chapter two fire on the mountain by the time ralph finished blowing the conch the platform was crowded there were differences between this meeting and the one held in the morning the afternoon sun slanted in from the other side of the platform and most of the children feeling too late the smart of sunburn had put their clothes on the choir noticeably less of a group had discarded their cloaks ralph sat on a fallen trunk his left side to the sun on his right were most of the choir on his left the larger boys who had not known each other before the evacuation before him small children squatted in the grass silence now ralph lifted the cream and pink shell to his knees and a sudden breeze scattered light over the platform he was uncertain whether to stand up or remain sitting he looked sideways to his left toward the bathing pool piggy was sitting near but giving no help ralph cleared his throat well then all at once he found he could talk fluently and explain what he had to say he passed a hand through his fair hair and spoke were on an island weve been on the mountain top and seen water all round we saw no houses no smoke no footprints no boats no people were on an uninhabited island with no other people on it jack broke in all the same you need an army for hunting hunting pigs yes there are pigs on the island all three of them tried to convey the sense of the pink live thing struggling in the creepers we saw squealing it broke away before i could kill it but next time jack slammed his knife into a trunk and looked round challengingly the meeting settled down again so you see said ralph we need hunters to get us meat and another thing he lifted the shell on his knees and looked round the sun slashed faces there arent any grownups we shall have to look after ourselves the meeting hummed and was silent and another thing we cant have everybody talking at once well have to have hands up like at school he held the conch before his face and glanced round the mouth then ill give him the conch conch thats what this shells called i ll give the conch to the next person to speak he can hold it when hes speaking but look and he wont be interrupted except by me jack was on his feet well have rules he cried excitedly lots of rules then when anyone breaks em whee oh wacco bong doink ralph felt the conch lifted from his lap then piggy was standing cradling the great cream shell and the shouting died down jack left on his feet looked uncertainly at ralph who smiled and patted the log jack sat down piggy took off his glasses and blinked at the assembly while he wiped them on his shirt youre hindering ralph youre not letting him get to the most important thing he paused effectively who knows were here eh they knew at the airport the man with a trumpet thing my dad piggy put on his glasses nobody knows where we are said piggy he was paler than before and breathless perhaps they knew where we was going to and perhaps not but they dont know where we are cos we never got there he gaped at them for a moment then swayed and sat down ralph took the conch from his hands thats what i was going to say he went on when you all all he gazed at their intent faces the plane was shot down in flames nobody knows where we are we may be here a long time the silence was so complete that they could hear the unevenness of piggys breathing the sun slanted in and lay golden over half the platform the breezes that on the lagoon had chased their tails like kittens were finding then way across the platform and into the forest ralph pushed back the tangle of fair hair that hung on his forehead so we may be here a long time nobody said anything he grinned suddenly but this is a good island we jack simon and me we climbed the mountain its wizard theres food and drink and rocks blue flowers piggy partly recovered pointed to the conch in ralphs hands and jack and simon fell silent ralph went on while were waiting we can have a good time on this island he gesticulated widely its like in a book at once there was a clamor treasure island swallows and amazons coral island ralph waved the conch this is our island its a good island until the grownups come to fetch us well have fun jack held out his hand for the conch theres pigs he said theres food and bathing water in that little stream along there and everything didnt anyone find anything else he handed the conch back to ralph and sat down apparently no one had found anything the older boys first noticed the child when he resisted there was a group of little boys urging him forward and he did not want to go he was a shrimp of a boy about six years old and one side of his face was blotted out by a mulberry colored birthmark he stood now warped out of the perpendicular by the fierce light of publicity and he bored into the coarse grass with one toe he was muttering and about to cry the other little boys whispering but serious pushed him toward ralph all right said ralph come on then the small boy looked round in panic speak up the small boy held out his hands for the conch and the assembly shouted with laughter at once he snatched back his hands and started to cry let him have the conch shouted piggy let him have it at last ralph induced him to hold the shell but by then the blow of laughter had taken away the childs voice piggy knelt by him one hand on the great shell listening and interpreting to the assembly he wants to know what youre going to do about the snake thing ralph laughed and the other boys laughed with him the small boy twisted further into himself tell us about the snake thing now he says it was a beastie beastie a snake thing ever so big he saw it where in the woods either the wandering breezes or perhaps the decline of the sun allowed a little coolness to lie under the trees the boys felt it and stirred restlessly you couldnt have a beastie a snake thing on an island this size ralph explained kindly you only get them in big countries like africa or india murmur and the grave nodding of heads he says the beastie came in the dark then he couldnt see it laughter and cheers did you hear that says he saw the thing in the dark he still says he saw the beastie it came and went away again an