День триффидов
Frustration
Hercontrolalmostcracked.
Icouldnotsayanything.Sherecoveredherself.
"Youcankeepusgoing.There’salwaysachance—justachancethatsomethingmayhappen,evennow."
IhadalreadysaidwhatIthoughtaboutthat.Ididnotrepeatit.
"it’ssodifficult,"shesaid,asthoughtoherself."IfIcouldonlyseeyou...Butthen,ofcourse,ifIcould...Areyouyoung?Yousoundyoung."
"I’munderthirty,"Itoldher."Andveryordinary."
"I’meighteen.Itwasmybirthday—thedaythecometcame."
Icouldnotthinkofanythingtosaytothatthatwouldnotseemcruel.Thepausedrewout.Isawthatshewasclenchingherhandstogether.Thenshedroppedthemtohersides,theknucklesquitewhite.Shemadeasiftospeak,butdidnot.
"Whatisit?"Iasked."WhatcanIdoexceptprolongthisalittle?"
Shebitherlip,then:
"They—theysaidperhapsyouwerelonely,"shesaid."Ithoughtperhapsif"—hervoicefaltered,andherknuckleswentalittlewhiterstill—"perhapsifyouhadsomebody
Imean,somebodyhere...you—youmightnotwanttoleaveus.Perhapsyou’dstaywithus?"
"OhGod,"Isaidsoftly.
Ilookedather,standingquitestraight,herlipstremblingslightly.Thereshouldhavebeensuitorsclamoringforherlightestsmile.Sheshouldhavebeenhappyanduncaringforawhile—thenhappyincaring.Lifeshouldhavebeenenchantingtoher,andloveverysweet...
"You’dbekindtome,wouldn’tyou?"shesaid."Yousee,Ihaven’t
"Stopit!Stopit!"Itoldher.
