"Are you sure? Really sure, I mean?"

　　I told you a dozen times now," said Ralph, "we saw it."

　　"D'you think we're safe down here?"

　　"How the hell should I know?"

　　Ralph jerked away from him and walked a few paces along the beach. Jack was kneeling and drawing a circular pattern in the sand with his forefinger. Piggy's voice came to them, hushed.

　　"Are you sure? Really?"

　　"Go up and see," said Jack contemptuously, "and good riddance."

　　"No fear."

　　"The beast had teeth," said Ralph, "and big black eyes."

　　He shuddered violently. Piggy took off his one round of glass and polished the surface.

　　"What we going to do?"

　　Ralph turned toward the platform. The conch glimmered among the trees, a white blob against the place where the sun would rise. He pushed back his mop.

　　"I don't know."

　　He remembered the panic flight down the mountainside. "I don't think we'd ever fight a thing that size, honestly, you know. We'd talk but we wouldn't fight a tiger. We'd hide. Even Jack 'ud hide."

　　Jack still looked at the sand.

　　"What about my hunters?"

　　Simon came stealing out of the shadows by the shelters. Ralph ignored Jack's question. He pointed to the touch of yellow above the sea.

　　"As long as there's light we're brave enough. But then? And now that thing squats by the fire as though it didn't want us to be rescued--"

　　He was twisting his hands now, unconsciously. His voice rose.

　　"So we can't have a signal fire. . . . We're beaten."

　　A point of gold appeared above the sea and at once all the sky lightened.

　　"What about my hunters?"

　　"Boys armed with sticks."

　　Jack got to his feet. His face was red as he marched away. Piggy put on his one glass and looked at Ralph.

　　"Now you done it. You been rude about his hunters."

　　"Oh shut up!"

　　The sound of the inexpertly blown conch interrupted them. As though he were serenading the rising sun, Jack went on blowing till the shelters were astir and the hunters crept to the platform and the littluns whimpered as now they so frequently did. Ralph rose obediently, and Piggy, and they went to the platform.

　　"Talk," said Ralph bitterly, "talk, talk, talk."

　　He took the conch from Jack.

　　"This meeting--"

　　Jack interrupted him.

分享到：