按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ly offer no sure protection。 Once the thing was done； the punishment which they could mete out to Charlie would be mere social vengeance； and no avail against the spread of the diseases。 They had no means of actually imprisoning Charlie； and the weight of all that responsibility； if they should improvise a jail of bars and locks； would be too much for a small munity to enforce indefinitely。 The obvious thing was banishment。 They could merely take him away from the munity and tell him to go on。 He could manage to live well enough。 If he returned； the penalty would be death。
Death…they stirred uneasily even at the mention of it！ Now it had been a long time since there had been either war or execution。 That their society might have to inflict such a final penalty； the very thought was strangely disturbing to all their minds。
〃But what about it？〃 Em seemed to voice all their fears。 〃What if he sneaks back somewhere？ After all； there are only a few of us older people； and he makes friends easily with the younger ones。 What if he makes friends with some of the boys and they protect him？ And he could make friends with some of the girls； too； not necessarily Evie。〃
〃We might take him a long way down the road；〃 said Ezra。 〃We could take him in the jeep and drop him off fifty miles； maybe a hundred miles； away。〃 And then after a pause； he corrected his own judgment。 〃Yes； but still； he could get back easy in a month or so…and then。。。 well； I was just thinking； what would keep him from hanging round with a rifle and bushwhacking one of us。 Oh； maybe the boys could run him down with the dogs afterwards； but one of us would be good and dead anyway！ I don't want to spend the rest of my life being afraid to get within rifle…range of every clump of bushes。〃
〃You can't punish a man for something he ain't done yet；〃 said George stolidly。
〃Why not！〃 said Em sharply。 They all turned quickly toward her； but she was silent。
〃Why。。。 you can't。。。 of course； you can't。〃 George was laboriously stating the case。 〃He's got to do something； and then there's。。。 a joo…rie。 It says so。。。 the law。〃
〃What law？〃
There was a pause； and then the talk shifted away； as if no one quite had the courage to follow Em。
Ish； feeling that he must be fair； brought up another matter。
〃Of course we don't know he really has any diseases at all。 We've no doctor to find out。 Maybe he had something a long time ago。 Maybe he's just boasting。 Some men would！〃
〃That's just it！〃 said Ezra。 〃Not having a doctor； we don't know。 Yes； he might be just boasting。 Do we want to take a chance？ If this thing ever gets started。。。。 Besides； I think the guy is sick。 He moves slow； like something was wearing on him。〃
〃They say sulfa pills work；〃 said Ish； trying still to be fair； to suppress that deep feeling of triumph。
Then； as he looked at George； he was almost appalled at the horror and revulsion that he saw…George； the middle…class citizen； full of superstitions against the 〃social diseases〃； George； the deacon； remembering that text about 〃the sins of the fathers。〃 But Em was speaking：
〃I asked 'What law'？〃 she said。 〃There are the laws in the old law…books still； I guess。 They don't mean much to us； now that things are different。 That old law； like George said…it waited till somebody did something； and then it punished。 But the thing was done。 Can we take that responsibility now？ There are all the children。〃
Suddenly there seemed nothing more to say。 They all sat silent； each considering possibilities。
〃No；〃 Ish found himself thinking； she does not have a philosophy。 She mentions the children and makes it a special case； Yet there is perhaps something deeper even than a philosophy in her。 She is the mother； she thinks close to all the basic things of life。〃
Probably it was not so much a long time that passed as what seemed a long time。 Then Ezra spoke。
〃While we sit here； even…things happen fast these days！ We'd better do something。〃 And then he added； more as if thinking aloud； 〃I saw； in those days…yes； I saw lots of good ones die。 Yes； a lot of good ones have died。 I almost got used to death 。。。 no； never quite。〃
〃Should we take a vote？〃 asked Ish。
〃What on？〃 said George。
Again there was a pause。
〃We can run him out；〃 said Ezra； 〃or 。。。 the other。 We can't imprison him； and what else is there？〃
Then Em faced the issue squarely。
〃We can vote Banishment； or we can vote Death。〃
