Повелитель мух
Fire on the Mountain
"We’vegottohavespecialpeopleforlookingafterthefire.Anydaytheremaybeashipoutthere"—hewavedhisarmatthetautwireofthehorizon—"andifwehaveasignalgoingthey’llcomeandtakeusoff.Andanotherthing.Weoughttohavemorerules.Wheretheconchis,that’sameeting.Thesameuphereasdownthere."
Theyassented.Piggyopenedhismouthtospeak,caughtJack’seyeandshutitagain.Jackheldouthishandsfortheconchandstoodup,holdingthedelicatethingcarefullyinhissootyhands.
"IagreewithRalph.We’vegottohaverulesandobeythem.Afterall,we’renotsavages.We’reEnglish,andtheEnglisharebestateverything.Sowe’vegottodotherightthings."
HeturnedtoRalph.
"Ralph,I’llsplitupthechoir—myhunters,thatis—intogroups,andwe’llberesponsibleforkeepingthefiregoing—"
Thisgenerositybroughtaspatterofapplausefromtheboys,sothatJackgrinnedatthem,thenwavedtheconchforsilence.
"We’llletthefireburnoutnow.Whowouldseesmokeatnight-time,anyway?Andwecanstartthefireagainwheneverwelike.Altos,youcankeepthefiregoingthisweek,andtreblesthenext—"
Theassemblyassentedgravely.
"Andwe’llberesponsibleforkeepingalookouttoo.Ifweseeashipoutthere"—theyfollowedthedirectionofhisbonyarmwiththeireyes—"we’llputgreenbrancheson.Thenthere’llbemoresmoke."
