Повелитель мух
The Sound of the Shell
Theboyssurveyedallthis,thenlookedouttosea.Theywerehighupandtheafternoonhadadvanced;theviewwasnotrobbedofsharpnessbymirage.
"That’sareef.Acoralreef.I’veseenpictureslikethat."
Thereefenclosedmorethanonesideoftheisland,lyingperhapsamileoutandparalleltowhattheynowthoughtofastheirbeach.Thecoralwasscribbledintheseaasthoughagianthadbentdowntoreproducetheshapeoftheislandinaflowingchalklinebuttiredbeforehehadfinished.Insidewaspeacockwater,rocksandweedsshowingasinanaquarium;outsidewasthedarkblueofthesea.Thetidewasrunningsothatlongstreaksoffoamtailedawayfromthereefandforamomenttheyfeltthattheboatwasmovingsteadilyastern.
Jackpointeddown.
"That’swherewelanded."
Beyondfallsandcliffstherewasagashvisibleinthetrees;therewerethesplinteredtrunksandthenthedrag,leavingonlyafringeofpalmbetweenthescarandthesea.There,too,juttingintothelagoon,wastheplatform,withinsect-likefiguresmovingnearit.
Ralphsketchedatwininglinefromthebaldspotonwhichtheystooddownaslope,agully,throughflowers,roundanddowntotherockwherethescarstarted.
"That’sthequickestwayback."
Eyesshining,mouthsopen,triumphant,theysavoredtherightofdomination.Theywereliftedup:werefriends.
