День триффидов
Conference
Josellasaid:
"Ifyouwereawomanwhowasgoingtospendanhourortwobeforeyouwenttosleeptonightconsideringwhetheryouwouldchoosebabiesandanorganizationtolookafteryouoradherencetoaprinciplewhichmightquitelikelymeannobabiesandnoonetolookafteryou,you’dnotreallybeverydoubtful,youknow.Andafterall,mostwomenwantbabiesanyway—thehusband’sjustwhatDr.Vorlessmightcallthelocalmeanstotheend."
"That’srathercynicalofyou."
"Ifyoureallythinkthat’scynical,youmustbeaverysentimentalcharacter.I’mtalkingaboutrealwomen,notthoseintheworld."
"Oh,"Isaid.
Shesatpensivelyawhile,andgraduallyacquiredafrown.Atlastshesaid;
"Thethingthatworriesmeishowmanywilltheyexpect?Ilikebabies,allright,buttherearelimits."
Afterthedebatehadgoneonraggedlyforanhourorsoitwaswoundup.Michaelaskedthatthenamesofallthosewillingtojoininhisplanshouldbeleftinhisofficebyteno’clockthenextmorning.TheColonelrequestedallwhocoulddriveatrucktoreporttohimby700hours,andthemeetingbrokeup.
JosellaandIwanderedoutofdoors.Theeveningwasmild.Thelightonthetowerwasagainstabbinghopefullyintothesky.Themoonhadjustrisenclearofthemuseumroof.Wefoundalowwallandsatonit,lookingintotheshadowsoftheSquaregardenandlisteningtothefaintsoundofthewindinthebranchesofthetreesthere.Wesmokedacigaretteeachalmostinsilence.
