wind sand and stars st.antoine de saint-exupery-第4章

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lingered　a　while；　we　performed　the　same　crucial　experiment。　Neri　would　send　his　message　to　the　airport　at　Cisneros：　〃Beacon　in　view。　Put　out　your　light　and　flash　three　times。〃　And　Cisneros　would　put　out　its　beacon　and　flash　three　times　while　the　hard　light　at　which　we　gazed　would　not；　incorruptible　star；　so　much　as　wink。　And　despite　our　dwindling　fuel　we　continued　to　nibble　at　the　golden　bait　which　each　time　seemed　more　surely　the　true　light　of　a　beacon；　was　each　time　a　promise　of　a　landing　and　of　life…and　we　had　each　time　to　change　our　star。　
　　And　with　that　we　knew　ourselves　to　be　lost　in　interplanetary　space　among　a　thousand　inaccessible　planets；　we　who　sought　only　the　one　veritable　planet；　our　own；　that　planet　on　which　alone　we　should　find　our　familiar　countryside；　the　houses　of　our　friends；　our　treasures。　
　　On　which　alone　we　should　find　。　。　。　Let　me　draw　the　picture　that　took　shape　before　my　eyes。　It　will　seem　to　you　childish；　but　even　in　the　midst　of　danger　a　man　retains　his　human　concerns。　I　was　thirsty　and　I　was　hungry。　If　we　did　find　Cisneros　we　should　refuel　and　carry　on　to　Casablanca；　and　there　we　should　e　down　in　the　cool　of　daybreak；　free　to　idle　the　hours　away。　Neri　and　I　would　go　into　town。　We　would　go　to　a　little　pub　already　open　despite　the　early　hour。　Safe　and　sound；　Neri　and　I　would　sit　down　at　table　and　laugh　at　the　night　of　danger　as　we　ate　our　warm　rolls　and　drank　our　bowls　of　coffee　and　hot　milk。　We　would　receive　this　matutinal　gift　at　the　hands　of　life。　Even　as　an　old　peasant　woman　recognizes　her　God　in　a　painted　image；　in　a　childish　medal；　in　a　chaplet；　so　life　would　speak　to　us　in　its　humblest　language　in　order　that　we　understand。　The　joy　of　living；　I　say；　was　summed　up　for　me　in　the　remembered　sensation　of　that　first　burning　and　aromatic　swallow；　that　mixture　of　milk　and　coffee　and　bread　by　which　men　hold　munion　with　tranquil　pastures；　exotic　plantations；　and　golden　harvests；　munion　with　the　earth。　Amidst　all　these　stars　there　was　but　one　that　could　make　itself　significant　for　us　by　posing　this　aromatic　bowl　that　was　its　daily　gift　at　dawn。　And　from　that　earth　of　men；　that　earth　docile　to　the　reaping　of　grain　and　the　harvesting　of　the　grape；　bearing　its　rivers　asleep　in　their　fields；　its　villages　clinging　to　their　hillsides；　our　ship　was　separated　by　astronomical　distances。　All　the　treasures　of　the　world　were　summed　up　in　a　grain　of　dust　now　blown　far　out　of　our　path　by　the　very　destiny　itself　of　dust　and　of　the　orbs　of　night。　
　　And　Neri　still　prayed　to　the　stars。　
　　Suddenly　he　was　pounding　my　shoulder。　On　the　bit　of　paper　he　held　forth　impatiently　to　me　I　real：　〃All　well。　Magnificent　news。〃　I　waited　with　beating　heart　while　he　scribbled　the　half…dozen　words　that　were　to　save　us。　At　last　he　put　this　grace　of　heaven　into　my　hands。　
　　It　was　dated　from　Casablanca；　which　we　had　left　the　night　before。　Delayed　in　transmission；　it　had　suddenly　found　us　more　than　a　thousand　miles　away；　suspended　between　cloud　and　fog；　lost　at　sea。　It　was　sent　by　the　government　representative　at　the　airport。　And　it　said：　〃Monsieur　de　Saint　Exupery；　I　am　obliged　to　remend　that　you　be　disciplined　at　Paris　for　having　flown　too　close　to　the　hangars　on　leaving　Casablanca。〃　
　　It　was　true　that　I　had　done　this。　It　was　also　true　that　this　man　was　performing　his　duty　with　irritability。　I　should　have　been　humiliated　if　this　reproach　had　been　addressed　to　me　in　an　airport。　But　it　reached　me　where　it　had　no　right　to　reach　me。　Among　these　too　rare　stars；　on　this　bed　of　fog；　in　this　menacing　savor　of　the　sea；　it　burst　like　a　detonation。　Here　we　were　with　our　fate　in　our　hands；　the　fate　of　the　mails　and　of　the　ship；　we　had　trouble　enough　to　try　to　keep　alive；　and　this　man　was　purging　his　petty　rancor　against　us。　
　　But　Neri　and　I　were　far　from　nettled。　What　we　felt　was　a　vast　and　sudden　jubilation。　Here　it　was　we　who　were　masters；　and　this　man　was　letting　us　know　it。　The　impudent　little　corporal！　not　to　have　looked　at　our　stripes　and　seen　that　we　had　been　promoted　captain！　To　intrude　into　our　musings　when　we　were　solemnly　taking　our　constitutional　between　Sagittarius　and　the　Great　Bear！　When　the　only　thing　we　could　be　concerned　with；　the　only　thing　of　our　order　of　magnitude；　was　this　appointment　we　were　missing　with　the　moon！　
