День триффидов
The Coming of the Triffids
Avirulentorganism,unstableenoughtobecomeharmlessinthecourseofafewdays(andwhoistosaythatsuchcouldnotbebred?),couldbeconsideredtohavestrategicusesifdroppedinsuitablespots.
AtleasttheUnitedStatesGovernmenttookthesuggestionseriouslyenoughtodenyemphaticallythatitcontrolledanysatellitesdesignedtoconductbiologicalwarfaredirectlyuponhumanbeings.Oneortwominornations,whomnoonesuspectedofcontrollinganysatellitesatall,hastenedtomakesimilardeclarations.Other,andmajor,powersdidnot,Inthefaceofthisominousreticence,thepublicbegandemandingtoknowwhytheUnitedStateshadneglectedtoprepareforaformofwarfarewhichotherswerereadytouse—andjustwhatdid"directly"mean.Atthispointallpartiestacitlygaveupdenyingorconfirminganythingaboutsatellites,andanintensifiedeffortwasmadetodivertthepublicinteresttothenolessimportant,butfarlessacrimonious,matteroffoodscarcity.
Thelawsofsupplyanddemandshouldhaveenabledthemoreenterprisingtoorganizecommoditymonopolies,buttheworldatlargehadbecomeantagonistictodeclaredmonopolies.Theinterlaced-companysystem,however,reallyworkedverysmoothlywithoutanythingsoimputableasArticlesofFederation.Thegeneralpublicheardscarcelyanythingofsuchlittledifficultieswithinthepatternashadtoheunsnarledfromtimetotime.HardlyanyoneheardofeventheexistenceofoneUmbertoChristoforoPalanguez,forinstance.
