День триффидов
World Narrowing
"Toomanyreasons.First,I’mnotuptoit—averymediocrebiochemist,andthere’sonlyoneofme.There’dhavetobealab,andequipment.Morethanthat,there’dhavetobetime,andtherearetoomanythingswhichIhavetodoasitis.ButevenifIhadtheability,thentherewouldhavetobethemeansofproducingsynthetichormonesinhugequantities.itwouldbeajobforaregularfactory.Butbeforethattheremustbetheresearchteam."
"Peoplecouldbetrained."
"Yes—whenenoughofthemcanbesparedfromthemerebusinessofkeepingalive.I’vecollectedamassofbiochemicalbooksinthehopethatperhapssometimetherewillbepeoplewhocanmakeuseofthem—IshallteachDavidallIcan,and
hemusthanditon.Unlessthereisleisureforworkonitsometime,Icanseenothingaheadbutthereservations."
Josellafrowneddownonagroupoffourtriffidsamblingacrossafieldbelowus.
"IfIwereachildnow,"shesaidreflectively,"IthinkIshouldwantareasonforwhathappened.UnlessIwasgivenit—thatis,ifIwereallowedtothinkthatIhadbeenhornintoaworldwhichhadbeenquitepointlesslydestroyed—Ishouldfindlivingquitepointlesstoo.Thatdoesmakeitawfullydifficult,becauseitseemstobejustwhathashappened.
Shepaused,pondering,thensheadded:
"Doyouthinkwecould—doyouthinkweshouldbejustifiedinstartingamythtohelpthem?Astoryofaworldthatwaswonderfullyclever,butsowickedthatithadtobedestroyedordestroyeditselfbyaccident?
