День триффидов
The Coming of the Triffids
However,atriffidiscertainlydistinctive,andwecouldn’thelpgettingabitcuriousaboutitafteratime.Not,perhaps,veryactively,fortherearealwaysafewunfamiliarthingsthatsomehoworothermanagetolodgeintheneglectedcornersofagarden,butenoughtomentiontooneanotherthatitwasbeginningtolookaprettyqueersortofthing.
Nowadays,wheneveryoneknowsonlytoowellwhatatriffidlookslike,itisdifficulttorecallhowoddandsomehowforeignthefirstonesappearedtous.Nobody,asfarasIknow,feltanymisgivingoralarmaboutthemthen.Iimaginethatmostpeoplethoughtofthem—whentheythoughtofthematall—inmuchthesamewaythatmyfatherdid.
Ihaveapictureinmymemorynowofhimexaminingoursandpuzzlingoveritatatimewhenitmusthavebeenaboutayearold.Inalmosteverydetailitwasahalf-sizereplicaofafullygrowntriffid—onlyitdidn’thaveanameyet,andnoonehadseenonefullygrown.Myfatherleanedover,peeringatitthroughhishorn-rimmedgasses,fingeringitsstalk,andblowinggentlythroughhisgingerymustache,aswashishabitwhenthoughtful.Heinspectedthestraightstem,andthewoodybolefromwhichitsprang.Hegavecurious,ifnotverypenetrative,attentiontothethreesmall,barestickswhichgrewstraightupbesidethestem.Hesmoothedtheshortspraysofleatherygreenleavesbetweenhisfingerandthumbasiftheirtexturemighttellhimsomething.
