День триффидов
Frustration
TheonlythingIcouldthinkofwastokeephiminsightandhopethatsomeopportunitywouldofferachancetodealwithhim.Ibrokeabranchoffatree,scrambledbackoverthewall,andbegantotapmywayalongthecurb,looking,Ihoped,indistinguishablefromthehundredsofblindmenonebadseenwanderingthestreetsinthesameway.
Theroadranstraightforsomedistance.Theredheadedyoungmanwasperhapsfiftyyardsaheadofme,andmypartyanotherfiftyaheadofhim.Wecontinuedlikethatforsomethingoverhalfamile.Tomyrelief,noneofthefrontpartyshowedanytendencytoturnintotheroadwhichledtoourbase.Iwasbeginningtowonderhowlongitwouldbebeforetheydecidedthattheybadgonefarenough,whenanunexpecteddiversionoccurred.Onemanwhohadbeenlaggingbehindtherestfinallystopped.Hedroppedhisstickanddoubledupwithhisarmsoverhisbelly.Thenbesaggedtothegroundandlaythere,rollingwithpain.Theothersdidnotstopforhim.Theymusthaveheardhismoans,butprobablytheyhadnoideahewasoneofthemselves.
Theyoungmanlookedtowardhimandhesitated.Healteredhiscourseandboreacrosstowardthecontortedfigure.Hestoppedafewfeetawayfromhimandstoodgazingdown.Forperhapsaquarterofaminuteheregardedhimcarefully.Thenslowly,butquitedeliberately,hepulledhispistoloutofhispocketandshothimthroughthebead.
Thepartyaheadstoppedatthesoundoftheshot.
