　The　twins；　still　sharing　their　identical　grin；　jumped　up　and　ran　round　each　other。　Then　the　rest　joined　in；　making　pig…dying　noises　and　shouting。
　〃One　for　his　nob！〃
　〃Give　him　a　fourpenny　one！〃
　Then　Maurice　pretended　to　be　the　pig　and　ran　squealing　into　the　center；　and　the　hunters；　circling　still；　pretended　to　beat　him。　As　they　danced；　they　sang。
　〃Kill　the　pig。　Cut　her　throat。　Bash　her　in〃
　Ralph　watched　them；　envious　and　resentful。　Not　till　they　flagged　and　the　chant　died　away；　did　he　speak。
　〃I'm　　calling　an　assembly。〃
　One　by　one；　they　halted；　and　stood　watching　him。
　〃With　the　conch。　I'm　calling　a　meeting　even　if　we　have　to　go　on　into　the　dark。　Down　on　the　platform。　When　I　blow　it。　Now。〃
　He　turned　away　and　walked　off；　down　the　mountain。
　
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　FIVE
　Beast　from　Water
　
　The　tide　was　ing　in　and　there　was　only　a　narrow　strip　of　firm　beach　between　the　water　and　the　white；　stumbling　stuff　near　the　palm　terrace。　Ralph　chose　the　firm　strip　as　a　path　because　he　needed　to　think；　and　only　here　could　he　allow　his　feet　to　move　without　having　to　watch　them。　Suddenly；　pacing　by　the　water；　he　was　overe　with　astonishment。　He　found　himself　understanding　the　wearisomeness　of　this　life；　where　every　path　was　an　improvisation　and　a　considerable　part　of　one's　waking　life　was　spent　watching　one's　feet。　He　stopped；　facing　the　strip；　and　remembering　that　first　enthusiastic　exploration　as　though　it　were　part　of　a　brighter　childhood；　he　smiled　jeeringly。　He　turned　then　and　walked　back　toward　the　platform　with　the　sun　in　his　face。　The　time　had　e　for　the　assembly　and　as　he　walked　into　the　concealing　splendors　of　the　sunlight　he　went　carefully　over　the　points　of　his　speech。　There　must　be　no　mistake　about　this　assembly；　no　chasing　imaginary。　。　。　。
　He　lost　himself　in　a　maze　of　thoughts　that　were　rendered　vague　by　his　lack　of　words　to　express　them。　Frowning；　he　tried　again。
　This　meeting　must　not　be　fun；　but　business。
　At　that　he　walked　faster；　aware　all　at　once　of　urgency　and　the　declining　sun　and　a　little　wind　created　by　his　speed　that　breathed　about　his　face。　This　wind　pressed　his　grey　shirt　against　his　chest　so　that　he　noticed…in　this　new　mood　of　prehension…how　the　folds　were　stiff　like　cardboard；　and　unpleasant；　noticed　too　how　the　frayed　edges　of　his　shorts　were　making　an　unfortable；　pink　area　on　the　front　of　his　thighs。　With　a　convulsion　of　the　mind；　Ralph　discovered　dirt　and　decay；　understood　how　much　he　disliked　perpetually　flicking　the　tangled　hair　out　of　his　eyes；　and　at　last；　when　the　sun　was　gone；　rolling　noisily　to　rest　among　dry　leaves。　At　that　he　began　to　trot。
　The　beach　near　the　bathing　pool　was　dotted　with　groups　of　boys　waiting　for　the　assembly。　They　made　way　for　him　silently；　conscious　of　his　grim　mood　and　the　fault　at　the　fire。
　The　place　of　assembly　in　which　he　stood　was　roughly　a　triangle；　but　irregular　and　sketchy；　like　everything　they　made。　First　there　was　the　log　on　which　he　himself　sat；　a　dead　tree　that　must　have　been　quite　exceptionally　big　for　the　platform。　Perhaps　one　of　those　legendary　storms　of　the　Pacific　had　shifted　it　here。　This　palm　trunk　lay　parallel　to　the　beach；　so　that　when　Ralph　sat　he　faced　the　island　but　to　the　boys　was　a　darkish　figure　against　the　shimmer　of　the　lagoon。　The　two　sides　of　the　triangle　of　which　the　log　was　base　were　less　evenly　defined。　