День триффидов

           Justthentherewasnooneinsight,thoughinthedistanceIcouldhearapervasivemurmurofvoices.Therewasasoundofshufflingfootsteps,too,andoccasionallyaloudervoiceechoinghollowlyinthecorridors,butnothinglikethedinIhadshutoutbefore.ThistimeIdidnotshout.Isteppedoutcautiously-whycautiously?Idon’tknow.Therewasjustsomethingthatinducedit.

           Itwasdifficultinthatreverberatingbuildingtotellwherethesoundswerecomingfrom,butonewaythepassagefinishedatanobscuredFrenchwindow,withtheshadowofabalconyrailuponit,soIwenttheother.Roundingacorner,Ifoundmyselfoutoftheprivate-roomwingandonabroadercorridor.

           Atthefarendofthewidecorridorwerethedoorsofaward.Thepanelswerefrostedsaveforovalsofclearglassatfacelevel,

           Iopenedthedoor.Itwasprettydarkinthere.Thecurtainshadevidentlybeendrawnafterthepreviousnight’sdisplaywasover-andtheywerestilldrawn.

           "Sister?"Iinquired.

           "Sheain’t’ere,"aman’svoicesaid."What’smore,"itwenton,

           "sheain’tbeen’ere’forruddyhours,neither.Can’tyoupullthemruddycurtains,mate,andlet’s’avesomeflippin’light?Don’tknowwhat’scomeoverthebloodyplacethismorning."

           "Okay,"Iagreed.

           Evenifthewholeplaceweredisorganized,itdidn’tseemtobeanygoodreasonwhytheunfortunatepatientsshouldhavetolieinthedark.