День триффидов

           Bythetimewewerethroughwereckonedwe’dputpaidtoeveryoneintheplace,bigandsmall.Evenso,somemanagedtoappearthenextyear,andtheyearalterthat.Nowwehaveanintensivesearcheveryspring,onaccountofseedsblowingoverfromthemainland,andsettlewiththemrightaway.

           "Whilethatwasgoingon,weweregettingorganized.Thereweresomefiftyorsixtyofustobeginwith.Itookflipsinthehelicopter,andwhenIsawsignsofagroupanywhere,I’dgodownandissueageneralinvitationtocomealong.Somedidbutasurprisingnumbersimplyweren’tinterested:they’descapedfrombeinggoverned,andinspiteofalltheirtroublestheydidn’twantanymoreofit.TherearesomelotsinSouthWalesthathavestartedsortsoftribalcommunitiesandresenttheideaofanyorganizationexcepttheminimumthey’vesetupforthemselves.You’llfindsimilarlotsneartheothercoalfieldstoo.Usuallytheleadersarethemenwhohappenedtobeontheshiftbelowground,sothattheyneversawthegreenstars—thoughGodknowshowtheyevergotuptheshaftsagain.

           "Someofthemsodefinitelydon’twanttobeinterferedwiththattheyshootattheaircraft—there’sonelotlikethatatBrighton—"

           "Iknow,"Isaid."Theywarnedmeofftoo."

           "Recentlytherearemorelikethat.There’soneatMaidstone,anotheratGuildford,andotherplaces.They’retherealreasonwhywehadn’tspottedyouhiddenawayherebefore.

           Thedistrictdidn’tseemtoohealthywhenonegotclosetoit.