День триффидов
The End begins
WhythefoundersofSt.Merryn’sHospitalchosetoerecttheirinstitutionatamain-roadcrossinguponavaluableofficesite,andthusexposetheirpatients’nervestoconstantlaceration,isafoiblethatIneverproperlyunderstood.Butforthosefortunateenoughtobesufferingfromcomplaintsunaffectedbythewearandtearofcontinuoustraffic,itdidhavetheadvantagethatonecouldlieabedandstillnotbeoutoftouch,sotospeak,withtheflowoflife.Customarilythewest-boundbussesthunderedalongtryingtobeatthelightsatthecorner;asoftenasnotapig-squealofbrakesandasalvoofshotsfromthesilencerwouldtellthattheyhadn’t.Thenthereleasedcrosstrafficwouldrevandroarasitstarteduptheincline.Andeverynowandthentherewouldbeaninterlude:agoodgrindingbump,followedbyageneralstoppage-exceedinglytantalizingtooneinmycondition,wheretheextentofthecontretempshadtobejudgedentirelybythedegreeofprofanityresulting.Certainly,neitherbydaynorduringmostofthenight,wasthereanychanceofaSt.Merrynpatientbeingundertheimpressionthatthecommonroundhadstoppedjustbecausehe,personally,wasontheshelfforthemoment.
Butthismorningwasdifferent.Disturbingly,becausemysteriously,different.Nowheelsrumbled,nobussesroared,nosoundofacarofanykind,infact,wastobeheard;nobrakes,nohorns,noteventhecloppingofthefewrarehorsesthatstilloccasionallypassed;nor,asthereshouldbeatsuchanhour,thecompositetrampofwork-boundfeet.
ThemoreIlistened,thequeereritseemed-andthelessIcaredforit.InwhatIreckonedtobetenminutesofcarefullisteningIheardfivesetsofshuffling,hesitatingfootsteps,threevoicesbawlingunintelligiblyinthedistance,andthehystericalsobsofawoman.
