День триффидов
Dead End
Thethreeofthemlookedquestioninglyatoneanotherandthennodded.
"AMright.GiveusahandwiththeLoading,andwe’llbegettingalong,"themanagreed.
BythelookofCharcottOldHouse,ithadoncebeenafor-diedmanor.RefortificationWasnowunderway.Atsometimeinthepasttheencirclingmoathadbeendrained.Stephen,however,wasoftheopiniontathehadsuccessfullyruinedthedrainagesystemsothatitwouldDIIupagainbydegrees.Itwashisplantoblowoutsuchpartsasbadbeenfilledin,andthuscompletethereencirclement.Ournews,suggestingthatthismightnotbenecessary,inducedaslightwistfulnessinhim,andalookofdisappointment.Thestonewallsofthehousewerethick.Atleastthreeofthewindowsinthefrontdisplayedmachineguns,andhepointedouttwomoremountedontheroof.Insidethemaindoorwasstackedasmellarsenalofmortarsandbombs,and,asheproudlypointedout,severalflamethrowers.
"Wefoundanarmsdepot,"beexplained,"andspentadaygettingthislottogether."
AsIlookedoverthestuffIrealizedforthefirsttimethatthecatastrophe,byitsverythoroughness,hadbeenmoremercifulthanthethingsthatwouldhavefollowedaslightlylesserdisaster.Had10or15percentofthepopulationremainedunharmed,itwasverylikelythatlittlecommunitieslikethiswouldindeedhavefoundthemselvesfightingoffstarvinggangsinordertopreservetheirownlives.Asthingswere,
however,Stephenhadprobablymadehiswarlikepreparationsinvain.
