Алая чума
Chapter 4
AnditwasinthiscarthatIthreadedthestreetsoftheruinedcityandcamebacktothesurvivorsonthecampus. Theotherscoutsreturned,butnonehadbeensofortunate. ProfessorFairmeadhadfoundaShetlandpony,butthepoorcreature,tiedinastableandabandonedfordays,wassoweakfromwantoffoodandwaterthatitcouldcarrynoburdenatall. Someofthemenwereforturningitloose,butIinsistedthatweshouldleaditalongwithus,sothat,ifwegotoutoffood,wewouldhaveittoeat.
“Therewereforty-sevenofuswhenwestarted,manybeingwomenandchildren. ThePresidentoftheFaculty,anoldmantobeginwith,andnowhopelesslybrokenbytheawfulhappeningsofthepastweek,rodeinthemotorcarwithseveralyoungchildrenandtheagedmotherofProfessorFairmead. Wathope,ayoungprofessorofEnglish,whohadagrievousbullet-woundinhisleg,drovethecar. Therestofuswalked,ProfessorFairmeadleadingthepony.
“Itwaswhatshouldhavebeenabrightsummerday,butthesmokefromtheburningworldfilledthesky,throughwhichthesunshonemurkily,adullandlifelessorb,blood-redandominous. Butwehadgrownaccustomedtothatblood-redsun. Withthesmokeitwasdifferent. Itbitintoournostrilsandeyes,andtherewasnotoneofuswhoseeyeswerenotbloodshot. Wedirectedourcoursetothesoutheastthroughtheendlessmilesofsuburbanresidences,travellingalongwherethefirstswellsoflowhillsrosefromtheflatofthecentralcity. Itwasbythisway,only,thatwecouldexpecttogainthecountry.
