wgolding.lordoftheflies-第31部分

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　〃Hands　up；〃　said　Jack　strongly；　〃whoever　wants　Ralph　not　to　be　chief？〃
　The　silence　continued；　breathless　and　heavy　and　full　of　shame。　Slowly　the　red　drained　from　Jack's　cheeks；　then　came　back　with　a　painful　rush。　He　licked　his　lips　and　turned　his　head　at　an　angle；　so　that　his　gaze　avoided　the　embarrassment　of　linking　with　another's　eye。
　〃How　many　think…〃
　His　voice　tailed　off。　The　hands　that　held　the　conch　shook。　He　cleared　his　throat；　and　spoke　loudly。
　〃All　right　then。〃
　He　laid　the　conch　with　great　care　in　the　grass　at　his　feet。　The　humiliating　tears　were　running　from　the　er　of　each　eye。
　〃I'm　not　going　to　play　any　longer。　Not　with　you。〃
　Most　of　the　boys　were　looking　down　now；　at　the　grass　or　their　feet。　Jack　cleared　his　throat　again。
　〃I'm　not　going　to　be　part　of　Ralph's　lot…〃
　He　looked　along　the　right…hand　logs；　numbering　the　hunters　that　had　been　a　choir。
　〃I'm　going　off　by　myself。　He　can　catch　his　own　pigs。　Anyone　who　wants　to　hunt　when　I　do　can　e　too。〃
　He　blundered　out　of　the　triangle　toward　the　drop　to　the　white　sand。
　〃Jack！〃
　Jack　turned　and　looked　back　at　Ralph。　For　a　moment　he　paused　and　then　cried　out；　high…pitched；　enraged。
　〃No！〃
　He　leapt　down　from　the　platform　and　ran　along　the　beach；　paying　no　heed　to　the　steady　fall　of　his　tears；　and　until　he　dived　into　the　forest　Ralph　watched　him。
　Piggy　was　indignant。
　〃I　been　talking；　Ralph；　and　you　just　stood　there　like…〃
　Softly；　looking　at　Piggy　and　not　seeing　him；　Ralph　spoke　to　himself。
　〃He'll　e　back。　When　the　sun　goes　down　he'll　e。〃　He　looked　at　the　conch　in　Piggy's　hand。
　〃What？〃
　〃Well　there！〃
　Piggy　gave　up　the　attempt　to　rebuke　Ralph。　He　polished　his　glass　again　and　went　back　to　his　subject。
　〃We　can　do　without　Jack　Merridew。　There's　others　besides　him　on　this　island。　But　now　we　really　got　a　beast；　though　I　can't　hardly　believe　it；　well　need　to　stay　close　to　the　platform；　there'll　be　less　need　of　him　and　his　hunting。　So　now　we　can　really　decide　on　what's　what。〃
　〃There's　no　help；　Piggy。　Nothing　to　be　done。〃
　For　a　while　they　sat　in　depressed　silence。　Then　Simon　stood　up　and　took　the　conch　from　Piggy；　who　was　so　astonished　that　he　zremained　on　his　feet。　Ralph　looked　up　at　Simon。
　〃Simon？　What　is　it　this　time？〃
　A　half…sound　of　jeering　ran　round　the　circle　and　Simon　shrank　from　it。
　　〃I　thought　there　might　be　something　to　do。　Something　we…〃
　Again　die　pressure　of　the　assembly　took　his　voice　away。　He　sought　for　help　and　sympathy　and　chose　Piggy。　He　turned　half　toward　him；　clutching　the　conch　to　his　brown　chest
　〃I　think　we　ought　to　climb　the　mountain。〃
　The　circle　shivered　with　dread。　Simon　broke　off　and　turned　to　Piggy　who　was　looking　at　him　with　an　expression　of　derisive　inprehension。
　〃What's　the　good　of　climbing　up　to　this　here　beast　when　Ralph　and　the　other　two　couldn't　do　nothing？〃
　Simon　whispered　his　answer。
　〃What　else　is　there　to　do？〃
　His　speech　made；　he　allowed　Piggy　to　lift　the　conch　out　of　his　hands。　Then　he　retired　and　sat　as　far　away　from　the　others　as　possible。
　Piggy　was　speaking　now　with　more　assurance　and　with　what；　if　the　circumstances　had…　not　been　so　serious；　the　others　would　have　recognized　as　pleasure。
　〃I　said　we　could　all　do　without　a　certain　person。　Now　I　say　we　got　to　decide　on　what　can　be　done。　And　I　think　I　could　tell　you　what　Ralph's　going　to　say　next。　The　most　important　thing　on　the　island　is　the　smoke　and　you　can't　have　no　smoke　without　a　fire。〃
　Ralph　made　a　restless　movement。
　〃No　go；　Piggy。　We've　got　no　fire。　That　thing　sits　up　there…we'll　have　to　stay　here。〃
　Piggy　lifted　the　conch　as　though　to　add　power　to　his　next　words。
　〃We　got　no　fire　on　the　mountain。　But　what's　wrong　with　a　fire　down　here？　A　fire　could　be　built　on　them　rocks。　On　the　sand；　even。　We'd　make　smoke　just　the　same。〃
　〃That's　right！〃
　〃Smoke！〃
　〃By　the　bathing　pool！〃
　The　boys　began　to　babble。　Only　Piggy　could　have　the　intellectual　daring　to　suggest　moving　the　fire　from　the　mountain。
　〃So　well　have　the　fire　down　here；〃　said　Ralph。　He　looked　about　him。　〃We　can　build　it　just　here　between　the　bathing　pool　and　the　platform。　Of　course…〃
