Covenant Of A Simple Man — Richard Maynard

A group of cave visitors in SW England emerge after some time in the caves, three women and several children including 2 babies, to discover every living thing other than plants are dead, probably from radiation. They soon discover that this extinction of life is widespread, perhaps even global. Later they are joined by a man, a diver from an undersea station. The story deals with their coping with this situation, particularly after they learn that other people have survived in London who they have reason to see as a threat. In due course the man and the only woman left flee England and settle in Greece. Some years later they discover another group of Greek villagers who have goats, dogs and bees. The two groups become close and undertake various projects together including an expedition to Geneva in search of goat semen, and more locally to obtain cotton and flax plants. But inevitably they encounter other survivors including an old foe from England with more aggressive ambitions.