День триффидов
A Light in the Night
"Andaftertheclothes?"sheasked.
"OperationNumberThree,"Itoldher,"is,quitedefinitely,dinner."
Therewas,asIhadexpected,nogreatdifficultyabouttheapartment.Weleftthecarlockedupinthemiddleoftheroadinfrontofanopulent-lookingblockandclimbedtothethirdstory.QuitewhywechosethethirdIcan’tsay,exceptthatitseemedabitmoreoutoftheway.Theprocessofselectionwassimple.Weknockedorwerang,andifanyoneanswered,wepassedon.Afterwehadpassedonthreetimeswefoundadoorwheretherewasnoresponse.Thesocketoftherimlocktoreofftoonegoodheftoftheshoulder,andwewerein.
Imyselfhadnotbeenoneofthoseaddictedtolivinginanapartmentwitharentofsometwothousandpoundsayear,butIfoundthatthereweredecidedlythingstobesaidinfavorofit,Theinteriordecoratorshadbeen,Iguessed,elegantyoungmenwithjustthatingeniousgiftforcombiningtastewithadvancedtopicalitywhichissoexpensive.Consciousnessoffashionwasthemainspringoftheplace.Hereandtherewerecertainunmistakabledernierscris,someofthemundoubtedlydestined—hadtheworldpursueditsexpectedcourse—tobecometherageoftomorrow;others,Iwouldsay,adeadlossfromtheirveryinception.
