gns.throwback-第5部分

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extured　vegetable　protein　replacing　the　Sunday　joint　and　just　as　tasty。　His　health；　his　whole　outlook；　improved。　The　big　step　was　looming　up　but　again　he　had　needed　her　to　give　him　a　shove。
　　
　　'We'll　sell　up；　buy　a　smallholding　and　take　our　chance；'　she　told　him　one　evening。
　　
　　'We　don't　have　the　money。'　His　resistance；　his　townie　caution　was　only　to　be　expected。
　　
　　'We　will　have；'　she　smiled；　'when　we　sell　this　place。　Residential　houses　fetch　money　and　there's　a　property　boom　on　at　the　moment。　We'll　get　twenty　grand　for　this　house　even　if　it　is　a　semi。　That　kind　of　money　will　buy　us　a　small　spread　up　in　those　Shropshire　hills　where　land　and　cottages　are　relatively　cheap。　We　don't　have　a　lot　of　mortgage　left　anyway　and　it'll　be　more　of　a　swap　。　。　。　this　house　and　your　job　for　a　smallholding；　and　after　that　it　will　be　up　to　us。'
　　
　　He'd　been　scared；　scared　so　that　he　lay　in　bed　each　night　telling　himself　what　a　bloody　fool　he　was　but　he　didn't　care　because　this　sort　of　artificial　existence　was　no　more　than　ticking　the　years　off；　waiting　for　retirement。　And　when　you　were　retired　all　you　had　left　was　another　period　of　waiting　。　。　。　waiting　to　die。
　　
　　It　had　worked　out。　The　house　had　been　sold　and　they　had　found　a　seven…acre　spread　and　a　tumbledown　cottage　in　the　hills　and　had　even　had　a　thousand　left　over　after　the　mortgage　was　cleared。　But　without　Jackie　he　wouldn't　have　made　it　even　then；　she　had　her　own　ideas　about　farming；　ideas　which　made　them　'cranks'　in　the　eyes　of　the　sparse　local　munity。
　　
　　'Look　at　it　this　way；'　she　told　him　one　night　after　he　had　spent　the　day　propping　up　the　sagging　roof　timbers　in　the　old　stone　cottage。　'If　we　go　in　for　conventional　stock　farming　we'll　be　lucky　to　make　a　thousand　a　year　with　a　few　cattle　and　sheep；　and　that's　providing　we　don't　have　any　mishaps　which　we　probably　will　have　because　we're　only　amateurs；　after　all。'
　　
　　Jon　closed　his　eyes；　waited　for　it。　But；　after　all；　she　had　been　right　about　digging　up　those　lawns。
　　
　　'We'll　start　up　an　organic　farm；'　she　smiled。　'It'll　be　hard　work　but　there's　a　genuine　need　for　the　produce。　Carrots　for　cancer　sufferers；　under　alternative　treatment　they　have　to　drink　three　pints　of　organic　carrot　juice　a　day；　plus　goats'　milk　yoghurt；　so　we'll　keep　goats。　And　garlic；　there's　a　big　demand　for　garlic　but　most　of　it　is　imported。　There's　lots　of　other　lines　we　can　experiment　with　too。　We　won't　make　a　fortune　but　we'll　make　a　living　and　most　important　of　all　we'll　have　our　freedom。'
　　
　　As　usual　Jackie　had　been　right。　It　had　been　hard　work；　very　hard　work；　and　still　was　but　they　had　made　it。　Contrary　to　popular　local　expectations；　they　had　succeeded　in　growing　their　crops　on　a　windswept　slope　1；000　feet　above　sea…ievel；　they　had　built　up　their　own　goat　herd　and　even　had　a　billy　for　stud。　They　still　had　the　old　Citroen　Dyane　but　had　managed　to　buy　a　battered　old　canvas…topped　Land　Rover　for　farm　work　as　well。　That　part　of　it　had　worked　out；　but　somewhere　along　the　way　things　had　gone　wrong　for　Jon　and　Jackie；　they　found　themselves　drifting　apart。　These　last　few　days　Jon　had　tried　to　put　his　finger　on　the　cause　but　it　had　eluded　him。　In　a　way　he　felt　guilty　about　having　Sylvia　in　here　with　him；　occupying　Jackie's　rightful　place　in　a　tiny　haven　of　safety。　It　was　as　though　he　had　traded　his　wife's　life　for　that　of　his　mistress。　If　Sylvia　took　it　into　her　head　to　walk　out　of　here　and　go　on　up　there；　get　herself　all　burned　up　or　whatever；　then　that　was　her　lookout。　No；　it　wasn't；　he'd　do　his　utmost　to　stop　her　because　if　she　went　then　he　would　be　left　alone　and　he　could　not　stand　that。
　　
　　'How　much　longer　do　we　have　to　stay　down　here？'　She　broke　the　long　silence；　asked　a　question　which　he　had　been　asking　himself　these　last　couple　of　days　and　had　not　had　the　courage　to　take　responsibility　for　the　answer。
　　