came back and wanted to eat him he was dreaming laughing ralph looked for confirmation round the ring of faces the older boys agreed but here and there among the little ones was the doubt that required more than rational assurance he must have had a nightmare stumbling about among all those creepers more grave nodding they knew about nightmares he says he saw the beastie the snake thing and will it come back tonight but there isnt a beastie he says in the morning it turned into them things like ropes in the trees and hung in the branches he says will it come back tonight but there isnt a beastie there was no laughter at all now and more grave watching ralph pushed both hands through his hair and looked at the little boy in mixed amusement and exasperation jack seized the conch ralphs right of course there isnt a snake thing but if there was a snake wed hunt it and kill it were going to hunt pigs to get meat for everybody and well look for the snake too but there isnt a snake well make sure when we go hunting ralph was annoyed and for the moment defeated he felt himself facing something ungraspable the eyes that looked so intently at him were without humor but there isnt a beast something he had not known was there rose in him and compelled him to make the point loudly and again but i tell you there isnt a beast the assembly was silent ralph lifted the conch again and his good humor came back as he thought of what he had to say next now we come to the most important thing ive been thinking i was thinking while we were climbing the mountain he flashed a conspiratorial grin at the other two and on the beach just now this is what i thought we want to have fun and we want to be rescued the passionate noise of agreement from the assembly hit him like a wave and he lost his thread he thought again we want to be rescued and of course we shall be rescued voices babbled the simple statement unbacked by any proof but the weight of ralphs new authority brought light and happiness he had to wave the conch before he could make them hear him my fathers in the navy he said there arent any unknown islands left he says the queen has a big room full of maps and all the islands in the world are drawn there so the queens got a picture of this island again came the sounds of cheerfulness and better heart and sooner or later a ship will put in here it might even be daddys ship so you see sooner or later we shall be rescued he paused with the point made the assembly was lifted toward safety by his words they liked and now respected him spontaneously they began to clap and presently the platform was loud with applause ralph flushed looking sideways at piggys open admiration and then the other way at jack who was smirking and showing that he too knew how to clap ralph waved the conch shut up wait listen he went on in the silence borne on his triumph theres another thing we can help them to find us if a ship comes near the island they may not notice us so we must make smoke on top of the mountain we must make a fire a fire make a fire at once half the boys were on their feet jack clamored among them the conch forgotten come on follow me the space under the palm trees was full of noise and movement ralph was on his feet too shouting for quiet but no one heard him all at once the crowd swayed toward the island and was gone following jack even the tiny children went and did their best among the leaves and broken branches ralph was left holding the conch with no one but piggy piggys breathing was quite restored like kids he said scornfully acting like a crowd of lads ralph looked at him doubtfully and laid the conch on the tree trunk i bet its gone tea time said piggy what do they think theyre going to do on that mountain he caressed the shell respectfully then stopped and looked up ralph hey where you going ralph was already clambering over the first smashed swathes of the scar a long way ahead of him was crashing and laughter piggy watched him in disgust like a crowd of lads he sighed bent and laced up his shoes the noise of the errant assembly faded up the mountain then with the martyred expression of a parent who has to keep up with the senseless ebullience of the children he picked up the conch turned toward the forest and began to pick his way over the tumbled scar below the other side of the mountain top was a platform of forest once more ralph found himself making the cupping gesture down there we could get as much wood as we want jack nodded and pulled at his underlip starting perhaps a hundred feet below them on the steeper side of the mountain the patch might have been designed expressly for fuel trees forced by the damp heat found too little soil for full growth fell early and decayed creepers cradled them and new saplings searched a way up jack turned to the choir who stood ready their black caps of maintenance were slid over one ear like berets well build a pile come on they found the likeliest path down and began tugging at the dead wood and the small boys who had reached the top came sliding too till everyone but piggy was busy most of the wood was so rotten that when they pulled it broke up into a shower of fragments and woodlice and decay but some trunks came out in one piece the twins sam n eric were the first to get a likely log but they could do nothing till ralph jack simon roger and maurice found room for a hand hold then they inched the grotesque dead thing up the rock and toppled it over on top each party of boys added a quota less or more and the pile grew at the return ralph found himself alone on a limb with jack and they grinned at each other sharing this burden once more amid the breeze the shouting the slanting sunlight on the high mountain was shed that glamour that strange invisible light of friendship adventure and content almost too heavy jack grinned back not for the two of us together joined in effort by the burden they staggered up the last steep of the mountain together they chanted one two three and crashed the log on to the great pile then they stepped back laughing with triumphant pleasure so that immediately ralph had to stand on his head below them boys were still laboring though some