День триффидов
World Narrowing
"YourememberwhatMichaelBeadleysaidaboutthetightropewe’dallbeenwalkingonforyears?"
"Yes,but—"
"Well,Ithinkthatwhathappenedwasthatwecameoffit
—andthatafewofusjustmanagedtosurvivethecrash."
Idrewonmycigarette,lookingoutattheseaandattheinfiniteblueskyaboveit.
"Upthere,"IWenton,"upthere,therewere—andmaybetherestillare—unknownnumbersofsatelliteweaponscirclingroundandroundtheEarth.Justalotofdormantmenaces,touringaround,waitingforsomeone,orsomething,tosetthemoff.Whatwasinthem?Youdon’tknow;Idon’tknow.Top-secretstuff.Allwe’veheardisguesses—fissilematerials,radioactivedusts,bacteria,viruses...Nowsupposethatonetypehappenedtohavebeenconstructedespeciallytoemitradiationsthatoureyeswouldnotstand—somethingthatwouldburnoutoratleastdamagetheopticnerve."
Josellagrippedmyhand.
"Ohno,BillNo,theycouldn’t..That’dbe—diabolical.
...Oh,ICan’tbelieve—Ohno,Bill!"
"Mysweet,allthethingsuptherewerediabolical.Doyoudoubtthatifitcouldbedone,someonewoulddoit?
Thensupposetherewereamistake,orperhapsanaccident—maybesuchanaccidentasactuallyencounteringashowerofcometdebris,ifyoulike—whichstartssomeofthesethin8spopping.
"Somebodybeginstalkingaboutcomets.Itmightnotbepolitictodenythat—andthereturnedouttobesolittletime,anyway.
