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12:31
VO 4G.I 62% K "how can we get him away?" she asked. "im afraid we cant not till that things been dealt with," i told her. besides-well, i dont think we can help him now. "you mean hes dead?" nodded. "yes theres not a doubt of it-eve seen others who have been stung who was he" i added. "old pearson. he did gardening for us, and chauffeuring for my father. such a dear old man-ive know him all my life. "im sorry" i began, wishing i could think of something more adequate, but she cut me short. oh, look!" she pointed to a path which ran round the side of the house a black stockinged leg with a womans shoe on it protruded beyond the corner we prospected carefully and then moved safely to a spot which gave a better view. a girl in a black dress lay half on the path and half in a flower bed, her pretty fresh face was scarred with a bright red line. josella choked tears came into her eyes. "oh oh, its annfel poor little annie," she said. i tried to console Her a little. "they can scarcely have known it, either of them," i told her. "when it is strong enough to kill, its mercifully quick, we did nor see any other triffid in hiding there possibly the same one had attacked them both, together we crossed the path and got into the house by the side door, josella called there was no answer she called again. we both listened in the complete silence that wrapped the house she turned to look at me. neither of us said anything quietly she led the way along a passage to a baize-covered door as she opened it there was a swish, and something slapped across the door and frame, an inch or so above her head hurriedly she pulled the door shut again and turned wide-eyed to me. "theres one in the ball," she said. she spoke in a frightened half whisper, as though it might be listening we went back to the guter door, and into the garden once more. keeping to the grass for silence, we made our way round the house until we could look into the lounge hail the french window which led from the garden was open, and the glass of one side was shattered a trail of muddy blobs 'led over the step and across the carpet, at the end of it a triffid, stood in the middle of the room. the top of its stem almost bushed the ceiling, and it was swaying ever so slightly, close beside its damp shaggy bole lay the body of an elderly man clad in a bright silk dressing gown. i took hold of jošellas arm, afraid she might rush in there. 15. it-your father?" i asked, though i knew it must be "yes," she said, and put her hands over hef face. she was trembling a little. i stood still, keeping an eye on the triffid inside jest it should move our way then i thought of a handkerchief and handed her mine. there wasnt much anyone could do. after a little while she took more control of herself remembering the people we had seen that day, said: "you know, i'think i would rather that had happened to me than to be like those others. "yes," she said, after a pause, she 'looked up into the sky, it was a soft, depthless blue, with a few little clouds floating like white feathers. "oh yes," she repeated with more conviction "poor daddy, he couldnt have stood blindness. he loved all this too much", she glanced inside the room again. "what shall we do? i cant leave-" at that moment i caught the reflection of movement in the remaining windowpane i looked behind us quickly to see a triffid break clear of the bushes and start across the lawn. it was lurching on a line that led straight toward us, i could hear the leathery leaves rustling as the stem whipped back and forth, there was no time for delay i had no idea how many more, there might be round the place. 1 grabbed josellas arm again and ran hef back by the way we had come as we scrambled safely into the car, she burst into real tears at last. she, would be the better for having her, cry out. i lit a cigarette and considered the next moye. naturally she was not going to care for the idea of leaving her father as we had found him she would wish that he should have a proper burial-and, by the looks of it, that would be a matter of the pair of us digging the
