Повелитель мух
The Sound of the Shell
"Themfruit,"hesaid, "Iexpect—"
Heputonhisglasses,wadedawayfromRalph, andcroucheddownamongthetangledfoliage.
"I’llbeoutagaininjustaminute—"
Ralphdisentangledhimselfcautiouslyandstoleawaythroughthebranches. Inafewsecondsthefatboy’sgruntswerebehindhim andhewashurryingtowardthescreenthatstilllaybetweenhimandthelagoon. Heclimbedoverabrokentrunk andwasoutofthejungle.
Theshorewasfledgedwithpalmtrees. Thesestoodorleanedorreclinedagainstthelight andtheirgreenfeatherswereahundredfeetupintheair. Thegroundbeneaththemwasabankcoveredwithcoarsegrass, torneverywherebytheupheavalsoffallentrees, scatteredwithdecayingcoconutsandpalmsaplings. Behindthiswasthedarknessoftheforestproperandtheopenspaceofthescar. Ralphstood,onehandagainstagreytrunk, andscreweduphiseyesagainsttheshimmeringwater. Outthere,perhapsamileaway,thewhitesurfflinkedonacoralreef, andbeyondthattheopenseawasdarkblue. Withintheirregulararcofcoralthelagoonwasstillasamountainlake —blueofallshadesandshadowygreenandpurple. Thebeachbetweenthepalmterrace andthewaterwasathinstick,endlessapparently, fortoRalph’slefttheperspectivesofpalmandbeachandwaterdrewtoapointatinfinity; andalways,almostvisible,wastheheat.
Hejumpeddownfromtheterrace. Thesandwasthickoverhisblackshoesandtheheathithim.
