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！
round his head。 The body lifted a fraction of an inch from the sand and a bubble of air escaped from the mouth with a wet plop。 Then it turned gently in the water。
Somewhere over the darkened curve of the world the sun and moon were pulling； and the film of water on the earth planet was held； bulging slightly on one side while the solid core turned。 The great wave of the tide moved farther along the island and the water lifted。 Softly； surrounded by a fringe of inquisitive bright creatures； itself a silver shape beneath the steadfast constellations； Simon's dead body moved out toward the open sea。
CHAPTER TEN
The Shell and the Glasses
Piggy eyed the advancing figure carefully。 Nowadays he sometimes found that he saw more clearly if he removed his glasses and shifted the one lens to the other eye； but even through the good eye； after what had happened； Ralph remained unmistakably Ralph。 He came now out of the coconut trees； limping； dirty； with dead leaves hanging from his shock of yellow hair。 One eye was a slit in his puffy cheek and a great scab had formed on his right knee。 He paused for a moment and peered at the figure on the platform。
〃Piggy？ Are you the only one left？〃
〃There's some littluns。〃
〃They don't count。 No biguns？〃
〃Oh…Samneric。 They're collecting wood。〃
〃Nobody else？〃
〃Not that I know of。〃
Ralph climbed on to the platform carefully。 The coarse grass was still worn away where the assembly used to sit； the fragile white conch still gleamed by the polished seat Ralph sat down in the grass facing the chiefs seat and the conch。 Piggy knelt at his left； and for a long minute there was silence。
At last Ralph cleared his throat and whispered something。
Piggy whispered back。
〃What you say？〃
Ralph spoke up。
〃Simon。〃
Piggy said nothing but nodded； solemnly。 They continued to sit； gazing with impaired sight at the chief's seat and the glittering lagoon。 The green light and the glossy patches of sunshine played over their befouled bodies。
At length Ralph got up and went to the conch。 He took the shell caressingly with both hands and knelt； leaning against the trunk。
〃Piggy〃
〃Uh？〃
〃What we going to do？〃
Piggy nodded at the conch。
〃You could…〃
〃Call an assembly？〃
Ralph laughed sharply as he said the word and Piggy frowned。
〃You're still chief。〃
Ralph laughed again。
〃You are。 Over us。〃
〃I got the conch。〃
〃Ralph！ Stop laughing like that。 Look； there ain't no need； Ralph！ What's the others going to think？〃
At last Ralph stopped。 He was shivering。
〃Piggy…〃
〃Uh？〃
〃That was Simon。〃 〃You said that before。〃
〃Piggy…〃
〃Uh？〃
〃That was murder。〃
〃You stop it！〃 said Piggy； shrilly。 〃What good're you doing talking like that？〃
He jumped to his feet and stood over Ralph。
〃It was dark。 There was that…that bloody dance。 There was lightning and thunder and rain。 We was scared！〃
〃I wasn't scared；〃 said Ralph slowly； 〃I was…I don't know what I was。〃
〃We was scared！〃 said Piggy excitedly。 〃Anything might have happened。 It wasn't…what you said。〃
He was gesticulating； searching for a formula。
〃Oh； Piggy！〃
Ralph's voice； low and stricken； stopped Piggy's gestures。 He bent down and waited。 Ralph； cradling the conch； rocked himself to and fro。
〃Don't you understand； Piggy？ The things we did…〃
〃He may still be…〃
〃No。〃
〃P'raps he was only pretending…〃
Piggy's voice trailed off at the sight of Ralph's face。
〃You were outside。 Outside the circle。 You never really came in。 Didn't you see what we…what they did？〃
There was loathing； and at the same time a kind of feverish excitement； in his voice。
〃Didn't you see； Piggy？〃
〃Not all that well。 I only got one eye now。 You ought to know that； Ralph。〃
Ralph continued to rock to and fro。
〃It was an accident；〃 said Piggy suddenly； 〃that's what it was。 An accident。〃 His voice shrilled again。 〃ing in the dark…he hadn't no business crawling like that out of the dark。 He was batty。 He asked for it。 He gesticulated widely again。 〃It was an accident。〃
〃You didn't see what they did…〃
〃Look； Ralph。 We got to forget this。 We can't do no good thinking about it； see？〃
〃I'm frightened。 Of us。 I want to go home。 Oh God； I want to go home。〃
〃It was an accident；〃 said Piggy stubbornly； 〃and that's that。〃
He touched Ralph's bare shoulder and Ralph shuddered at the human contact。
〃And look； Ralph〃…Piggy glanced round quickly； then leaned close…〃don't let on we was in that dance。 Not to Samneric。〃
〃But we were！ All of us！〃
Piggy shook his head。
〃Not us till last。 They never noticed in the dark。 Anyway you said I was only on the outside。〃
〃So was I；〃 muttered Ralph； 〃I was on the outside too。〃
Piggy nodded eagerly。
〃That's right。 We was on the outside。 We never done nothing； we never seen nothing。〃
Piggy paused； then went on。
〃We'll live on our own； the four of us…〃
〃Four of us。 We aren't enough to keep the fire burning。〃
〃We'll try。 See？ I lit it。〃
Samneric came dragging a great log out of the forest。 They dumped it by the fire and turned to the pool。 Ralph jumped to his feet。
〃Hi！ You two！〃
The twins checked a moment； then walked on。
〃They're going to bathe； Ralph。〃
〃Better get it over。〃
The twins were very surprised to see Ralph。 They flushed and looked past him into the air。
〃Hullo。 Fancy meeting you； Ralph。〃
〃We just been in the forest〃
〃…to get wood for the fire…〃
〃…we got lost last night。〃
Ralph examined his toes。
〃You got lost after the 。 。 。〃
Piggy cleaned his lens。
〃After the feast；〃 said Sam in a stifled voice。 Eric nodded。 〃Yes； after the feast。〃
〃We left early；〃 said Piggy quickly； 〃because we were tired。〃
〃So did we…〃
〃…very early…〃
〃…we were very tired。〃
Sam touched a scratch on his forehead and then hurriedly took his hand away。 Eric fingered his split lip。
〃Yes。 We were very tired；〃 repeated Sam； 〃so we left early。 Was it a good…〃
The air was heavy with unspoken knowledge。 Sam twisted and the obscene word shot out of him。 〃…dance？〃
Memory of the dance that none of them had attended shook all tour boys convulsively。
〃We left early。〃
When Roger came to the neck of land that joined the Castle Rock to the mainland he was not surprised to be challenged。 He had reckoned； during the terrible night； on finding at least some of the tribe holding out against the horrors of the island in the safest place。
The voice rang out sharply from on high； where the diminishing crags were balanced one on another。
〃Halt！ Who goes there？〃
〃Roger。〃
〃Advance； friend。〃
Roger advanced。
〃The chief said we got to challenge everyone。〃
Roger peered up。
〃You couldn't stop me ing if I wanted。〃
〃Couldn't I？ Climb up and see。〃
Roger clambered up the ladder…like cliff。
〃Look at this。〃
A log had been jammed under the topmost rock and another lever under that。 Robert leaned lightly on the lever and the rock groaned。 A full effort would send the rock thundering down to the neck of land。 Roger admired。
〃He's a proper chief； isn't he？〃
Robert nodded。
〃He's going to take us hunting。〃
He jerked his head