　　The　immediate　duty；　the　only　duty　of　the　planet　whence　this　man's　message　came；　was　to　furnish　us　accurate　figures　for　our　putations　among　the　stars。　And　its　figures　had　been　false。　This　being　so；　the　planet　had　only　to　hold　its　tongue。　Neri　scribbled：　〃Instead　of　wasting　their　time　with　this　nonsense　they　would　'do　better　to　haul　us　back　to　Cisneros；　if　they　can。〃　By　〃they〃　he　meant　all　the　peoples　of　the　globe；　with　their　parliaments；　their　senates；　their　navies；　their　armies；　their　emperors。　We　re…read　the　message　from　that　man　mad　enough　to　imagine　that　he　had　business　with　us；　and　tacked　in　the　direction　of　Mercury。　
　　It　was　by　the　purest　chance　that　we　were　saved。　I　had　given　up　all　thought　of　making　Cisneros　and　had　set　my　course　at　right　angles　to　the　coast…line　in　the　hope　that　thus　we　might　avoid　ing　down　at　sea　when　our　fuel　ran　out。　Meanwhile　however　I　was　in　the　belly　of　a　dense　fog　so　that　even　with　land　below　it　was　not　going　to　be　easy　to　set　the　ship　down。　The　situation　was　so　clear　that　already　I　was　shrugging　my　shoulders　ruefully　when　Neri　passed　me　a　second　message　which；　an　hour　earlier；　would　have　been　our　salvation。　〃Cisneros；〃　it　said；　〃has　deigned　to　municate　with　us。　Cisneros　says；　'216　doubtful。〃'　Well；　that　helped。　Cisneros　was　no　longer　swallowed　up　in　space；　it　was　actually　out　there　on　our　left；　almost　within　reach。　But　how　far　away？　Neri　and　I　talked　it　over　briefly；　。　decided　it　was　too　late　to　try　for　it　（since　that　might　mean　missing　the　coast）；　and　Neri　replied：　〃Only　one　hour　fuel　left　continuing　on　93。〃　
　　But　the　airports　one　by　one　had　been　waking　each　other　up。　Into　our　dialogue　broke　the　voices　of　Agadir；　Casablanca；　Dakar。　The　radio　stations　at　each　of　these　towns　had　warned　the　airports　and　the　ports　had　flashed　the　news　to　our　rades。　Bit　by　bit　they　were　gathering　round　us　as　round　a　sick…bed。　Vain　warmth；　but　human　warmth　after　all。　Helpless　concern；　but　affectionate　at　any　rate。　
　　And　suddenly　into　this　conclave　burst　Toulouse；　the　headquarters　of　the　Line　three　thousand　miles　away；　worried　along　with　the　rest。　Toulouse　broke　in　without　a　word　of　greeting；　simply　to　say　sharply：　〃Your　reserve　tanks　bigger　than　standard。　You　have　two　hours　fuel　left。　Proceed　to　Cisneros。〃　
　　There　is　no　need　of　nights　like　the　one　just　described　to　make　the　airline　pilot　find　new　meanings　in　old　appearances。　The　scene　that　strikes　the　passenger　as　monplace　is　from　the　very　moment　of　taking　off　animated　with　a　powerful　magic　for　the　crew。　It　is　the　duty　of　the　ship's　captain　to　make　port；　cost　what　it　may。　The　sight　of　massing　clouds　is　no　mere　spectacle　to　him：　it　is　a　matter　of　concern　to　his　physical　being；　and　to　his　mind　it　means　a　set　of　problems。　Before　he　is　off　the　ground　he　has　taken　its　measure；　and　between　him　and　it　a　bond　is　formed　which　is　a　veritable　language。　
　　There　is　a　peak　ahead；　still　distant。　The　pilot　will　not　reach　it　before　another　hour　of　flight　in　the　night。　What　is　to　be　the　significance　of　that　peak？　On　a　night　of　full　moon　it　will　be　a　useful　landmark。　In　fainter　moonglow　it　will　be　a　bit　of　wreckage　strewn　in　shadow；　dangerous；　but　marked　clearly　enough　by　the　lights　of　villages。　But　if　the　pilot　flies　blind；　has　bad　luck　in　correcting　his　drift；　is　dubious　about　his　position；　that　peak　begins　to　stir　with　a　strange　life　and　its　threat　fills　the　breadth　of　the　night　sky　in　the　same　way　as　a　single　mine；　drifting　at　the　will　of　the　current；　can　render　the　whole　of　the　ocean　a　danger。　
　　The　face　of　the　sea　is　as　variable　as　that　of　the　earth。　To　passengers；　the　storm　is　invisible。　Seen　from　a　great　height；　the　waves　have　no　relief　and　the　packets　of　fog　have　no　movement。　The　surface　of　the　sea　appears　to　be　covered　with　great　white　motionless　palm…trees；　palms　marked　with　ribs　and　seams　stiff　in　a　sort　of　frost。　The　sea　is　like　a　splintered　mirror。　But　the　hydroplane　pilot　knows　there　is　no　landing　here。　
　　The　ho