День триффидов
Shadows Before
Ilookedbehindusquicklytoseeatriffidbreakclearofthebushesandstartacrossthelawn.Itwaslurchingonalinethatledstraighttowardus.Icouldheartheleatheryleavesrustlingasthestemwhippedbackandforth.
Therewasnotimefordelay.Ihadnoideahowmanymoretheremightberoundtheplace.IgrabbedJosella’sarmagainandranherbackbythewaywehadcome.Aswescrambledsafelyintothecar,sheburstintorealtearsatlast.
Shewouldbethebetterforhavinghercryout.Ilitacigaretteandconsideredthenextmove.Naturallyshewasnotgoingtocarefortheideaofleavingherfatheraswehadfoundhim.Shewouldwishthatheshouldhaveaproperburial—and,bythelooksofit,thatwouldbeamatterofthepairofusdiggingthegraveandeffectingthewholebusiness.Andbeforethatcouldevenbeattempteditwouldbenecessarytofetchthemeanstodealwiththetriffidsthatwerealreadythereandkeepoffanymorethatmightappear.Onthewhole,Iwouldbeinfavorofdroppingthewholething—butthenitwasnotmyfather..
ThemoreIconsideredthisnewaspectofthings,thelessIlikedit.IhadnoideahowmanytriffidstheremightbeinLondon.Everyparkhadafewatleast.Usuallytheykeptsomedockedonesthatwereallowedtoroamaboutastheywould;oftentherewereothers,withstingsintact,eitherstakedorsafelybehindwirenetting.ThinkingofthosewehadseencrossingRegent’sPark,Iwonderedjusthowmanytheyhadbeeninthehabitofkeepinginthepensbythezooandhowmanyhadescaped.
