Britain. They don't count apparently on the Channel
holding the plague back for long. Possible the government may fall,
which won't disturb me, as I prefer the other party anyway.

_August 12_: After a long period of silence from the Continent, Radio
Mondiale went on the air from Cherbourg asking permission for the
government to come to London.

_August 13_: The watch on the south and east coasts has been tripled,
more as a precaution against the neverceasing wave of invasion than the
Grass. It has been necessary to turn machineguns on the immigrant
boats--purely in selfdefense.

The rioting in the Midlands has died down, possibly on the double
assurance that permission for the removal of the French government had
been refused (I cannot find out, to satisfy my idle curiosity, if it is
still the Republic One and Indivisible which made the request or whether
that creation was succeeded by a less eccentric one), and that Christmas
was a conservative estimate for the perfection of the compound--a last
possible date.

Brought my history up to the Last War.

_August 14_: Very disheartening talk with the PM today. It seems the
whole business of setting a date was an error from beginning to end. No
one gave any such promise. It dare not be denied now, however, for fear
of the effect upon the public. I must begin to think seriously of moving
to Ireland.

_August 15_: Grass reported in the Faeroes. French Channel coast covered
to the mouth of the Seine. What is the matter with F? Is it possible the
failure of the last experiment blasted all her hopes? If so, she should
have told me, so I might urge on others working along different lines.

Motored to the laboratory and spoke about moving to Ireland. She agreed
it might be a wise precaution. "You know, Weener, the jackass who said
Christmas mightnt have been so far out afterall." She seemed very
confident.

Came home relieved of all my recent pessimism and brought my book down
to the overrunning of the United States. I am not a morbid man, but I
pray I may live to set foot on my native soil once again.

_August 16_: No new reports from France. Can the Grass be slowing down?
Wrote furiously.

_August 17_: Wrote for nearly ten hours. Definitely decided to discharge
S; he is thoroughly incapable. No word from France, but there is a
general feeling of great optimism.

_August 18_: Bad news, very bad news. The Grass has jumped two hundred
miles, from the Faeroes to the S