День триффидов
A Light in the Night
Isupposewe’llgoonforgettingthingslikethatforquiteatime."
"ButIdidtryonewhenIwasout."Isaid."Abatteryaffair.Nothingdoing.Allbroadcastbandsassilentasthegrave."
"Thatmeansit’slikethiseverywhere?"
"I’mafraidso.Therewassomethingpip-pippingawayaroundforty-twometers.Otherwisenothing.Iwonderwhoandwherehewas,poorchap."
"It’s—it’sgoingtobeprettygrim,Bill,isn’tit?"
"It’s—No,I’mnorgoingtohavemydinnerclouded,"Isaid."Pleasurebeforebusiness-andthefutureisdefinitelybusiness.Let’stalkaboutsomethinginteresting,likehowmanyloveaffairsyouhavehadandwhysomebodyhasn’tmarriedyoulongbeforethis—orhashe?YouseehowlittleIknow,Lifestory,please."
"Well,"shesaid,"Iwasbornaboutthreemilesfromhere.Mymotherwasveryannoyedaboutitatthetime."
Iraisedmyeyebrows.
"Yousee,shehadquitemadeuphermindthatIshouldbeanAmerican.Butwhenthecarcametotakehertotheairportitwasjusttoolate.Fullofimpulses,shewas—IthinkIinheritedsomeofthem."
Sheprattledon.Therewasnotmuchremarkableaboutherearlylife,butIthinksheenjoyedherselfinsummarizingitandforgettingwherewewereforawhile.Ienjoyedlisteningtoherbabbleofthefamiliarandamusingthingsthathadallvanishedfromtheworldoutside.Weworkedlightlythroughchildhood,schooldays,and"comingout"—insofarasthetermstillmeantanything.
