Отравленный пояс
Chapter III. Submerged
Whenathousandmillionpassovertogether,sameashappenedto-day,youcan’tpickyourownpartic’laroutofthecrowd."
"Iwishitwerewelloverwithus,"saidtheladywistfully."Oh,George,Iamsofrightened."
"You’llbethebravestofusall,littlelady,whenthetimecomes.I’vebeenablusterousoldhusbandtoyou,dear,butyou’lljustbearinmindthatG.E.C.isashewasmadeandcouldn’thelphimself.Afterall,youwouldn’thavehadanyoneelse?"
"Nooneinthewholewideworld,dear,"saidshe,andputherarmsroundhisbullneck.Wethreewalkedtothewindowandstoodamazedatthesightwhichmetoureyes.
Darknesshadfallenandthedeadworldwasshroudedingloom.Butrightacrossthesouthernhorizonwasonelongvividscarletstreak,waxingandwaninginvividpulsesoflife,leapingsuddenlytoacrimsonzenithandthendyingdowntoaglowinglineoffire.
"Lewesisablaze!"
"No,itisBrightonwhichisburning,"saidChallenger,steppingacrosstojoinus."Youcanseethecurvedbackofthedownsagainsttheglow.Thatfireismilesonthefarthersideofit.Thewholetownmustbealight."
Therewereseveralredglaresatdifferentpoints,andthepileofdebrisupontherailwaylinewasstillsmolderingdarkly,buttheyallseemedmerepin-pointsoflightcomparedtothatmonstrousconflagrationthrobbingbeyondthehills.WhatcopyitwouldhavemadefortheGazette!Hadeverajournalistsuchanopeningandsolittlechanceofusingit—thescoopofscoops,andnoonetoappreciateit?Andthen,suddenly,theoldinstinctofrecordingcameoverme
