gs.earthabides-第15章

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lmost　indistinguishable…the　rust…covered　center　of　a　little　island　with　trees　growing　up　around　her。　
　　Going　on；　Ish　swung　off　through　the　East　Side；　struck　a　noisome　area　again　at　the　great　center　of　Bellevue　Hospital；　turned　west　and　found　the　same　difficulty　around　Pennsylvania　Station　and　the　adjoining　hotels；　and　finally　went　north　on　Eleventh　Avenue。　He　turned　into　Riverside　Drive；　and　noticed　that　the　sun　was　getting　low　over　the　smokeless　smokestacks　of　the　Jersey　shore。　He　was　just　wondering　where　he　should　spend　the　night　when　he　heard　a　voice　calling　out；　〃Hi；　there！〃　
　　Princess　burst　into　a　frenzy　of　barking。　Stopping　the　car；　he　looked　back；　and　saw　a　man　emerging　from　the　entryway　of　an　apartment　house。　Ish　got　out　to　meet　him；　leaving　the　barking　Princess　in　the　car。　
　　The　man　advanced　with　outstretched　hand。　He　was　pletely　conventional…looking；　well　shaved；　wearing　a　tropical　worsted　suit；　with　even　the　coat　on。　He　was　middle…aged　and　overweight；　with　a　smiling　face。　Ish　half　expected　him　to　break　into　the　conventional　shopkeeper's　greeting　〃Well；　sir；　what　can　I　do　for　you　today？〃　
　　〃Abrams　is　the　name；〃　he　said；　〃Milt　Abrams。〃　
　　Ish　fumbled　for　his　own　name…it　was　so　long　since　he　had　thought　of　it。　Introductions　over；　Milt　Abrams　took　him　inside。　They　went　into　a　pleasant　apartment　on　the　second　floor。　A　blond…haired　woman；　about　forty；　well　dressed；　almost　smart…looking；　was　sitting　at　a　cocktail　table；　and　there　was　a　cocktail　shaker　before　her。　〃Meet…the　Mrs。；〃　said　Milt　Abrams；　and　from　the　way　he　hesitated；　Ish　knew　that　the　Mrs。　merely　covered　up　his　embarrassment。　The　catastrophe　would　scarcely　have　spared　a　husband　and　wife；　and　there　had　been　no　opportunity　for　any　ceremony　since。　Milt　Abrams　was　obviously　conventional　enough　to　let　this　worry　him　even　under　the　circumstances。　
　　The　Mrs。　looked　at　Ish　with　a　smile；　possibly　at　Milt's　disfort。　〃Call　me　Ann；〃　she　said。　〃And　have　a　drink！　Warm　martinis；　that's　all　I　can　offer　you！　Not　a　scrap　of　ice　in　New　York　City！〃　In　her　own　way　she　was　as　typical　a　New　Yorker　as　Milt。　
　　〃I　tell　her；〃　said　Milt。　〃I　keep　on　telling　her；　not　to　drink　that　stuff…warm　martinis　are　poison。〃　
　　〃Think　of　it；〃　said　Ann；　〃spending　a　whole　summer　in　New　York　City…and　without　a　scrap　of　ice！〃　Nevertheless；　she　seemed　to　have　overe　her　dislike　of　warm　martinis　sufficiently　to　have　got　on　the　outside　of　several　of　them。　
　　〃Here；　I'll　offer　you　something　better；〃　said　Milt。　Opening　a　cupboard；　he　displayed　a　fine　shelf　of　Amontillado；　Napoleon　brandy；　and　selected　liqueurs。　〃And；〃　he　added；　〃they　don't　call　for　ice。〃　
　　Obviously；　Milt　was　a　natural　connoisseur　in　liquor。　The　bottle　of　Chateau　Margaux　that　he　produced　for　dinner　was　further　proof。　
　　Chateau　Margaux　over　a　meal　of　cold　canned　corned　beef　was　not　perhaps　all　that　could　be　wished；　but　the　wine　was　plentiful　enough　to　produce　in　Ish　a　slight　and　happy　befuddlement。　Ann　was　definitely　befuddled　by　this　time。　
　　The　evening　passed　pleasantly　enough。　They　played　cards　by　candlelight…three…handed　bridge。　They　drank　liqueurs。　They　listened　to　records　on　a　tinny…toned　portable　phonograph　which　had　the　great　advantage　of　not　needing　electric　power；　but　of　being　wound　up　by　hand。　They　talked…as　you　might　talk　on　any　evening。　〃That　record　scratches。。。。　I　haven't　won　a　finesse　yet。。。。　Let　me　have　another　glassful。〃　
　　It　was　a　kind　of　make…believe。　You　pretended　there　was　a　world　outside　the　windows；　you　were　playing　cards　by　candlelight　because　that　was　a　pleasant　thing　to　do；　you　did　not　trade　reminiscences　or　talk　of　what　you　might　think　anyone　would　talk　about　under　such　circumstances。　And　Ish　realized　that　this　was　proper　and　right。　Normal　people；　and　Milt　and　Ann　seemed　to　be　certainly　normal；　did　not　concern　themselves　much　with　either　the　distant　past　or　the　distant　future。　Fortunately；　they　lived　in　the　present。　
