Алая чума
Chapter 4
Oftenandoften,duringthenextfewyears,Iscannedtheskyforthem,hopingagainsthopethatsomewhereintheworldcivilizationhadsurvived. Butitwasnottobe. WhathappenedwithusinCaliforniamusthavehappenedwitheverybodyeverywhere.
“Anotherday,andatNilestherewerethreeofus. BeyondNiles,inthemiddleofthehighway,wefoundWathope. Themotorcarhadbrokendown,andthere,ontherugswhichtheyhadspreadontheground,laythebodiesofhissister,hismother,andhimself.
“Weariedbytheunusualexerciseofcontinualwalking,thatnightIsleptheavily. InthemorningIwasaloneintheworld. CanfieldandParsons,mylastcompanions,weredeadoftheplague. OfthefourhundredthatsoughtshelterintheChemistryBuilding,andoftheforty-seventhatbeganthemarch,Ialoneremained—IandtheShetlandpony. Whythisshouldbesothereisnoexplaining. Ididnotcatchtheplague,thatisall. Iwasimmune. Iwasmerelytheoneluckymaninamillion—justaseverysurvivorwasoneinamillion,or,rather,inseveralmillions,fortheproportionwasatleastthat.”
