День триффидов
A Light in the Night
Allthepeopleinthedistrictseemedtohaveconvergeduponit.Wecouldnotgetthroughthem,andaglancebehindshowedthatitwouldbealmostashopelesstoflytogoback.Thosewebadpassedhadalreadyclosedinonourtrack.
"Getout,quick!"Isaid."Ithinkthey’reafterus."
"But—"Josellabegan.
"Hurry!"Isaidshortly.
Iblewafinalblastonthehornandslippedoutafterher,leavingtheenginerunning.Wewerenotmanysecondstoosoon.Amanfoundthehandleofthereardoor.liepulleditopenandpawedinside.Wewereallbutpushedoverbythepressureofothersmakingforthecar.Therewasashoutofangerwhensomebodyopenedthefrontdoorandfoundtheseatsthereemptytoo.Bythattimeweourselveshadsafelybecomemembersofthecrowd.Somebodygrabbedthemanwhohadopenedthereardoor,undertheimpressionthatitwashewhohadjustgotout.Aroundthattheconfusionbegantothrive.ItookafirmgripofJosella’shand,andwestartedtowormourwayalongasunobviouslyaspossible.
Clearofthecrowdatlast,wekeptonfootforawhile,lookingoutforasuitablecar.Afteramileorsowefoundit—astationwagon,likelytobemoreusefulthananordinarybodyfortheplanthatwasbeginningtoformvaguelyinmymind.
InClerkenwelltheyhadbeenaccustomedfortwoorthreecenturiestomakefine,preciseinstruments.ThesmallfactoryIhaddealtwithprofessionallyattimeshadadaptedtheoldskilltonewneeds.Ifounditwithlittledifficulty,norwasithardtobreakin.
