Отравленный пояс
Chapter III. Submerged
Therewasaroadcurvingdownthesideofthehill,undermyveryeyes.Acabfromthestation,oneofthoseprehistoricsurvivalswhichareonlytobefoundinourcountryvillages,wastoilingslowlyupthehill.Lowerdownwasanursegirlwheelingaperambulatorandleadingasecondchildbythehand.Thebluereeksofsmokefromthecottagesgavethewholewidespreadlandscapeanairofsettledorderandhomelycomfort.Nowhereintheblueheavenoronthesunlitearthwasthereanyforeshadowingofacatastrophe.Theharvesterswerebackinthefieldsoncemoreandthegolfers,inpairsandfours,werestillstreamingroundthelinks.Therewassostrangeaturmoilwithinmyownhead,andsuchajanglingofmyoverstrungnerves,thattheindifferenceofthosepeoplewasamazing.
"Thosefellowsdon’tseemtofeelanyilleffects,"saidI,pointingdownatthelinks.
"Haveyouplayedgolf?"askedLordJohn.
"No,Ihavenot."
"Well,youngfellah,whenyoudoyou’lllearnthatoncefairlyoutonaround,itwouldtakethecrackofdoomtostopatruegolfer.Halloa!There’sthattelephone-bellagain."
Fromtimetotimeduringandafterlunchthehigh,insistentringhadsummonedtheProfessor.Hegaveusthenewsasitcamethroughtohiminafewcurtsentences.Suchterrificitemshadneverbeenregisteredintheworld’shistorybefore.Thegreatshadowwascreepingupfromthesouthlikearisingtideofdeath.Egypthadgonethroughitsdeliriumandwasnowcomatose.SpainandPortugal,afterawildfrenzyinwhichtheClericalsandtheAnarchistshadfoughtmostdesperately,werenowfallensilent.
