День триффидов
A Light in the Night
Mindyou,itwasn’taverygoodbook—Imean,notlikeAldousorCharlesorpeopleofthatkind—butitworked."
IrefrainedfromaskingwhichofmanypossibleCharlesesthisreferredto.Isimplyasked:
"Youmeanitdidgetpublished?"
"Ohyes.Anditreallybroughtinquitealotofmoney.Thefilmrights—"
"Whatwasthisbook?"Iaskedcuriously.
"ItwascalledSexisMyAdventure."
Istaredandthensmotemyforehead.
"JosellaPlayton,ofcourse.Icouldn’tthinkwhythatnamekeptonnearlyringingbells.Youwrotethatthing?"Iaddedincredulously.
Icouldn’tthinkwhyIhadnotrememberedbefore.Herphotographhadbeenallovertheplace—notaverygoodphotograph,nowIcouldlookattheoriginal,andthebookhadbeenallovertheplacetoo.Twolargecirculatinglibrarieshadbannedit,probablyonthetitlealone.Afterthatitssuccesshadbeenassured,andthesaleswentrocketingupintothehundredthousands.Josellachuckled.Iwasgladtohearit.
"Ohdear,"shesaid."Youlookjustlikeallmyrelativesdid."
"Ican’tblamethem,"Itoldher.
"Didyoureadit?"sheasked.
Ishookmyhead.Shesighed.
"Peoplearefunny.Allyouknowaboutitisthetitleandthepublicity,andyou’reshocked.Andit’ssuchaharmlesslittlebook,really.Mixtureofgreen-sophisticatedandpink-romantic,withpatchesofschoolgirly-purple.Butthetitlewasagoodidea."
"Alldependswhatyoumeanbygood,"Isuggested."Andyouputyourownnametoit,too."
"That,"sheagreed,"wasamistake.
