Повелитель мух
Painted Faces and Long Hair
Hewastheonlyboyontheislandwhosehairneverseemedtogrow.Therestwereshockheaded,butPiggy’shairstilllayinwispsoverhisheadasthoughbaldnesswerehisnaturalstateandthisimperfectcoveringwouldsoongo,likethevelvetonayoungstag’santlers.
"I’vebeenthinking,"hesaid,"aboutaclock.Wecouldmakeasundial.Wecouldputastickinthesand,andthen—"
Theefforttoexpressthemathematicalprocessesinvolvedwastoogreat.Hemadeafewpassesinstead.
"Andanairplane,andaTVset,"saidRalphsourly,"andasteamengine."
Piggyshookhishead.
"Youhavetohavealotofmetalthingsforthat,"hesaid,"andwehaven’tgotnometal.Butwegotastick."
Ralphturnedandsmiledinvoluntarily.Piggywasabore;hisfat,hisass-marandhismatter-of-factideasweredull,buttherewasalwaysalittlepleasuretobegotoutofpullinghisleg,evenifonediditbyaccident.
Piggysawthesmileandmisinterpreteditasfriendliness.TherehadgrownuptacitlyamongthebigunstheopinionthatPiggywasanoutsider,notonlybyaccent,whichdidnotmatter,butbyfat,andass-mar,andspecs,andacertaindisinclinationformanuallabor.Now,findingthatsomethinghehadsaidmadeRalphsmile,herejoicedandpressedhisadvantage.
"Wegotalotofsticks.Wecouldhaveasundialeach.Thenweshouldknowwhatthetimewas."
