День триффидов

           Therewasjustenoughofthetwilightleftformetoseehisgrin.

           "Asomewhatoppressiveorthodoxyaroundtheseparts,"heremarked.Thegrindisappearedasheadded:"Rumtype,youknow.Prideandprejudice.She’swantinghelp.Sheknowssheneedsitbadly,butnothing’sgoingtomakeheradmitit."

           Hepausedoppositeanopendoor.Itwasalmosttoodarknowtomakeoutanythingintheroom,butwhenwehadpasseditbeforetherehadbeenenoughlighttorevealitasamen’sdormitory.

           "I’mgoingintohaveawordwiththesechaps.Seeyoulater."

           Iwatchedhimstrollintotheroomandgreetitcollectivelywithacheerful"Worcher,mates!‘Ow’sitgoin7"andthenmademyownwaybacktothedininghail.

           Theonlylighttherecamefromthreecandlessetclosetogetherononetable.Besidethemagirlpeeredexasperatedlyatsamemending.

           "Hullo,"shesaid."Awful,isn’tit?Howonearthdidtheymanagetodoanythingafterdarkintheolddays?"

           "Notsucholddays,either,"Itoldher."Thisisthefutureaswellasthepast—providedthere’ssomebodytoshowushowtomakecandles."

           "Isupposeso."Sheraisedherheadandregardedme."YouCamefromLondontoday?"

           "Yes,"Iadmitted.

           "It’sbadtherenow?"

           "It’sfinished,"Isaid.

           OfJosella,thegirlcouldtellmenothing.Clearlyshehadneverheardthenamebefore,andmyattemptsatdescriptionrousednorecollections.

           Whileweweretalking,theelectriclightsintheroomsuddenlywenton.