“He realised he and his mother were alone. Her hand trembled. He felt the tremble. Why? But she was bigger, stronger, more intelligent than himself, wasn’t she? Did she, too, feel that intangible menace? That groaning out of darkness? That crouching malignancy down below? Was there, then, no strength in growing up? No solace in being an adult? No sanctuary in life? No fleshly citadel strong enough to withstand the scrabbling assaults of midnights? Doubts flushed him.”