On　the　right　was　a　log　polished　by　restless　seats　along　the　top；　but　not　so　large　as　the　chiefs　and　not　so　fortable。　On　the　left　were　four　small　logs；　one　of　them…the　farthest…lamentably　springy。　Assembly　after　assembly　had　broken　up　in　laughter　when　someone　had　leaned　too　far　back　and　the　log　had　whipped　and　thrown　half　a　dozen　boys　backwards　into　the　grass。　Yet　now；　he　saw；　no　one　had　had　the　wit…not　himself　nor　Jack；　nor　Piggy…to　bring　a　stone　and　wedge　the　thing。　So　they　would　continue　enduring　the　ill…balanced　twister；　because；　because。　。　。　。　Again　he　lost　himself　in　deep　waters。
　Crass　was　worn　away　in　front　of　each　trunk　but　grew　tall　and　untrodden　in　tile　center　of　the　triangle。　Then；　at　the　apex；　the　grass　was　thick　again　because　no　one　sat　there。　All　round　the　place　of　assembly　the　grey　trunks　rose；　straight　or　leaning；　and　supported　the　low　roof　of　leaves。　On　two　sides　was　the　beach；　behind；　the　lagoon；　in　front；　the　darkness　of　the　island。
　Ralph　turned　to　the　chief's　seat。　They　had　never　had　an　assembly　as　late　before。　That　was　why　the　place　looked　so　different。　Normally　the　underside　of　the　green　roof　was　lit　by　a　tangle　of　golden　reflections；　and　their　faces　were　lit　upside　down…like；　thought　Ralph；　when　you　hold　an　electric　torch　in　your　hands。　But　now　the　sun　was　slanting　in　at　one　side；　so　that　the　shadows　were　where　they　ought　to　be。
　Again　he　fell　into　that　strange　mood　of　speculation　that　was　so　foreign　to　him。　If　faces　were　different　when　lit　from　above　or　below…what　was　a　face？　What　was　anything？
　Ralph　moved　impatiently。　The　trouble　was；　if　you　were　a　chief　you　had　to　think；　you　had　to　be　wise。　And　then　the　occasion　slipped　by　so　that　you　had　to　grab　at　a　decision。　This　made　you　think；　because　thought　was　a　valuable　thing；　that　got　results。　。　。　。
　Only；　decided　Ralph　as　he　faced　the　chiefs　seat；　I　can't　think。　Not　like　Piggy。
　Once　more　that　evening　Ralph　had　to　adjust　his　values。　Piggy　could　think。　He　could　go　step　by　step　inside　that　fat　head　of　his；　only　Piggy　was　no　chief。　But　Piggy；　for　all　his　ludicrous　body；　had　brains。　Ralph　was　a　specialist　in　thought　now；　and　could　recognize　thought　in　another。
　The　sun　in　his　eyes　reminded　him　how　time　was　passing；　so　he　took　the　conch　down　from　the　tree　and　examined　the　surface。　Exposure　to　the　air　had　bleached　the　yellow　and　pink　to　near…white；　and　transparency。　Ralph　felt　a　land　of　affectionate　reverence　for　the　conch；　even　though　he　had　fished　the　thing　out　of　the　lagoon　himself。　He　faced　the　place　of　assembly　and　put　the　conch　to　his　lips。
　The　others　were　waiting　for　this　and　came　straight　away。　Those　who　were　aware　that　a　ship　had　passed　the　island　while　the　fire　was　out　were　subdued　by　the　thought　of　Ralph's　anger；　while　those；　including　the　littluns　who　did　not　know；　were　impressed　by　the　general　air　of　solemnity。　The　place　of　assembly　filled　quickly；　Jack；　Simon；　Maurice；　most　of　the　hunters；　on　Ralph's　right；　the　rest　on　the　left；　under　the　sun。　Piggy　came　and　stood　outside　the　triangle。　This　indicated　that　he　wished　to　listen；　but　would　not　speak；　and　Piggy　intended　it　as　a　gesture　of　disapproval
　〃The　thing　is：　we　need　an　assembly。〃
　No　one　said　anything　but　the　faces　turned　to　Ralph　were　intent。　He　flourished　the　conch。　He　had　learnt　as　a　practical　business　that　fundamental　statements　like　this　had　to　be　said　at　least　twice；　before　everyone　understood　them。　One　had　to　sit；　attracting　all　eyes　to　the　conch；　and　drop　wor