День триффидов
Shadows Before
Itdidnotseemthatanyonebutmewaslikelytobeinapositiontonoticethat,butIleftit.
Shegotupandwalkedovertoamirror.
"Icertainlydo,"sheconfirmed."Where—"
"Youmighttrythroughthere,"Isuggested.
Twentyminutesorsopassedbeforeshecamehack.Consideringthelimitedfacilitiestheremusthavebeen,she’dmadeagoodjob;moralewasmuchrestored.Sheapproximatednowthefilmdirector’sideaoftheheroineafteraroughhouse,ratherthanthegenuinething.
‘Cigarette?"IinquiredasIslidanotherfortifyingglass
across.
Whilethepulling-roundprocesswascompletingitselfweswappedstories.Togiveherrime,Iletherhaveminefirst.
Thenshesaid:
"I’mdamnedashamedofmyself.I’mnotabitlikethat
really—likeyoufoundme,Imean.Infact,I’mreasonablyself-reliant,thoughyoumightnotthinkit.Butsomehowthewholethinghadgottoobigforme.Whathashappenedisbadenough,buttheawfulprospectaheadsuddenlyseemedtoomuchtobear,andIpanicked.IhadgottothinkingthatperhapsIwastheonlypersonleftinthewholeworldwhocouldsee.Itgotincdown,andallatonceIwasfrightenedandsilly;Icracked,andhowledlikeagirlinaVictorianmelodrama.I’dnever,neverhavebelieveditofme."
Don’tletitworryyou,"Isaid."We’llprobablybelearn-kgawholelotofsurprisingthingsaboutourselvessoon."
Butitdoesworryme.IfIstartoffbyslippingmygearslikethat—"Sheleftthesentenceunfinished.