There was plenty of paper in the living…room desk。 The children enjoyed drawing pictures on it。 After a little hunting around； Em located four pencils。 Ish tore a sheet of paper into four small ballots； kept one himself； and gave one to each of the others。 With four people to vote； there might； of course； be a tie。
Ish took his own slip of paper； and wrote a big B on it； and then paused。
This we do； not hastily； this we do； not in passion； this we do； without hatred。
This is not the battle； when a man strikes fiercely and fear drives him on。 This is not the hot quarrel when two strive for place or the love of a woman。
Knot the rope； whet the ax； pour the poison； pile the faggots。
This is the one who killed his fellow unprovoked； this is the one who stole the child away； this is the one who spat upon the image of our God； this is the one who leagued himself with the Devil to be a witch； this is the one who corrupted our youth； this is the one who told the enemy of our secret places。
We are afraid； but we do not talk of fear。 We have many deep thoughts and doubts； but we do not speak them。 We say； 〃Justice〃； we say； 〃The Law〃； we say； 〃We； the people〃； we say； 〃The State。〃
Still Ish sat with his pencil poised above the B on his slip of paper。 He knew； far within the deeper reaches of his thought； that Charlie's banishment would； in all likelihood； not solve the situation。 Charlie would be back； he was a strong and dangerous man； and could exert much influence upon the younger people。 〃What's the matter？〃 Ish was thinking。 〃Am I still just worrying about the leadership？ Am I worrying that Charlie will replace me？〃 He could not be sure。 Yet； at the same time； he knew that The Tribe faced here something real and dangerous and even dreadful； in the long run threatening its very existence。 In that final realization he knew that he could write only the one word there； out of love and responsibility for his children and grandchildren。 He scratched out the B and wrote the other word。 Its five letters stared back vacantly at him； and then for a moment he had a sudden revulsion of feeling。 Was this ever right？ By writing that word； was he not bringing back into the world all the beginnings of war and tyranny； of the oppression of the individual by the mass； in themselves diseases worse than any which Charlie could carry。 And why did it all have to move so fast？
He started to scratch the word out； but stopped again。 No； he was torn two ways； but he could not quite scratch it。 If Charlie should kill someone； that might make it easier to inflict the final penalty； and yet that was only the old conventional way of thinking。 The eye for the eye； and the tooth for the tooth！ To execute the murderer never brought back the murdered； and was only vengeance。 To be effective； punishment should not be retribution so much as a prevention。
How long had he paused？ He suddenly came to the realization that he was sitting there silent； staring at the paper； while the other three were waiting for him。 After all； his was only one vote； the others could out…vote him； and so he could have his conscience to himself and still Charlie would only be banished。 〃Give me your slips；〃 he said。
They passed them in； and he laid them face up before him on the desk。 Four times he looked； and he read： 〃Death 。。。 death 。。。 death 。。。 death。〃
Chapter 8
They shoveled the dirt back into the grave beneath the oak tree。 They dragged branches and carried heavy stones to cover it； so that what lay beneath would be safe from burrowing coyotes。 After that； they all walked back； the long mile。
They kept close together； as if needing one another's support。 Ish walked among them； swinging his hammer in his tight hand。 He had had no use for the hammer； but still he had taken it along。 Now the downward pull of its weight seemed to keep him firmly on the ground。 He had held it in his hand； like a badge of office； when they had gone to find Charlie and； flanked by the boys' leveled rifles； Ish had said the words and heard Charlie begin to curse obscenely。
Now it would never be the same again。 Ish did not like to think of what had happened； and when he did think of it； he felt a little sick； physically。 Perhaps； if it had not been for George's solidity； they could never have gone through with it finally。 George； with his practical skill； had knotted the rope and set up the ladder。
No； he would never like to think of it in the future； either。 He was sure of that also。 This was an end； and this was also a beginning。 It was the end of those twenty…one years when they had lived； now he thought； in a kind of idyllic state； as it might have been in some old