Повелитель мух
Beast from Water
PiggywassoclosethatRalphcouldseetheglintofhisoneglass.
"There’sthefire.Can’ttheysee?"
"Yougottobetoughnow.Make’emdowhatyouwant."
Ralphansweredinthecautiousvoiceofonewhorehearsesatheorem.
"IfIblowtheconchandtheydon’tcomeback;thenwe’vehadit.Weshan’tkeepthefiregoing.We’llbelikeanimals.We’llneverberescued."
"Ifyoudon’tblow,we’llsoonbeanimalsanyway.Ican’tseewhatthey’redoingbutIcanhear."
Thedispersedfigureshadcometogetheronthesandandwereadenseblackmassthatrevolved.Theywerechantingsomethingandlittlunsthathadhadenoughwerestaggeringaway,howling.Ralphraisedtheconchtohislipsandthenloweredit.
"Thetroubleis:Arethereghosts,Piggy?Orbeasts?"
"Coursetherearen’t."
"Whynot?"
"’Costhingswouldn’tmakesense.Housesan’streets,an’—TV—theywouldn’twork."
Thedancing,chantingboyshadworkedthemselvesawaytilltheirsoundwasnothingbutawordlessrhythm.
"Buts’posetheydon’tmakesense?Nothere,onthisisland?Supposingthingsarewatchingusandwaiting?"
