Benighted
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Middle Aged (35-54)Accents
British (England - Liverpool, Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire) British (General)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
Margarets was saying something, but he couldn't hear what the downpour and the noise of the engine. We're almost deafening. Suddenly, he stopped the car and lean back, relieved, relaxed, free for a moment from the tax of steering away through the roaring darkness. He had always felt insecure, driving at night, staring out at a little lighted patch of road and groping for levers and switches. Pressing pedals had always been rather surprised when the right thing happened. But tonight, with storm after storm bursting upon them on the whole night now one black torrent every mile was a miracle. It couldn't last there. Rattling little box and mechanical tricks was nothing but a piece of impudence he turned to Margaret. You need have done that, she was saying now. She had to raise her voice, of course, but it was his cool and clear as ever. She was still detached, but apparently for once not amused. Done what? Philip returned, but his heart sank for he knew what she meant. Then he felt annoyed. Couldn't he stop the damn thing for a minute? He was easily the coldest and wettest of the three of them. You needn't have start the car, Margaret replied. I was only saying that we ought to have turned back before. It's simply idiotic going on like this. Where are we? He felt an icy trickle going down his back and shook himself, hanged? If I know, he told her, somewhere in Wildest Wales, that's as near as I can get. I've never found my bearing since we missed that turning. But I think the directions vaguely right. He wriggled a little. He was even wetter than he had imagined. He had got wet when he'd gone out to change the wheel, and then later, when she had stopped and he had to look at the engine on DH. Since then, the rain had been coming in steadily. Not all the hoods and screens in the world would keep out this appalling downpour. This is hopeless. Margaret was calmly condemning the situation. What time is it? There was no light on the dashboard, so he struck a match and held it near the clock. Half past nine, there was just time to catch a glimpse of Margaret's profile before the tiny flame vanished. It was like overhearing a faintly scornful phrase about himself. He suddenly felt responsible for the whole situation, not only for the delay on the road on the Mr Ning, but for the savage hills in the black spouting night. Once again, he saw himself forcing away nervous, incompetent, slightly disordered While she looked on critical, detached, indulgent or contemptuous when anything went wrong. And it was in the nature of things to go wrong, she always made him feel like that. Perhaps alewives did. It wasn't fair. It was taking a mean advantage of the fact that you could what they thought for once, she stopped caring. The treatments fail. We'd better go on and try and arrive somewhere. Margaret was saying, Shall I drive now? He was expecting that she always imagined that she was the better driver on Perhaps she wass, though not really so skillful with the wheel, the gears, the brakes but far cooler than he Waas simply because she never saw the risks her imagination didn't take sudden leaps, didn't see a shattered spine a finger's breadth away Didn't realise that we all went capering a longer raise a wretch unlike him, she blindly trusted everything. Everything that is, except human beings. Now they were not so bad, merely stupid. The thought came flashing as he shifted his position. It was only the outside things that was so devilish. No thanks, I'll keep on. There's no point in changing Now will arrive somewhere, since he was about to reach out to the switch when the light of a match of the back turned him round. Penarol, who had been doting there for the last two hours, was now lighting a cigarette. Hello, he shouted back. You all right? Pen? Durell Not drowned yet. Penarol's face, clearly illuminated, looked at once drawn an impish, a queer stick, mad as a hatter. Some people thought Margarets among them, but filling wasn't sure. He suddenly felt glad to see him there. Pen drill wouldn't mind. All this pen drill blew out. Smoke held up the lighted match on lead forward, as vivid as a newly painted portrait. He grins. Where are we? Then the match went out, and he was nothing but a shadow. We don't know, Phillip shouted back above the drumming rain. We've missed the way we're somewhere in the Welsh mountains and it's half past nine. Sorry, don't mention it. Pendel seemed to be amused I say this storm's going on forever. I believe it's the end of the world. They've overheard the talk of the Antilles and have decided to blotters all out. What do you think Philip felt Margaret stirring beside him. He knew that her body was stiff thing with this approval partly because the angel ease with whom they had had all three been staying were old friends of hers, but chiefly because she didn't like Penarol, whose existence she had almost forgotten on was only too ready to disapprove of everything he said. Or did. We shan't see even Shrewsbury tonight, Philip shouted back. Ah, halted Shrewsbury had been there. Modified plan following upon their delay on the roads on the slow progress in the torrential rain Shrewsbury Pendel left, not the asteroid's either will be looking. If we get anywhere out of this. I'll tell you what he hesitated a moment I don't want to frighten Mrs Wave iton. Go on, Mr Pendel. Margaret was icy. I'm no easily frightened, aren't you? I am Pender l replied loudly and chiefly he seemed to be forever putting his foot in it. Either didn't know or didn't care. I was thinking that you'll have to be careful here. We've had a week's heavy rain and thunderstorms for the last two days, and in this part of the world they're always having landslides. And what not? Don't be surprised to find yourself driving into the middle of a lake or the whole hillside coming down on you all the road disappearing under the front wheels.