День триффидов
World Narrowing
Alteracoupleofdayswedroppedthegateanddestroyedthecoupleofhundredorsothathadcomeintothepen.That,too,wasfairlysuccessfultobeginwith,butnotifwetriedittwiceinthesameplace,andeveninotherplacesthenumberswenetteddroppedsteadily.
Atouroftheboundarieseveryfewdayswithaflamethrowercouldhavekeptthenumbersdowneffectively,butitwouldhavetakenalotoftimeandsoonhaverunusoutoffuel.Aflamethrower’sconsumptionishigh,andthestocksheldforitinthearmsdepotswerenotlarge.Oncewefinishedit,ourvaluableflamethrowerswouldbecomelittlebetterthanjunk’forIknewneithertheformulaforanefficientfuelnorthemethodofproducingit.
Onthetwoorthreeoccasionswetriedmortarbombsonconcentrationsoftriffidstheresultsweredisappointing.Triffidsharewithtreestheabilitytotakealotofdamagewithoutlethalharm.
Astimewenton,thenumberscollectedalongthefencecontinuedtoincreaseinspiteofourtrapsandoccasionalholocausts.Theydidn’ttryanything,ordoanythingthere.Theysimplysettleddown,wriggledtheirrootsintothesoil,andremained.Atadistancetheylookedasinactiveasanyotherhedge,andbutforthepatteringthatsomefewofthemweresuretobemaking,theymighthavebeennomoreremarkable.Butifonedoubtedtheiralertness,itwasnecessaryonlytotakeacardownthelane.Todosowastorunagantletofsuchviciouslyslashingstingsthatitwasnecessarytostopthecaratthemainroadandwipethewindscreenclearofpoison.
