День триффидов
World Narrowing
Andjustwhatdoyouthinkthey’rewaitingfor?"
Ididnottrytoanswerthatjustthen.Isaid:
"YouthinkI’dbetterlayoffusingthetwelve-bore,whichattractsthem,anduseatriffidguninstead?"
"It’snotjustthegun,it’sallnoises,"saidSusan"Thetractor’stheworstbecauseitisaloudnoise,anditkeepson,sothattheycaneasilyfindwhereitcomesfrom.Buttheycanhearthelighting-plantenginequitealongwaytoo.I’veseenthemturnthiswaywhenitstartsup."
"Iwish,"Itoldherirritably,"you’dnotkeeponsaying‘theyhear,’asiftheywereanimals.They’renotTheydon’t‘hear.’They’rejustplants."
"Allthesame,theydohear,somehow,"Susanretortedstubbornly.
"Well—anyway,we’lldosomethingaboutthem,"Ipromised.
Wedid.Thefirsttrapwasacrudekindofwindmillwhichproducedaheartyhammeringnoise.Wefixeditupabouthalfamileaway.Itworked.Itdrewthemawayfromourfence,andfromelsewhere.Whentherewereseveralhundredsofthemclusteredaboutit,SusanandIdroveoverthereandturnedtheflamethrowersonthem.Itworkedfairlywellasecondtimetoo—butafterthatonlyaveryfewofthempaidanyattentiontoit.Ournextmovewastobuildakindofstoutbayinwardfromthefence,andthenremovepartofthemainfenceitself,replacingitbyagate.Wehadchosenapointwithinearshotofthelightingengine,andweleftthegateopen.