　He　broke　off；　frowning；　thinking　the　thing　out；　unconsciously　tugging　at　the　stub　of　a　nail　with　his　teeth。
　〃Of　course　the　smoke　won't　show　so　much；　not　be　seen　so　far　away。　But　we　needn't　go　near；　near　the…〃
　The　others　nodded　in　perfect　prehension。　There　would　be　no　need　to　go　near。
　〃We'll　build　the　fire　now。〃
　The　greatest　ideas　are　the　simplest　Now　there　was　something　to　be　done　they　worked　with　passion。　Piggy　was　so　full　of　delight　and　expanding　liberty　in　Jack's　departure；　so　full　of　pride　in　his　contribution　to　the　good　of　society；　that　he　helped　to　fetch　wood。　The　wood　he　fetched　was　close　at　hand；　a　fallen　tree　on　the　platform　that　they　did　not　need　for　the　assembly；　yet　to　the　others　the　sanctity　of　the　platform　had　protected　even　what　was　useless　there。　Then　the　twins　realized　they　would　have　a　fire　near　them　as　a　fort　in　the　night　and　this　set　a　few　littluns　dancing　and　clapping　hands。
　The　wood　was　not　so　dry　as　the　fuel　they　had　used　on　the　mountain。　Much　of　it　was　damply　rotten　and　full　of　insects　that　scurried；　logs　had　to　be　lined　from　the　soil　with　care　or　they　crumbled　into　sodden　powder。　More　than　this；　in　order　to　avoid　going　deep　into　the　forest　the　boys　worked　near　at　hand　on　any　fallen　wood　no　matter　how　tangled　with　new　growth。　The　skirts　of　the　forest　and　the　scar　were　familiar；　near　the　conch　and　the　shelters　and　sufficiently　friendly　in　daylight。　What　they　might　bee　in　darkness　nobody　cared　to　think。　They　worked　therefore　with　great　energy　and　cheerfulness；　though　as　time　crept　by　there　was　a　suggestion　of　panic　in　the　energy　and　hysteria　in　the　cheerfulness。　They　built　a　pyramid　of　leaves　and　twigs；　branches　and　togs；　on　the　bare　sand　by　the　platform。　For　the　first　time　on　the　island；　Piggy　himself　removed　his　one　glass；　knelt　down　and　focused　the　sun　on　tinder。　Soon　there　was　a　ceiling　of　smoke　and　a　bush　of　yellow　flame。
　The　littluns　who　had　seen　few　fires　since　the　first　catastrophe　became　wildly　excited。　They　danced　and　sang　and　there　was　a　partyish　air　about　the　gathering。
　At　last　Ralph　stopped　work　and　stood　up；　smudging　the　sweat　from　his　face　with　a　dirty　forearm。
　〃We'll　have　to　have　a　small　fire。　This　one's　too　big　to　keep　up。〃
　Piggy　sat　down　carefully　on　the　sand　and　began　to　polish　his　glass。
　〃We　could　experiment。　We　could　find　out　how　to　make　a　small　hot　fire　and　then　put　green　branches　on　to　make　smoke。　Some　of　them　leaves　must　be　better　for　that　than　the　others。〃
　As　the　fire　died　down　so　did　the　excitement　The　littluns　stopped　singing　and　dancing　and　drifted　away　toward　the　sea　or　　the　fruit　trees　or　the　shelters。
　Ralph　flopped　down　in　the　sand。
　〃We'll　have　to　make　a　new　list　of　who's　to　took　after　the　fire。〃
　〃If　you　can　find　'em。〃
　He　looked　round。　Then　for　the　first　time　he　saw　how　few　biguns　there　were　and　understood　why　the　work　had　been　so　hard。
　〃Where's　Maurice？〃
　Piggy　wiped　his　glass　again。
　〃I　expect　。。。　no；　he　wouldn't　go　into　the　forest　by　himself；　would　he？〃
　Ralph　jumped　up；　ran　swiftly　round　the　fire…　and　stood　by　Piggy；　　holding　up　his　hair。
　〃But　we've　got　to　have　a　list！　There's　you　and　me　and　Samneric　and…〃
　He　would　not　look　at　Piggy　but　spoke　casually。
　〃Where's　Bill　and　Roger？〃
　Piggy　leaned　forward　and　put　a　fragment　of　wood　on　the　fire。
　〃I　expect　they've　gone。　I　expect　they　won't　play　either。〃
　Ralph　sat　down　and　began　to　poke　little　holes　in　the　sand。　He　was　surprised　to　see　that　one　had　a　drop　of　blood　by　it　He　examined　his　bitten　nail　closely　and　watched　the　little　globe　of　blood　that　gathered　where　the　quick　was　gnawed　away。
　Piggy　went　on　speaking。
　〃I　seen　them　stealing　off　when　we　was　gathering　wood。　They　went　that　way。　The　same　way　as　he　went　himself。〃
　Ralph　finished　his　inspection　and　looked　up　into　the　air。　The　sky；　as　if　in　sympathy　with　the　great　changes　among　them；　was　different　today　and　so　misty　that　in　some　places　the　hot　air　seemed　white。　The　disc　of　the　sun　was　dull　silver　as　though　it　were　nearer　and　not　so　hot；　yet　the　air　stifled。
　〃They　always　been　making　trouble；　haven't　they？〃
　T