День триффидов
Rendezvous
"Thesepeopleherehavegotjustasmuchbloodyrighttoliveasyouhave,haven’tthey?It’snottheirfaultthey’reblind,isit?It’snobody’sfault—butit’sgoingtobeyourfaultiftheystarve,andyouknowit."
Hisvoicewasacuriousmixtureoftheroughandtheeducated,sothatitwashardtoplacehim—asthoughneitherstyleseemedquitenaturaltohim,somehow.
"I’vebeenshowingthemwheretogetfood.I’vebeendoingwhatIcanforthem,but,Christ,there’sonlyoneofme,andthere’sthousandsofthem.Youcouldbeshowing‘emwheretogetfood,too—butareyou?—hell!Whatareyoudoingaboutit?Damnall,that’swhat.Justlookafteryourownlousyskins.I’vemetyourkindbefore.It’s‘Damnyou,Jack,I’mallright’—that’syourmotto."
Hespatwithcontemptandraisedalong,oratoricalarm.
"Outthere,"hesaid,wavinghishandtowardLondonatlarge,"outtheretherearethousandsofpoordevilsonlywantingsomeonetoshowthemhowtogetthefoodthat’sthereforthetaking.Andyoucoulddoit.Allyou’vegottodoisshowthem.Butdoyou?Doyou,youbuggers?No,what
youdoisshutyourselvesinhereandletthembloodywellstarvewheneachoneofyoucouldkeephundredsalivebydoingnomorethancomingoutandshowingthepoorsodswheretogetthegrub.Godalmighty,aren’tyoupeoplehuman?"
Theman’svoicewasviolent.Hehadacasetoput,andhewasputtingitpassionately.IfeltJosella’shandunconsciouslyclutchingmyarm,andIputmybandoverhers.
