День триффидов
The Coming of the Triffids
Iheardofhimmyselfonlyyearslaterinthecourseofmywork.
UmbertowasofassortedLatindescent,andbyprofessionapilot.Hisfirstappearanceasapossiblydisruptivespannerintheneatmachineryoftheedible-oilinterestsoccurredwhenhewalkedintotheofficesoftheArctic&
EuropeanFishOilCompanyandproducedabottleofpalepinkoilinwhichheproposedtointerestthem.
Arctic&Europeananalyzedthesample.Thefirstthingtheydiscoveredaboutitwasthatitwasnotafishoil:itwasvegetable,thoughtheycouldnotidentifythesource.Thesecondrevelationwasthatitmademostoftheirbestfishoilslooklikegrease-boxfillers.
Alarmedattheeffectthispotentoilwouldhaveontheirtrade,Arctic&EuropeansummonedUmbertoandquestionedhimatlength.Hewasnotcommunicative.HetoldthemthattheoilcamefromRussia(whichstillhidbehindacurtainofsuspicionandsecrecy)andthatforanenormoussumofmoneyhewouldendeavortoflyouttheseeds.Termswereagreedon,andthenUmbertovanished.
Arctic&EuropeanhadnotatfirstconnectedtheappearanceofthetriffidswithUmberto,andthepoliceofseveralcountrieswentonkeepinganeyeopenforhimonthecompany’sbehalfforseveralyears.Itwasnotuntilsomeinvestigatorproducedaspecimenoftriffidoilfortheirinspectionthattheyrealizedthatitcorrespondedexactlywiththesam-pieUmbersohadshownthem,andthatitwastheseedsof
thetriffidbehadsetouttobring.
WhathappenedtoUmbertohimselfwillneverbedefinitelyknown.
