Повелитель мух
A View to a Death
Hesawhowpitilesslythelayersofrubberandcanvasheldtogetherthepoorbodythatshouldberottingaway.Thenthewindblewagainandthefigurelifted,bowed,andbreathedfoullyathim.Simonkneltonallfoursandwassicktillhisstomachwasempty.Thenhetookthelinesinhishands;hefreedthemfromtherocksandthefigurefromthewind’sindignity.
Atlastheturnedawayandlookeddownatthebeaches.Thefirebytheplatformappearedtobeout,oratleastmakingnosmoke.Furtheralongthebeach,beyondthelittleriverandnearagreatslabofrock,athintrickleofsmokewasclimbingintothesky.Simon,forgetfuloftheflies,shadedhiseyeswithbothhandsandpeeredatthesmoke.Evenatthatdistanceitwaspossibletoseethatmostoftheboys—perhapsalloftheboys—werethere.Sotheyhadshiftedcampthen,awayfromthebeast.AsSimonthoughtthis,heturnedtothepoorbrokenthingthatsatstinkingbyhisside.Thebeastwasharmlessandhorrible;andthenewsmustreachtheothersassoonaspossible.Hestarteddownthemountainandhislegsgavebeneathhim.Evenwithgreatcarethebesthecoulddowasastagger.
"Bathing,"saidRalph,"that’stheonlythingtodo."Piggywasinspectingthelooming-skythroughhisglass."Idon’tlikethemclouds.Rememberhowitrainedjustafterwelanded?"
"Goingtorainagain."
Ralphdivedintothepool.Acoupleoflittlunswereplayingattheedge,tryingtoextractcomfortfromawetnesswarmerthanblood.Piggytookoffhisglasses,steppedprimlyintothewaterandthenputthemonagain.Ralphcametothesurfaceandsquirtedajetofwaterathim.
