День триффидов
Frustration
Icouldthinkofnothingbuttodirectthattheyshouldbecarriedtoanemptyhousenearby,andtotelloneofthewomentolookafterthemasbestshecould.
Thatwasthebeginningofadayofsetbacks.Thenextofaverydifferentkind,happenedaroundnoon.
Wehadclearedmostofthefoodshopsclosetous,andIbaddecidedtoextendourrangealittle.Frommyrecollectionsoftheneighborhood,Ireckonedweoughttofindanothershoppingstreetaboutahalfmiletothenorth,soIledmypartythatway.Wefoundtheshopsthere,allright,butsomethingelsetoo.
Asweturnedthecornerandcameintoviewofthem,Lstopped.Infrontofachain-storegroceryapartyofmenwastrundlingoutcasesandloadingthemontoatruck.Saveforthedifferenceinthevehicle,Imighthavebeenwatchingmyownpartyatwork.Ihaltedmygroupoftwentyorso,wonderingwhatlineweshouldtake.Myinclinationwastowithdrawandavoidpossibletroublebyfindingaclearfieldelsewhere;therewasnosenseincomingintoconflictwhentherewasplentyscatteredinvariousstoresforthosewhowereorganizedenoughtotakeit.Butitdidnotfalltometomakethedecision,EvenwhileIhesitatedaredheadedyoungmanstrodeconfidentlyoutoftheshopdoor.Therewasnodoubtthathewasabletosee—or,amomentlater,thathehadseenus.
Hedidnotsharemyindecision.Hereachedswiftlyforhispocket.Thenextmomentabullethitthewallbesidemewithasmack.
Therewasabrieftableau.
