День триффидов

           Buttherewasoneappliancethatcouldheputtogooduse.Ipointedtotheflamethrowers.

           "Thosemightbehandyfortriffids,"Isaid.

           Hegrinned.

           "You’reright.Veryeffective.Theonethingwe’veusedthemfor.And,incidentally,theonethingIknowthatreallymakesatriffidbearit.Youcangoonfiringatthemuntilthey’reshottobits,andtheydon’tbudge.Isupposetheydon’tknowwherethedestruction’scomingfrom.Butonewarmlickfromthisandthey’replungingofffittobustthemselves."

           "Haveyouhadalotoftroublewiththem?"Iasked.Itseemedthattheyhadnot.Fromtimetotimeone,perhapstwoorthree,wouldapproach,andbescorchedaway.Ontheirexpeditionstheyhadhadseveralluckyescapes,butusuallytheywereoutoftheirvehiclesonlyinbuilt-upareaswheretherewaslittlelikelihoodofprowlingtriffids.

           Thatnight,afterdark,weallwentuptotheroof.Itwastooearlyforthemoon.Welookedoutuponanutterlyblacklandscape.Searchitaswewould,notoneofuswasabletodiscovertheleastpinpointofatelltalelight.Norcouldanyofthepartyrecalleverhavingseenatraceofsmokebyday.Iwasfeelingdepressedwhenwedescendedagaintothelamp-litlivingroom.

           "There’sonlyonethingforit,then,"Cokersaid.‘We’llhavetodividethedistrictupintoareasandsearchthem."

           Buthedidnotsayitwithconviction.