День триффидов
Shadows Before
"Iwasnearenoughtopanicinthathospital,"Isaid."We’rehumanbeings,notcalculatingmachines."
HernamewasJosellaPlayton.Thereseemedtobesomethingfamiliaraboutthat,butIcouldnotplaceit.HerhomewasinDeneRoad,St.John’sWood.Thedistrictfittedinmoreorlesswithmysurmises.IrememberedDeneRoad.Detached,comfortablehouses,mostlyugly,butallexpensive.Herescapefromthegeneralafflictionhadbeennolessamatterofluckthanmine—well,perhapsmore.ShehadbeenatapartyonthatMondaynight—aprettyconsiderableparty,itseemed.
"Ireckonsomebodywhothinksthatkindofthingfunnymusthavebeentoolingwiththedrinks,"shesaid."I’veneverfeltsoillasIdidattheendofit—andIdidn’ttakealot."
Tuesdaysherecollectedasadayofblurredmiseryandrecordhangover.Aboutfourintheafternoonshehadhadmorethanenoughofit.Sherangthebellandgaveinstructionsthatcomecomets,earthquakes,orthedayofjudgmentitself,shewasnottobedisturbed.Uponthatultimatumshehadtakenastrongdoseofsleepingdraught,whichonanemptystomachhadworkedwiththeefficiencyofaknockoutdrop.
Fromthenonshehadknownnothinguntilthismorning,whenshehadbeenawakenedbyherfatherstumblingintoherroom.
"Josella,"hewassaying,"forGod’ssakegetDr.Mayle.TellhimI’vegoneblind—stoneblind."
Shehadbeenamazedtoseethatitwasalreadyalmostnineo’clock.Shegotupanddressedhurriedly.
