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！
y！〃 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 back to within range of the shotgun。 In the end he began to wonder whether these always invisible rabbits might not be pure figments of her imagination。
Cattle were。 mon in the pastures； but he found the thought of the butchering too unpleasant； and had no great hunger for meat in the hot weather。 He saw occasional small flocks of sheep： When the road went through swampy country； he sometimes almost ran over hogs； which seemed to enjoy stretching out in the shade on the coolness of the deserted concrete pavement。 Lean dogs still haunted the towns。 He rarely saw cats； but he sometimes heard them at night； and so he judged that they had already returned to nocturnal habits。
Avoiding the larger cities； he drove westward…Indiana； Illinois； Iowa…through the fields of tall corn and all the empty little towns； sun…flooded and empty by day； dark and empty by night。 Still he looked for the small things that showed how the wilderness was moving in to take chargethe tiny sprout of a poplar tree standing up in the shaggy grass of a lawn； a telephone wire dangling on the road； the tracks of dried mud where a coon had paused to dip its food in the water of the fountain beneath the statue of the Civil War soldier in front of the court…house。
He came upon people now generally by twos or threes （The isolated molecules were beginning to find one another。） Usually these people were clinging to some little spot that they had known previous to the disaster。 As before； not one of them showed any desire to go away with him； but sometimes they invited him to stay。 He found the offer no temptation。 These people were physically alive； but more and more he realized that they walked about in a kind of emotional death。 He had studied enough anthropology to realize that the same phenomenon had been observed on a smaller scale before。 Destroy the culture…pattem in which people lived； and often the shock was too great for the individuals。 Take away family and job； friends and church； all customary amusements and routines； hope too…and life became walking death。
The Secondary Kill was still at work。 Once he saw a woman whose mind had failed。 The clothes indicated an original prosperity； but now she was scarcely able to care for herself and could certainly not last through a winter。 Several survivors told him of others who had mitted suicide。
As yet； though sometimes he wondered； he himself was conscious of no great strain either of shock or of loneliness。 He attributed this to his maintenance of interest in the whole progress of events； and to his own peculiar temperament。 He thought many times of his qualifications for the new life； as he had once listed them。
Sometimes； while he drove or sat by his fire； erotic images rose to his mind。 He thought of Ann on Riverside Drive； crisp and well…groomed in her blondness。 But she was an exception。 The usual women were ill…kempt and even dirty； their faces blank with mental apathy； except when they laughed hysterically or giggled。 Some of them were obviously approachable；