Алая чума
Chapter 2
Andacrossthebay—wherewecampedlastyear,evenmorepeoplelived,clearfromPointRichmond,onthelevelgroundandonthehills,allthewayaroundtoSanLeandro—onegreatcityofsevenmillionpeople. —Seventeeth...there,that’sit,sevenmillions.”
Againtheboys’eyesrangedupanddownfromEdwin’sfingerstotheteethonthelog.
“Theworldwasfullofpeople. Thecensusof2010gaveeightbillionsforthewholeworld—eightcrab-shells,yes,eightbillions. Itwasnotliketo-day. Mankindknewagreatdealmoreaboutgettingfood. Andthemorefoodtherewas,themorepeopletherewere. Intheyear1800,therewereonehundredandseventymillionsinEuropealone. Onehundredyearslater—agrainofsand,Hoo-Hoo—onehundredyearslater,at1900,therewerefivehundredmillionsinEurope—fivegrainsofsand,Hoo-Hoo,andthisonetooth. Thisshowshoweasywasthegettingoffood,andhowmenincreased. Andintheyear2000therewerefifteenhundredmillionsinEurope. Anditwasthesameallovertherestoftheworld. Eightcrab-shellsthere,yes,eightbillionpeoplewerealiveontheearthwhentheScarletDeathbegan.
“IwasayoungmanwhenthePlaguecame—twenty-sevenyearsold;andIlivedontheothersideofSanFranciscoBay,inBerkeley. Yourememberthosegreatstonehouses,Edwin,whenwecamedownthehillsfromContraCosta? ThatwaswhereIlived,inthosestonehouses. IwasaprofessorofEnglishliterature.”
Muchofthiswasovertheheadsoftheboys,buttheystrovetocomprehenddimlythistaleofthepast.
