День триффидов
World Narrowing
SomethingliketheRood,again?Thatwouldn’tcrushthemwithinferiority—itcouldgivetheincentivetobuild,andthistimetobuildsomethingbetter."
"YesIsaid,consideringit."Yes.It’softenagoodideatotellchildrenthetruth.Kindofmakesthingseasierforthemlaterori—onlywhypretendit’samyth?"
Josellademurredatthat.
"Howdoyoumean?Thetriffidswere—well,theyweresomebody’sfault,ormistake,Iadmit.Buttherest?"
"Idon’tthinkwecanblameanyonetoomuchforthetriffids.Theextractstheygivewereveryvaluableinthecircumstances.Nobodycaneverseewhatamajordiscoveryisgoingtoleadto—whetheritisanewkindofengineoratriffid—andwecopedwiththemallrightinnormalconditions.Webenefitedquitealotfromthem,aslongastheconditionsweretotheirdisadvantage."
"Well,itwasn’tourfaulttheconditionschanged.Itwas—justoneofthosethings.Likeearthquakesorhurricanes—whataninsurancecompanywouldcallanactofGod.Maybethat’sjustwhatitwas—ajudgment.Certainlyweneverbroughtthatcomet."
"Didn’twe,Josella?Areyouquitesureofthat?"
Sheturnedtolookatme.
"Areyoutryingtotellmethatyoudon’tthinkitwasaCometatall?"
"Justexactlythat,"Iagreed.
"But—Idon’tunderstand.Itmust—Whatelsecouldithavebeen?"
Iopenedavacuum-packedcanofcigarettesandlitoneforeachofus.
