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"But—doyoumeantosayyouknewIwashere?"
"Wefoundoutveryroughlyyourprobablelocationafewdaysago—fromafellowweallhavecausetoremember:oneCoker."
"SoCokercamethroughtoo,"Isaid."AftertheshamblesIsawatTynsham,I’danideatheplaguemighthavegothim."
Lateron,whenwehadhadamealandproducedourbestbrandy,wegotthestoryoutofhim.
WhenMichaelBeadleyandhispartyhadgoneon,leavingTynshamtothemerciesandprinciplesofMissDurrant,theyhadnotmadeforBeaminster,noranywherenearit.Theyhadgonenortheast,intoOxfordshire.MissDurrant’smisdirectiontousmusthavebeendeliberate,forBeaminsterhadneverbeenmentioned.
Theybadfoundthereanestatewhichseemedatfirsttoofferthegroupallitrequired,andnodoubttheycouldhaveentrenchedthemselvesthereaswehadentrenchedourselvesatShirning;butasthemenaceofthetriffidsincreased,thedisadvantagesoftheplacebecamemoreobvious.InayearbathMichaelandtheColonelwerehighlydissatisfiedwiththelonger-termprospectsthere.Agreatdealofworkhadalreadybeenputintotheplace,butbytheendofthesecondsummertherewasgeneralagreementthatitwouldbebettertocuttheirlosses.Tobuildacommunitytheyhadtothinkintermsofyears—aconsiderablenumberofyears.Theyalsohadtobearinmindthatthelongertheydelayed,themoredifficultanymovewouldbe.
