gs.earthabides-第32章
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He remembered； hopefully； that the ants had vanished almost overnight； and he kept expecting that something like that also might happen to the rats。 But there was no indication of it。
〃Are the rats going to take over the world？〃 Em asked。 〃Now that men are gone； are the rats going to be next？〃
〃Of course I don't know for sure；〃 said Ish； 〃but I hardly think so。 They've got a head…start because they know how to use the food…supplies in the city and because they breed fast。 But once they get away from the city they'll have to forage on their own； and the foxes and snakes and owls are going to build up too because man is gone and because they'll have lots of rats to feed on。〃
〃I never thought of that！〃 she said。 〃You mean rats are kind of domestic animals because people supply them food and kill off their enemies。〃
〃More like parasites on man； I suppose really。〃 And then； just； to be saying something to keep her interest； he ran on： 〃And speaking of parasites； of course rats have them too。 Just like the ants！ When anything gets too numerous it's likely to get hit by some plague…I mean…〃 （Something had suddenly exploded in his mind at the word。） He coughed to cover up his hesitation； and then went on； without making a point of it。 〃Yes； some plague is likely to hit them。〃
Em； to his relief； did not seem to have noticed。
〃All we can do then；〃 she said； 〃I guess； is to sit around and cheer for the rat's parasites。〃
Ish did not tell her what had disturbed him。 It was the realization that not just plague in the general sense； but bubonic plague was a mon epidemic among rats。 It was spread； he knew； by fleas； and those infected fleas readily hopped from dead rats to living people。 The thought of being among the new people left in an area inhabited by millions of rats being killed off by bubonic plague was a horrible situation to contemplate。
He began to deluge the house with DDT and spray it upon his clothing and Em's。 Naturally then she became suspicious； and he had to tell her。
She was not disturbed。 Her natural courage rose superior to even the thought of plague； and perhaps there was a vein of fatalism in her too。 The simplest and safest thing would have been to hurry out of the city； and get to some place…the desert； perhaps…where few rats could live。
But each of them had already decided independently that life was not to be lived on the basis of fear。 Her courage indeed was stronger than his； and the horror of the rats pressed in more closely upon him。 Occasionally he even felt panic and was ready to force her into the car for flight。 But always in such times her courage seemed to flow out from her and sustain him。
As the days passed； he watched individual rats carefully to see if they seemed sickly。 On the contrary； they seemed more active than ever。
Then Em called to him one morning from the window。
〃Look； they're fighting！〃 He went to look； quickly； but without too much interest。 Probably； he thought； it was merely whatever kind of sex…play rats indulged in。 But it was not。
He saw a large rat definitely attacking a smaller one。 The small one fought back； and dodged desperately； and seemed just about to make its escape through a hole which might be too small for the larger one。 Then suddenly a third and still larger rat appeared； and sprang also upon the small one。 The little pool of blood spread out from the torn throat； and then the largest rat dragged the body away； the one who had made the original attack scurrying close after。
In high boots； well gloved； carrying a stout stick in his hand； Ish made an expedition to the nearest business…center and foraged for some more food。 Curiously； to him； he found very few rats in the stores； and when he investigated； he found that everything which a rat could get and eat had been pletely wiped out。 The stores were a great disgusting litter of torn papers； and chewed cartons and rat…droppings。 They had even chewed the labels on the cans and bottles； so that sometimes it was difficult even to tell what was contained in them。 Certainly； as yet； starvation and not disease was c losing in upon the hordes。 He took the news back to Em。
Next morning they let Princess out for her daily run。 （They had been allowing her out only once a day as a matter of precaution。） After a few minutes they heard her wild howling； and she came tearing back to the door with rats skirmishing all around her； and two or three actually clinging to her back。 Opening the door they let her in； and necessarily admitted three or four rats along with her。 Princess refired under the davenport in a flurry of howling。 Deserted by the cause of the disaster； Ish and Em spent a lively quarter hour routing out the rats and killing them。 They hunted the house most carefully； aided by a now partially recovered Princess； to find whether any rat was still lurking in a closet or behind the books of the bookcase。 But they decided that they had killed them all。 They kept Princess shut up； after that； out of necessary precaution； and they also muzzled her for fear of hydrophobia。
By now they were quite sure that the rats were preying one upon another。 Sometimes they saw a large rat pursuing a smaller rat； and sometimes it seemed as if several banded together in a pack to attack a single one。 They seemed less numerous now； but that might be because they were keeping out of sight under the new conditions。
To Ish the whole affair； in spite of a certain horror that he still held of it； came to be a most interesting study in ecology； almost a laboratory problem。 The rats had first lived upon the stores of food which men had laid up for them； and these had gradually been transformed into a great reservoir of rat…flesh。 Then； when the cereals and dried fruit and packaged beans were depleted； there was left…for certain individual rats at least…this other supply of food。 Under such circumstances； it seemed a question whether any single rat would die of starvation； even though the rats as a species might be dying of starvation。
〃The old and sickly and weak and immature will go first；〃 he said； 〃and then those that are not quite so old or sickly or weak or immature…and so on。〃
〃And eventually；〃 said Em； who sometimes showed disconcerting logic； 〃there'll just be two great strong rats left to fight it out…like （what was it？） the Kilkenny cats？〃
Ish explained that before such a fate ensued the rats would have bee so scarce that they would again have begun to forage upon other sources of food。
When he thought more deeply； he saw that the rats were not actually destroying the species for their own individual preservation； they were really saving the species。 If the rats had been sentimental and had decided that they would all starve together without indulging in cannibalism； then indeed there might have been some danger。 But rats were realists； and so their racial future seemed secure from this emergency。
Day by day； the numbers of rats became fewer； and then one morning they seemed to be gone entirely。 Ish knew that there still must be many rats in the city； but what had happened was merely what would happen in the decline of any species。 Under natural circumstances； the rats kept out of sight； like narrow passageways and holes and brash…filled gullies。 Only when their numbers became so great that they could not all find such refuges did they spill over and inhabit the open places where they could be seen。
Doubtless； at the end； disease may have helped； but he was never sure of this。 One great advantage of the disappearance through cannibalism was that there were no bodies of rats left around。 They had gone on to preserve。the species into the next generation。 Also； he knew； although he did not investigate； that the rats must have done a great deal toward removing the bodies of the human beings who had died in the original disaster。
As he collected his thoughts upon the subject； he was surprised that there had been no plague of mice。 The ants had e first； and then had e the rats。 Between the two there should have been a rapid increase of mice； because the mice should have had almost as good an opportunity as
