Читать книгу Spiders' War - S. Fowler Wright - Страница 13

CHAPTER X: A QUESTION ABOUT CHILDREN

“Plera spoke as though she were coming with us,” Gleda said, as she and Lemno were packing their bags. “I shouldn’t have thought the women would be so keen on it, seeing how dangerous it’s likely to be. Will there be anyone else from there?”

“I doubt it. There’s only Relf’s father, who’s getting feeble, and his sister, who’s rather lame. But as to the women going, you must remember how hungry they are. I don’t say they’ll all want to go over the river. But there won’t be many round here who won’t get as far as the bank. And I expect they’re hoping for a bit of our meat, which most of them can’t possibly get.”

“How about leaving the children?” As she asked this natural question, it occurred to her for the first time that she had seen none; but, after all, in two homes only— And yet, Destra’s insides had shown signs of—

“The question, he said, “doesn’t arise, except at the rearing-pens, where proper arrangements will doubtless be made. But they are too far away for anyone to join our expedition from that district.”

“You don’t keep your children at home?”

“No. Do you keep yours? But we’ve no law about that now, and every year there are more people who rear them themselves, although it makes their lives harder in many ways.”

“You weren’t allowed to before?”

“Not when we were under the curse of law. It wasn’t likely that a bureaucracy, when it became well established, would leave people to make their own choice in such a vital matter as that. The law was that every young married woman must contribute three children—one every four years—and if she should fail to do that, she would be removed, and the man provided with a more amenable wife.”

“That was hard on her, if she couldn’t.”

“It was expensive, but not as bad as it sounds. People have been adroit in all ages to avoid the worst effects of the laws they are weak enough to let other men lay on their backs. There were many women who liked to produce children—or who made a trade of it—and they would sell them at the best price they could get. It meant that occasional surplus children had to be destroyed, which everyone regretted, but they argued that it was the law, and that respect for law is the foundation of every civilized state. So it may be; and that was why we blew the foundation up.”

“Have you got any children there?”

“Destra had two. She would not keep them here, so they had to go. Their numbers are branded beside the door. In that respect, the old system has been continued, it not being worth anyone’s while to object.”

“But, if I have a child, I can keep it here?”

“Yes. It’s a free country now.”

“I don’t wonder people came to hate laws.”

“Yes. I suppose what they used to call communism in the era I was talking about yesterday will always defeat itself in the end in that way. But it’s a hard road. I’ve got to go out now, and arrange for some of our neighbours to take the canoe. We shall be loaded enough, without that.”