　　Yet；　as　the　cards　were　dealt　and　played；　by　incidental　remarks　here　and　there；　Ish　put　together　a　great　deal　of　the　situation。　Milt　had　been　part…owner　of　a　small　jewelry　store。　Ann　had　been　the　wife　of　someone　named　Harry；　and　they　had　been　prosperous　enough　to　spend　summers　on　the　coast　of　Maine。　The　only　work　for　pay　that　Ann　had　ever　done　had　been　to　sell　perfume　in　one　of　the　more　exclusive　shops；　as　a　kind　of　lark　during　the　Christmas　rush。　Now　the　two　of　them　occupied　a　fine　apartment；　vastly　better　than　even　Harry　had　been　able　to　provide。　The　electricity　had　failed　immediately；　because　the　dynamos　which　supplied　New　York　had　been　steam…driven；　the　water　supply　remained　apparently　at　normal；　and　this　prevented　any　sanitary　problem。　
　　Actually　they　were　marooned　on　Riverside　Drive。　Being　ordinary　New　Yorkers　they　had　never　owned　a　car；　and　so　neither　of　them　could　drive。　Automobiles　were　mysteries　to　them。　Since　all　public　transportation　had　now　disappeared；　they　were　left　wholly　afoot；　and　neither　was　of　an　age　or　temperament　or　physique　to　enjoy　walking。　Broadway；　with　its　still　well…stocked　food…　and　liquor…stores；　formed　their　practical　eastern　limit；　the　River　lay　to　the　west；　they　wandered　up　and　down　the　Drive；　perhaps　half　a　mile　north　and　south。　That　was　their　world。　
　　Within　these　narrow　limits　they　did　not　think　that　anyone　else　was　living。　As　to　what　might　be　happening　in　the　rest　of　the　city；　they　had　not　as　much　idea　as　Ish。　To　them　the　East　Side　was　as　far　off　as　Philadelphia；　Brooklyn　might　as　well　be　Saudi　Arabia。　
　　Once　in　a　while；　indeed；　they　had　heard　cars　go　by　on　Riverside　Drive；　and　on　rare　occasions　they　had　seen　one。　They　had　been　wary；　however；　about　approaching　any　of　the　cars；　because　from　loneliness　and　a　sense　of　helplessness；　a　fear　had　e　upon　them；　and　they　had　a　land　of　bug…a…boo　terror　about　roving　gangsters。　
　　〃But　everything　was　getting　so　quiet　that　I　really　wanted　to　see　someone。　You　weren't　driving　fast；〃　said　Milt　almost　diffidently；　〃and　I　saw　you　were　alone；　and　didn't　look　bad；　and　had　an　out…of…town　license。〃　
　　Ish　started　to　say　that　he　would　give　them　his　pistol；　but　checked　himself。　Firearms　were　as　likely　to　create　as　to　solve　difficulties。　In　all　probability　Milt　had　never　fired　a　gun　in　his　life；　and　he　did　not　look　like　an　apt　learner。　As　for　Ann；　she　gave　the　impression　of　being　one　of　those　excitable　women　who　would　be　as　dangerous　to　friend　as　to　foe　if　she　ever　started　cutting　loose　with　a　pistol。　
　　In　spite　of　having　no　motion　pictures　and　no　radio　and　in　spite　of　lacking　even　that　great　and　continual　show　of　the　passing　populace　of　the　city；　still　Milt　and　Ann　did　not　seem　to　be　particularly　bored。　They　played　cribbage；　alternating　with　two…handed　rummy…for　high；　but　of　course　mythical；　stakes。　As　the　result；　Ann　now　owed　Milt　several　millions　of　dollars。　They　played　endless　records…jazz；　folk…songs；　dance…tunes…on　the　tinny　phonograph。　They　read　uncounted　volumes　of　mystery　stories　which　they　got　from　the　circulating　libraries　on　Broadway　and　left　strewn　around　the　apartment。　Physically；　he　guessed；　they　found　each　other　attractive。　
　　But　if　they　were　not　bored；　neither　did　they　seem　to　have　much　pleasure　in　life。　There　was　a　great　vacantness　somewhere。　From　shock　they　were　walking　in　a　kind　of　haze。　They　were　people　without　hope。　New　York；　their　world；　had　vanished；　it　would　never　live　again　in　their　time。　They　had　no　interest　when　Ish　tried　to　tell　them　what　had　happened　in　the　rest　of　the　United　States。　〃Falls　Rome；　falls　the　world。〃　
