День триффидов
Shadows Before
Igavehertimetogetontopofthings,twiddlingthestemofmyglassandlisteningtothephonographintheotherpubchurningoutthecurrentlypopular,ifratherlugubrious,ditty:
"Mylove’slockedupinafrigidaire,
Andmyheart’sinadeep-freezepack.
She’sgonewithaguy,I’dnotknowwhere,
Butshewrotethatshe’dnevercomeback.
Nowshedon’tcareformenomore,
i’mjustaone-manfrozenstore,Anditain’tnice
Tobeonice
Withmylovelockedupinafrigidaire,
Andmyheartinadeep-freezepack."
WhileIsatIstoleanoccasionalcovertlookatthegirl.Herclothes,ortheremnantsofthem,weregoodquality.Hervoicewasgoodtoo—probablynotstageormovieacquired,forithadnotdeterioratedunderstress.Shewasblond,butquiteanumberofshadessub-platinum.Itseemedlikelythat
beneaththesmudgesandsmearsshewasgood-looking.Herheightwasthreeorfourincheslessthanmine,herbuildslimbutnotthin.Shelookedasifshehadstrengthifiswerenecessary,butstrengthwhich,inherapproximatelytwenty-fouryears,hadmostlikelynorbeenappliedtoanythingmoreimportantthanhittingballs.dancing.and,probably,restraininghorses.Herwell-shapedhandsweresmooth,andthefingernailsthatwerestillunbrokenshowedalengthmoredecorativethanpractical.
Thedrinkgraduallydidgoodwork.Bytheendofitshewassufficientlyrecoveredforhabitofmindtoassertitself.
"God,Imustlookawful,"sheremarked.