of the small ones had lost interest and were searching this new forest for fruit now the twins with unsuspected intelligence came up the mountain with armfuls of dried leaves and dumped them against the pile one by one as they sensed that the pile was complete the boys stopped going back for more and stood with the pink shattered top of the mountain around them breath came evenly by now and sweat dried ralph and jack looked at each other while society paused about them the shameful knowledge grew in them and they did not know how to begin confession ralph spoke first crimson in the face will you he cleared his throat and went on will you light the fire now the absurd situation was open jack blushed too he began to mutter vaguely you rub two sticks you rub he glanced at ralph who blurted out the last confession of incompetence has anyone got any matches you make a bow and spin the arrow said roger he rubbed his hands in mime psss psss a little air was moving over the mountain piggy came with it in shorts and shirt laboring cautiously out of the forest with the evening sunlight gleaming from his glasses he held the conch under his arm ralph shouted at him piggy have you got any matches the other boys took up the cry till the mountain rang piggy shook his head and came to the pile my youve made a big heap havent you jack pointed suddenly his specs use them as burning glasses piggy was surrounded before he could back away here let me go his voice rose to a shriek of terror as jack snatched the glasses off his face mind out give em back i can hardly see youll break the conch ralph elbowed him to one side and knelt by the pile stand out of the light there was pushing and pulling and officious cries ralph moved the lenses back and forth this way and that till a glossy white image of the declining sun lay on a piece of rotten wood almost at once a thin trickle of smoke rose up and made him cough jack knelt too and blew gently so that the smoke drifted away thickening and a tiny name appeared the flame nearly invisible at first in that bright sunlight enveloped a small twig grew was enriched with color and reached up to a branch which exploded with a sharp crack the flame flapped higher and the boys broke into a cheer my specs howled piggy give me my specs ralph stood away from the pile and put the glasses into piggy s groping hands his voice subsided to a mutter jus blurs thats all hardly see my hand the boys were dancing the pile was so rotten and now so tinder dry that whole limbs yielded passionately to the yellow flames that poured upwards and shook a great beard of flame twenty feet in the air for yards round the fire the heat was like a blow and the breeze was a river of sparks trunks crumbled to white dust ralph shouted more wood all of you get more wood life became a race with the fire and the boys scattered through the upper forest to keep a clean flag of flame flying on the mountain was the immediate end and no one looked further even the smallest boys unless fruit claimed them brought little pieces of wood and threw them in the air moved a little faster and became a light wind so that leeward and windward side were clearly differentiated on one side the air was cool but on the other the fire thrust out a savage arm of heat that crinkled hair on the instant boys who felt the evening wind on their damp faces paused to enjoy the freshness of it and then found they were exhausted they flung themselves down in the shadows that lay among the shattered rocks the beard of flame diminished quickly then the pile fell inwards with a soft cindery sound and sent a great tree of sparks upwards that leaned away and drifted downwind the boys lay panting like dogs ralph raised his head off his forearms that was no good roger spat efficiently into the hot dust what dyou mean there wasnt any smoke only flame piggy had settled himself in a space between two rocks and sat with the conch on his knees we havent made a fire he said whats any use we couldnt keep a fire like that going not if we tried a fat lot you tried said jack contemptuously you just sat we used his specs said simon smearing a black cheek with his forearm he helped that way i got the conch said piggy indignantly you let me speak the conch doesnt count on top of the mountain said jack so you shut up i got the conch in my hand put on green branches said maurice thats the best way to make smoke i got the conch jack turned fiercely you shut up piggy wilted ralph took the conch from him and looked round the circle of boys weve got to have special people for looking after the fire any day there may be a ship out there he waved his arm at the taut wire of the horizon and if we have a signal going theyll come and take us off and another thing we ought to have more rules where the conch is thats a meeting the same up here as down there they assented piggy opened his mouth to speak caught jacks eye and shut it again jack held out his hands for the conch and stood up holding the delicate thing carefully in his sooty hands i agree with ralph weve got to have rules and obey them after all were not savages were english and the english are best at everything so weve got to do the right things he turned to ralph ralph ill split up the choir my hunters that is into groups and well be responsible for keeping the fire going this generosity brought a spatter of applause from the boys so that jack grinned at them then waved the conch for silence well let the fire burn out now who would see smoke at night time anyway and we can start the fire again whenever we like altos you can keep the fire going this week and trebles the next the assembly assented gravely and well be responsible for keeping a lookout too if we see a ship out there they followed the direction of his bony arm with their eyes well put green branches on then therell be more smoke they gazed intently at the dense blue of the horizon as if a little silhouette might appear there at any moment the sun in the west was a drop of burning gold that slid nearer and nearer the sill of the world all at once they were aware of the evening as the end of light and warmth roger took the conch and looked round at them