День триффидов

           Shelookedunderstandablyannoyed.Cokerhimselfhadbeenannoyedfromthetimehecamein.Shesaid:

           "Idon’tseewhyyouneedtopourallyourcontemptforwomenontome—justbecauseofonedirtyoldengine."

           Cokerraisedhiseyes.

           "GreatGod!AndherehaveIbeenexplainingthatwomenhaveasmanybrainsasanyoneelse,ifthey’donlytakethetroubletousethem."

           "Yousaidwewereallpettyandvain.Thatwasn’tatallanicethingtosay."

           "I’mnottryingtosaynicethings.AndwhatImeantwasthatintheworldthathasvanishedwomenhadavestedinterestinactingthepartofparasites."

           "AndallthatjustbecauseIdon’thappentoknowanythingaboutasmelly,noisyengine."

           "Hell!"saidCoker."Justdropthatengineaminute,willyou."

           "Thenwhy—"

           "Listen,"saidCokerpatiently."Ifyouhaveababy,doyouwanthimtogrowuptobeasavageoracivilizedman?"

           "Acivilizedman,ofcourse."

           "Well,then,youhavetoseetoitthathehascivilizedsurroundingstodoitin.Thestandardshe’lllearn,he’lllearnfromus.We’veallgottounderstandasmuchaswecan,andliveasintelligentlyaswecan,inordertogivehimthemostwecan.It’sgoingtomeanhardworkandmorethinkingforallofus.Changedconditionsmustmeanchangedoutlooks."

           Thegirlgathereduphermending.SheregardedCokescriticallyforafewmoments.

           "WithviewslikeyoursIshouldthinkyou’dfindMr.Bead-ley’spartymorecongenial,"shesaid.