День триффидов
Rendezvous
IwentintoherroomandlookedalongthescratchIhaddrawnonthesill.Itdid,asshesaid,pointdirectlyatthetower.AndInoticedsomethingmore.Thetowerwasflyingtwoflagsatthesamemast.Onemighthavebeenlefthoistedbychance,buttwomustbeadeliberatesignal:thedaytimeequivalentofthelight.Wedecidedoverbreakfastthatwewouldpostponeourplannedprogramandmakeaninvestigationofthetowerourfirstjobfortheday.
Welefttheapartmentabouthalfanhourlater.AsIhadhoped,thestationwagon,bystandingoutinthemiddleofthestreet,hadescapedtheattentionsofprowlersandwasintact.Withoutdelayingfurther,wedroppedthesuitcasesthatJosellahadacquiredintothebackamongthetriffidgear,andstartedoff.
Fewpeoplewereabout.Presumablywearinessandthechillmtheairhadmadethemawarethatnighthadfallen,andnotmanyhadyetemergedfromwhateversleepingplacestheyhadfound.Thosewhoweretobeseenwerekeepingmoretotheguttersandlesstothewallsthantheyhadonthepreviousday.Mostofthemwerenowholdingsticksorbitsofbrokenwoodwithwhichtheytappedtheirwayalongthecurb.Itmadeforeasiergoingthanbythehousefrontswiththeirentrancesandprojections,andthetappinghaddecreasedthefrequencyofcollisions.
Wethreadedourwaywithlittledifficulty,andafteratimeturnedintoStoreStreettoseetheUniversityTowerattheendofitrisingstraightbeforeus.
"Steady,"saidJosellaasweturnedintotheemptyroad.
