О дивный новый мир

           ThecrowdsthatdailyleftLondon,leftitonlytoplayElectro?magneticGolforTennis.Puttenhampossessednolinks;thenearestRiemann-surfaceswereatGuildford.Flowersandalandscapeweretheonlyattractionshere.Andso,astherewasnogoodreasonforcoming,nobodycame.DuringthefirstdaystheSavagelivedaloneandundisturbed.

           Ofthemoneywhich,onhisfirstarrival,Johnhadreceivedforhispersonalexpenses,mosthadbeenspentonhisequipment.BeforeleavingLondonhehadboughtfourviscose-woollenblankets,ropeandstring,nails,glue,afewtools,matches(thoughheintendedinduecoursetomakeafiredrill),somepotsandpans,twodozenpacketsofseeds,andtenkilogrammesofwheatflour."No,notsyntheticstarchandcotton-wasteflour-substitute,"hehadinsisted."Eventhoughitismorenourishing."Butwhenitcametopan-glandularbiscuitsandvitaminizedbeef-surrogate,hehadnotbeenabletoresisttheshopman’spersuasion.Lookingatthetinsnow,hebitterlyreproachedhimselfforhisweakness.Loathesomecivilizedstuff!Hehadmadeuphismindthathewouldnevereatit,evenifhewerestarving."That’llteachthem,"hethoughtvindictively.Itwouldalsoteachhim.

           Hecountedhismoney.Thelittlethatremainedwouldbeenough,hehoped,totidehimoverthewinter.Bynextspring,hisgardenwouldbeproducingenoughtomakehimindependentoftheoutsideworld.Meanwhile,therewouldalwaysbegame.Hehadseenplentyofrabbits,andtherewerewaterfowlontheponds.