День триффидов
Strategic Withdrawal
Istaredathiminamazement.
"You’reseriouslysuggestingthattwentypeopleandtheirchildrencanliveoffthisland,"Isaid."Why’it’sutterlyimpossible.We’vebeenwonderingwhetherweshallbeabletosupportourselvesonit."
Heshookhisheadconfidently.
"Itisperfectlypossible.AndwhatIamofferingyouisthecommandofthedoubleunitweshallinstallhere.Frankly,ifyoudonotcaretotakeit,weshallputinsomeoneelsewhowill.Wecan’taffordwasteinthesetimes."
"Butjustlookattheplace,"Irepeated."Itsimplycan’tdoit."
"Iassureyouthatitcan,Mr.Masen.Ofcourseyou’llhavetoloweryourstandardsabit—weallshall,forthenextfewyears,butwhenthechildrengrowupyou’llbegintohavelabortoexpandwith.Forsixorsevenyearsit’sgoingtomeanpersonalhardworkforyou,Iadmit—thatcan’tbehelped.Fromthenon,however,you’llgraduallybeabletorelaxuntilyouaresimplysupervising.Surelythat’sgoingtomakeagoodreturnforjustafewyearsofthetoughergoing?
"Placedasyouarenow,whatsortoffuturewouldyouhave?Nothingbuthardworkuntilyoudiedinyourtracks—andyourchildrenwouldbefacedwithworkinginthesameway,justtokeepgoing,notmorethanthat.Wherearethefutureleadersandadministratorstocomefrominthatkindofsetup?Yourway,you’dbewornoutandstillinharnessinanothertwentyyears—andallyourchildrenwouldbeyokels.
