День триффидов
The Coming of the Triffids
Thenhepeeredintothecurious,funnel-likeformationatthetopofthestem,stillpuffingreflectively,butinconclusively,throughhismustache.Irememberthefirsttimeheliftedmeuptolookinsidethatconicalcupandseethetightlywrappedwhorlwithin,Itlookednotunlikethenew,close-rolledfrondofafern,emergingacoupleofinchesfromastickymessinthebaseofthecup.Ididnottouchit,butIknewthestuffmustbestickybecausetherewerefliesandothersmallinsectsstrugglinginit.
Morethanoncemyfatherruminatedthatitwasprettyqueer,andobservedthatoneofthesedayshereallymusttrytofindoutwhatitwas.Idon’tthinkheevermadetheeffort,nor,atthatstage,washelikelytohavelearnedmuchifhehadtried.
Thethingwouldbeaboutfourfeethighthen.Theremusthavebeenplentyofthemabout,growingtipquietlyandinoffensively,withnobodytakinganyparticularnoticeofthematleastitseemedso,forifthebiologicalorbotanicalexpertswereexcitedoverthem,nonewsoftheirinterestpercolatedtothegeneralpublic.Andsotheoneinourgardencontinueditsgrowthpeacefully,asdidthousandslikeitinneglectedspotsallovertheworld.
Itwassomelittletimelaterthatthefirstonepickedupitsrootsandwalked.
