gs.earthabides-第73章
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！
o pressure； when nearlv all the diseases seemed to have died out。
That fact； when he thought of it； sometimes even made the Great Disaster seem beneficent…a magnificent wiping off of the state which allowed man as a species to escape from most Of the aches and pains he had been accumulating for so many centuries； and start anew。 Originally each little isolated tribe must have developed and maintained its own special infections。 If the evidence had been available； the anthropologists would probably have said that the Neanderthal men could be identified as well by their own special parasites as by their own special ways of chipping flint。 In archeology； when you found one culture just on top of another one； you assumed that Tribe B had wiped out Tribe A。 So doubtless it had。 But its weapons had probably been stronger parasites more often than longer spears。
As he thought； he grew more alarmed。 Although less than half an hour had passed； he went upstairs； and looked in at Bob。 Evening had e； and Bob lay quietly in the half…dark room。 Ish did not want to disturb him； and so went downstairs again。
He sat in a big chair and smoked。 He would have liked to talk the matter over with someone； but Em did not have the background； and Joey was still too inexperienced。 So he thought to himself。
The Tribe…they themselves； that is…had preserved measles and some kind of sore throat。 Someone； he himself perhaps； had been the carrier； or else the germs were maintained by some animal with which they were in contact…the dogs； or the cattle； or any one of a hundred smaller ones。 But the people in Los Angeles might be free of measles； and have preserved mumps and whooping…cough。 And those on the Rio Grande would probably have kept dysentery。
And now Charlie！ Even if he had not had those particular diseases of which he boasted； he might well have been a carrier of whatever happened to be prevalent around Los Angeles。 That had not been such a fine idea…sending the boys off to explore！ Suddenly Ish began to feel an unreasoning fear of any stranger。 Give them two…hundred…yards law； that was the idea； and then look at them over the sights of a good rifle！
A fly buzzed in front of his nose； and the overemphatic way he struck at it showed that his nerves were tense。 Josey called for him to e in to dinner。
Unlike the human lice； the house…fly…not having irrevocably linked its destiny with man's…had suffered nothing that approached annihilation。 Like the house rat； the house mouse； the human flea； and the cockroach； this other intimate household panion had suffered only a considerable reverse。 Where formerly it had buzzed by hundreds and thousands； now it was reduced to its twenties or tens。 Nevertheless； it survived。
For； like that lord whom Price Hamlet calls a 〃water…fly；〃 the house…fly also was secure in 〃the possession of dirt；〃 though for it dirt must mean； not lands and estates； but the word in its dysphemistic sense； as when the Bible of King James declares primly that Ehud struck King Eglon in the belly； 〃and the dirt came out。〃 Thus； even though man should be reduced to the vanishing point or disappear altogether； the house…fly was secure as long as the larger animals still lived and continued to leave droppings behind them。 The eggs of the fly； thus deposited； soon hatched out； and the larvae found themselves embowered in rich and succulent food on which to feast； as snakes upon rats； woodpeckers upon grubs； and men on the flesh of dead animals。
Still； with man eclipsed； times were hard。 No longer did barnyards offer sites as rich as the ancient gift of the Nile； no longer was the countryside studded with beneficently unscreened privies； no longer did innumerable slums offer their choice piles of garbage and filth。 Only here and there some few accumulations of nourishing excrement permitted the house…fly to lay numerous eggs and breed up well…fostered larvae and send forth vigorous and busily traveling adults。
A week later the epidemic was in full course。 Dick； Bob's panion on the expedition； had been the next to go down。 But now Ezra and five of the children lay stricken。 In proportion to its numbers； the munity was in the grip of a devastating outbreak of what must be…Ish felt certain…typhoid fever。
Some of the adults had been inoculated in the Old Times； but their immunity must long since have lapsed。 All the children were totally unguarded。 Even with all the old…time medical skill typhoid had been batted chiefly by prevention。 Once the disease was established； there was no remedy but to let it run its long and sinister course。
Easy enough now； thought Ish； to do some second thinking！ Easy enough； he thought bitterly； to know that Charlie； no matter what other diseases he might have had or thought he had； was really carrying the germs from an attack of typhoid fever！ Perhaps he had been sick years before； perhaps he had been sick recently； for quite possibly the disease had made the passage in the area where he had lived。 They would never know。 And now； what did it matter？
What they knew for certain was that Charlie； obviously unclean in personal habits； had eaten with the two boys for more than a week。 In addition； the not too carefully constructed outhouses and the flies offered an obvious route of general infection。
They began to boil all drinking…water。 They burned the old latrines and filled the old pits。 They kept the new ones so well sprayed with DDT that no fly could alight and live。 All such Precautions were obviously too late。 Already every individual must have been exposed to infection。 Those who had not yet succumbed must either by good luck possess natural immunity； or else the disease was still lying dormant in them； building up strength through its period of incubation。
Day by day； one or more took to bed。 Bob； now in his second week； lay tossing in delirium； a grim indication of the long road all the others must follow before they could grow better。 Already those still on their feet were being worn down by the strain of nursing。
They had scarcely time to give any thought to fear； and yet fear lay all around them； daily drawing its circle closer。 There had been no deaths as yet； but neither had anyone passed the crisis of the fever。 As in earlier years each birth had seemed to force back the circle of darkness； so now with each newly stricken one the darkness moved a step inward； bringing annihilation with it。 Even if they did not all die in the epidemic； the loss of any large number might break； it seemed； the munal will to live。
George and Maurine and Molly had taken to prayer； and some of the younger ones had joined with them。 They were afraid that God was exacting retribution upon them for the death of Charlie。 Ralph was just on the point of taking his family； as yet not stricken； and fleeing off somewhere。 Ish dissuaded him； for the moment at least； arguing that any of them might already be infected and that to be taken sick as a small and isolated group would be much more dangerous than to share with the whole munity。
〃We are close to panic！〃 thought Ish。 and then the next morning he himself awoke…depressed； feverish； and half…prostrated。 He forced himself to his feet； made light of Em's inquiries； and avoided her glances。 Bob was very bad； and took most of Em's time。 Ish tended Joey and Josey； who were both in the early stages。 Walt； they had sent off to help in one of the other houses。
In the afternoon； leaning over Joey's bed； Ish felt himself collapsing。 With his last effort he managed to get to his own bed； and fall upon it。
Hours later； it seemed； he came to himself。 Em was looking down at him。 She had managed to undress him and get him into bed。
He looked up at her； feeling small。 He gazed as a child might have gazed…above all； fearing that he would see fear。 If she was afraid； all was lost！
But in her face he saw no fear。
The dark； wide…set eyes looked calnily at him。 Oh； Mother of Nations！ And then he slept。
In his days and nights of delirium； he knew little of what happened。 Through his fever the great vague dream…shapes moved in and pressed upon him from the dark outside…horrible