　　'Another　few　days；　I　guess。'　He　stared　down　at　the　bare　concrete　floor　and　wished　that　he　had　saved　that　old　piece　of　coconut　matting　out　of　the　kitchen　instead　of　burning　it。　Jackie's　motto　was　that　you　never　got　rid　of　anything。　'That　freak　gale　and　rainstorm　last　night　will　have　helped　to　disperse　whatever　was　in　the　atmosphere。'
　　
　　'God！'　Sylvia　covered　her　face　with　her　hands　and　for　a　moment　he　thought　that　she　was　on　the　verge　of　hysteria。　That's　all　I　bloody　need！　But　when　she　looked　up　again　that　expression　of　panic　had　passed。　'It　is　a　nuclear　attack。*　She　spoke　calmly。　'It's　got　to　be；　hasn't　it？'
　　
　　'No。'　He　pursed　his　lips；　shook　his　head　slowly；　a　physics　master　aware　that　he　was　going　to　have　difficulty　getting　a　new　theory　over　to　an　intelligent　and　questioning　class。　'It's　not　a　nuclear　attack。　That　much　was　made　plain　in　the　early　radio　bulletins　before　they　cut　out/
　　
　　Try　the　radio　again。'
　　
　　'I　have。　Nothing　at　all。　Plus　the　fact　the　batteries　are　beginning　to　run　low。　I　should've　stocked　some　spares。　Next　time　I　will。'　He　laughed　at　his　own　joke；　made　it　sound　more　unfunny　than　it　was。
　　
　　Then　what　do　you　think's　happened；　Jon？'
　　
　　'It　can　only　be　one　thing。'　He　watched　her　steadily；　wondered　if　he　should　put　it　into　words；　decided　that　there　really　wasn't　any　point　in　keeping　anything　back。　'I　reckon　it　can　only　be　one　thing。　Germ　warfare^
　　
　　He　saw　her　pale；　it　had　to　be　a　trick　of　the　uncertain　oil　lighting　because　she　had　been　deathly　white　for　days。
　　
　　'How　do　you　know？'　She　asked　the　question　because　she　felt　she　was　expected　to　say　something。
　　
　　'I　don't；　I'm　only　guessing。　The　early　reports　hinted　at　a　radioactive　fall…out　but　they　didn't　know　where　it　was　ing　from。　There　hadn't　been　any　fireball；　any　direct　attack；　nothing　picked　up　on　the　detection　devices。　All　that　was　happening　was　that　people　were　ing　out　in　terrible　skin　rashes　and　their　minds　were　going　blank。　It　spread　faster　than　the　plague　and　I　guess　that　when　the　newsmen　caught　it　that　was　the　end　of　all　means　of　munication。　We're　OK　because　a　shelter　like　this　has　a　far　better　chance　against　micro…organisms　than　it　does　against　radiation。'
　　
　　'But　how　。　。　。　how　would　an　enemy　attack　us　with　these　germs？　Surely　there　would　have　been　some　kind　of　warning？'
　　
　　'I　guess　it's　the　most　deadly　weapon　of　all；　the　one　which　we're　most　vulnerable　to；'　Jon　Quinn　went　on。　'As　you　say；　no　bang；　no　warning。　I　suppose　the　enemy　synchronise　their　agents　to　release　the　micro…organisms　into　the　atmosphere；　say　at　half　a　dozen　strategic　points　in　the　western　part　of　Britain　so　that　the　prevailing　winds　will　spread　the　germs。　You　can't　see　'em；　hear　'em　or　smell　'em　and　they've　got　you　before　you　realise　it。　It　could　be　the　same　story　in　the　States　and　in　Western　Europe。　At　the　moment　we've　no　means　of　finding　out。　But　you　can　bet　there's　a　few　other　survivors　besides　us；　total　annihilation　would　be　an　impossibility　even　for　the　most　ruthless　enemy。　At　the　moment　we've　no　idea　what　the　effects　of　these　diabolical　bugs　are。　Early　reports　seem　to　suggest　that　they　affect　the　skin　and　the　brain　but　nobody　seemed　to　be　dying　as　a　direct　result　of　it！　At　least；　not　right　away。'
　　
　　'It's　horrible。'　Sylvia　shuddered。
　　
　　True；　but　think　of　the　advantages　from　the　enemy's　point　of　view。　Buildings　are　left　intact　and　when　it's　ah　over　the　enemy　just　arrives　and　takes　over。　They　could　have　all　the　slave　labour　they　need；　thousands　of　zombies　at　their　disposal。　And　the　rest　go　to　the　gas　chambers。'
　　
　　'We'd　be　better　off　dead；'　she　groaned。
　　
　　'Well　we're　alive　and　we've　got　to　make　the　most　of　it；'　he　grinned；　hoped　that　he　sounded　optimistic。　'As　I　said；　that　storm　came　from　the　west　and　with　luck　it　will　have　cleared　the　micro…organisms。　We've　got　all　the　food　we　need　so　we're　lucky。　Tomorrow　I'm　going　to　take　a　walk　outside；　see　what's　happened　to　the　livestock。'
　　
　　'I'll　e　with　you；'　she　said；　a　sudden　fear　of　being　left　alone；　suppose　something　happened　to　Jon　and　he　didn't　e　back。
　　
　　'No；'　he　replied。　'If　we　both　go　then　there's　a　double　risk　of　contamination　or　whatever。　I　shan't　go　far；　just　a　quick　look　around　the　holding。　And　if　everything's　OK　then　maybe　we'll　be　able　to　make