gloomily ive been watching the sea there hasnt been the trace of a ship perhaps well never be rescued a murmur rose and swept away ralph took back the conch i said before well be rescued sometime weve just got to wait thats all daring indignant piggy took the conch thats what i said i said about our meetings and things and then you said shut up his voice lifted into the whine of virtuous recrimination they stirred and began to shout him down you said you wanted a small fire and you been and built a pile like a hayrick if i say anything cried piggy with bitter realism you say shut up but if jack or maurice or simon he paused in the tumult standing looking beyond them and down the unfriendly side of the mountain to the great patch where they had found dead wood then he laughed so strangely that they were hushed looking at the flash of his spectacles in astonishment they followed his gaze to find the sour joke you got your small fire all right smoke was rising here and there among the creepers that festooned the dead or dying trees as they watched a flash of fire appeared at the root of one wisp and then the smoke thickened small flames stirred at the trunk of a tree and crawled away through leaves and brushwood dividing and increasing one patch touched a tree trunk and scrambled up like a bright squirrel the smoke increased sifted rolled outwards the squirrel leapt on the wings of the wind and clung to another standing tree eating downwards beneath the dark canopy of leaves and smoke the fire laid hold on the forest and began to gnaw acres of black and yellow smoke rolled steadily toward the sea at the sight of the flames and the irresistible course of the fire the boys broke into shrill excited cheering the flames as though they were a kind of wild life crept as a jaguar creeps on its belly toward a line of birch like saplings that fledged an outcrop of the pink rock they flapped at the first of the trees and the branches grew a brief foliage of fire the heart of flame leapt nimbly across the gap between the trees and then went swinging and flaring along the whole row of them beneath the capering boys a quarter of a mile square of forest was savage with smoke and flame the separate noises of the fire merged into a drum roll that seemed to shake the mountain you got your small fire all right startled ralph realized that the boys were falling still and silent feeling the beginnings of awe at the power set free below them the knowledge and the awe made him savage oh shut up i got the conch said piggy in a hurt voice i got a right to speak they looked at him with eyes that lacked interest in what they saw and cocked ears at the drum roll of the fire piggy glanced nervously into hell and cradled the conch we got to let that burn out now and that was our firewood he licked his lips there aint nothing we can do we ought to be more careful im scared jack dragged his eyes away from the fire youre always scared yah fatty i got the conch said piggy bleakly he turned to ralph i got the conch aint i ralph unwillingly ralph turned away from the splendid awful sight whats that the conch i got a right to speak the twins giggled together we wanted smoke now look a pall stretched for miles away from the island all the boys except piggy started to giggle presently they were shrieking with laughter piggy lost his temper i got the conch just you listen the first thing we ought to have made was shelters down there by the beach it wasnt half cold down there in the night but the first time ralph says fire you goes howling and screaming up this here mountain like a pack of kids by now they were listening to the tirade how can you expect to be rescued if you dont put first things first and act proper he took off his glasses and made as if to put down the conch but the sudden motion toward it of most of the older boys changed his mind he tucked the shell under his arm and crouched back on a rock then when you get here you build a bonfire that isnt no use now you been and set the whole island on fire wont we look funny if the whole island burns up cooked fruit thats what well have to eat and roast pork and thats nothing to laugh at you said ralph was chief and you dont give him time to think then when he says something you rush off like like he paused for breath and the fire growled at them and thats not all them kids the little uns who took any notice of em who knows how many we got ralph took a sudden step forward i told you to i told you to get a list of names how could i cried piggy indignantly all by myself they waited for two minutes then they fell in the sea they went into the forest they just scattered everywhere how was i to know which was which ralph licked pale lips then you dont know how many of us there ought to be how could i with them little uns running round like insects then when you three came back as soon as you said make a fire they all ran away and i never had a chance thats enough said ralph sharply and snatched back the conch if you didnt you didnt then you come up here an pinch my specs jack turned on him you shut up and them little uns was wandering about down there where the fire is how dyou know they arent still there piggy stood up and pointed to the smoke and flames a murmur rose among the boys and died away something strange was happening to piggy for he was gasping for breath that little un gasped piggy him with the mark on his face i dont see him where is he now the crowd was as silent as death him that talked about the snakes he was down there a tree exploded in the fire like a bomb tall swathes of creepers rose for a moment into view agonized and went down again the little boys screamed at them snakes snakes look at the snakes in the west and unheeded the sun lay only an inch or two above the sea their faces were lit redly from beneath piggy fell against a rock and clutched it with both hands that little un that had a mark on his face where is he now i tell you i dont see him the boys looked at each other fearfully unbelieving where is he now ralph muttered the reply as if in shame perhaps he went back to the the beneath them on the unfriendly side of the mountain the drum roll continued 10