Повелитель мух
Shadows and Tall Trees
Theyweredirty,notwiththespectaculardirtofboyswhohavefallenintomudorbeenbroughtdownhardonarainyday.Notoneofthemwasanobvioussubjectforashower,andyet—hair,muchtoolong,tangledhereandthere,knottedroundadeadleaforatwig;facescleanedfairlywellbytheprocessofeatingandsweatingbutmarkedinthelessaccessibleangleswithakindofshadow;clothes,wornaway,stifflikehisownwithsweat,puton,notfordecorumorcomfortbutoutofcustom;theskinofthebody,scurfywithbrine—
Hediscoveredwithalittlefalloftheheartthattheseweretheconditionshetookasnormalnowandthathedidnotmind.Hesighedandpushedawaythestalkfromwhichhehadstrippedthefruit.Alreadythehunterswerestealingawaytodotheirbusinessinthewoodsordownbytherocks.Heturnedandlookedouttosea.
Here,ontheothersideoftheisland,theviewwasutterlydifferent.Thefilmyenchantmentsofmiragecouldnotendurethecoldoceanwaterandthehorizonwashard,clippedblue.Ralphwandereddowntotherocks.Downhere,almostonalevelwiththesea,youcouldfollowwithyoureyetheceaseless,bulgingpassageofthedeepseawaves.Theyweremileswide,apparentlynotbreakersorthebankedridgesofshallowwater.Theytraveledthelengthoftheislandwithanairofdisregardingitandbeingsetonotherbusiness;theywerelessaprogressthanamomentousriseandfallofthewholeocean.Nowtheseawouldsuckdown,makingcascadesandwaterfallsofretreatingwater,wouldsinkpasttherocksandplasterdowntheseaweedlikeshininghair:then,pausing,gatherandrisewitharoar,irresistiblyswellingoverpointandoutcrop,climbingthelittlecliff,sendingatlastanarmofsurfupagullytoendayardorsofromhiminfingersofspray.
