День триффидов
— and Farther on
Intheendshesaidcurtly:
"TheywereintendingtomakeforsomewherenearBeaminsterinDorset.Icantellyounomorethanthat."
IwentbackandtoldCoker.Helookedaroundhim.Thenheshookhishead,thoughwithatouchofregret.
"Okay,"hesaid."We’llcheckoutofthisdumptomorrow."
"Spokenlikeapioneer,"Itoldhim."Atleast,morelikeapioneerthananEnglishman."
Nineo’clockthenextmorningsawusalreadytwelvemilesorsoonourroad,andtravelingasbeforeinourtwotrucks.
TherehadbeenaquestionwhetherweshouldnottakeahandiervehicleandleavethetrucksforthebenefitoftheTynshampeople,butIwasreluctanttoabandonmine.Ihadpersonallycollectedthecontents,andknewwhatwasinit.Apartfromthecasesofanti-triffidgearwhichMichaelBeadleyhadsodisapproved,Ihadgivenmyselfslightlywiderscopeonthelastload,andtherewasaselectionofthingsmadewithconsiderationofwhatmightbedifficulttofindoutsidealargetown:suchthingsasasmalllightingset,somepumps,casesofgoodtools.Allthesethingswouldbeavailablelaterforthetaking,buttherewasgoingtobeaninterludewhenitwouldbeadvisabletokeepawayfromtownsofanysize.TheTynshampeoplehadthemeanstofetchsupplieswasinLondon.Acoupleofloadswouldnotmakeagreatdealfromtownswheretherewasnosignyetofthediseasethatofdifferencetothemeitherway,sointheendweWentaswehadcome.
Theweatherstillheldgood.