　　Next　morning　Ann　was　having　another　warm　martini　at　breakfast；　and　still　plaining　that　there　was　not　a　scrap　of　ice　in　New　York　City。　They　urged　him　to　stay　longer；　they　urged　him　even　to　stay　permanently。　He　could　certainly　find　himself　a　girl　somewhere　in　New　York；　they　said；　she　would　make　a　fourth　for　bridge。　They　were　the　pleasantest　people　he　had　found　since　the　catastrophe。　Yet　he　had　no　desire　to　stay　there　with　them；　even　if　he　could　locate　a　girl　for　a　fourth　at　bridge…and　other　things。　No；　he　decided；　he　would　strike　back　for　the　West　again。　
　　But　as　he　drove　off　and　they　stood　at　the　entryway　of　the　apartment…house　and　waved　to　him；　he　almost　turned　back　to　stay　a　while　longer。　He　liked　them；　and　he　pitied　them。　He　hated　to　think　what　would　happen　when　winter　struck；　and　the　deep　canyons　between　the　buildings　were　clogged　with　snow　and　the　north　wind　whistled　down　the　groove　of　Broadway。　There　would　be　no　central　heating　in　New　York　City　that　winter；　though　indeed　there　would　be　plenty　of　ice；　and　no　need　to　drink　warm　martinis。　
　　He　doubted　whether　they　could　survive　the　winter；　even　though　they　piled　broken　furniture　into　the　fireplace。　Some　accident　would　quite　likely　overtake　them；　or　pneumonia　might　strike　them　down。　They　were　like　the　highly　bred　spaniels　and　pekinese　who　at　the　end　of　their　leashes　had　once　walked　along　the　city　streets。　Milt　and　Ann；　too；　were　city…dwellers；　and　when　the　city　died；　they　would　hardly　survive　without　it。　They　would　pay　the　penalty　which　in　the　history　of　the　world；　he　knew；　had　always　been　inflicted　upon　organisms　which　specialized　too　highly。　Milt　and　Ann…the　owner　of　a　jewelry　store；　a　salesgirl　for　perfumes…they　had　specialized　until　they　could　no　longer　adapt　themselves　to　new　conditions。　They　were　almost　at　the　other　end　of　the　scale　from　those　Negroes　in　Arkansas　who　had　so　easily　gone　back　to　the　primitive　way　of　living　on　the　land。　
　　The　Drive　curved；　and　he　knew　that　they　would　now　be　out　of　his　sight；　even　if　he　turned　around。　He　felt　the　warmth　and　fullness　of　tears　in　his　eyes…Good…bye；　Milt　and　Ann！　
　　
　　Chapter　5
　　Headed　west…going　home；　as　he　still　thought　of　it…he　felt　often　as　if　he　were　on　a　leisurely　camping　trip。　A　man　and　his　dog　drove　in　a　car；　and　the　days　slipped　by　uneventfully。　
　　He　crossed　the　rich　farmlands　of　eastern　Pennsylvania　where　the　ripe　unharvested　wheat　was　golden　brown　and　the　　stood　shoulder…high。　When　he　came　to　the　empty　Turnpike；　he　stepped　hard　on　the　accelerator；　and　steered　deliriously　around　the　neatly　banked　curves　at　eighty　and　ninety　miles　an　hour；　careless　of　danger；　intoxicated　with　the　mere　joy　of　speed。　He　went　on　into　Ohio。　
　　By　now　gas…pressure　had　failed　almost　everywhere；　but　he　picked　up　a　two…burner　gasoline　stove　which　functioned　perfectly。　When　the　weather　was　fine；　he　merely　camped　in　the　woods；　and　built　himself　a　fire。　Tinned　goods；　salvaged　from　stores；　still　remained　the　basis　of　his　diet；　but　he　foraged　in　the　cornfields；　and　took　vegetables　and　fruit　when　he　could　find　any。　
　　He　would　have　enjoyed　some　eggs；　but　chickens　seemed　to　have　vanished　pletely。　He　saw　no　ducks　either。　Weasels；　cats；　and　rats；　he　imagined；　had　cleaned　out　this　smaller　poultry；　grown　too　stupid　under　long　domestication　to　live　without　protection。　Once；　however；　he　heard　the　raucous　call　of　guinea…fowl；　and　twice　he　saw　geese　calmly　floating　in　barnyard　ponds。　He　shot　one　of　them；　but　found　he　had　had　the　bad　luck　to　bag　an　old　gander；　too　tough　to　be　made　palatable　by　any　campfire　cookery。　He　often　saw　turkeys　in　the　woods；　and　occasionally　shot　one。　If　Princess　had　been　a　bird…dog；　he　might　have　tried　for　partridges　and　pheasants；　and　though　she　departed　hot　on　the　trail　of　innumerable　rabbits；　she　never　brought　one