День триффидов

           IknewIwaslyingonabed,butIdidnotsituptoinvestigatefurther;therewasapistonpoundingawayinmyheadthatdiscouragedanykindofmovement.SoIlaytherequietlyandstudiedtheceiling—untilIdiscoveredthatmywristsweretiedtogether.

           Thatsnappedmeoutofmylethargy,inspiteofthethumpinghead.Ifounditaveryneatjob.Notpainfullytight,butperfectlyefficient.Severalturnsofinsulatedwireoneachwrist,andacomplexknotonthefarsidewhereitwasimpossibleformetoreachitwithmyteeth.Isworeabitandlookedaround.Theroomwassmalland,saveforthebedonwhichIlay,empty.

           "Hey!"Icalled."Anybodyaroundhere?"

           Afterhalfaminuteorsotherewasashuffleoffeetoutside.Thedoorwasopened,andaheadappeared.Itwasasmallheadwithatweedcaponthetopofit.Ithadastringy-lookingchokerbeneathandadarkunshavenessacrossitsface.Itwasnotturnedstraightatme,butinmygeneraldirection

           "‘Ullo,cock,"itsaid,amiablyenough."Soyou’vecometo,‘aveyer?‘Angonabit,an’I’llgetyouacupo’char."Anditvanishedagain.

           Theinstructiontohangonwassuperfluous,butIdidnothavetowaitlong.Inafewminuteshereturned,carryingawire-handledcanwithsometeainit.

           "Whereareyer?"hesaid.

           "Straightaheadofyou,onthebed,"Itoldhim.

           Hegropedforwardwithhislefthanduntilhefoundthefootofthebed,thenhefelthiswayrounditandheldoutthecan.

           "‘Erey’are,chum.