День триффидов
The Coming of the Triffids
Thatimprobableachievementmust,ofcourse,havebeenknownforsometimeinRussia,whereitwasdoubtlessclassifiedasastatesecret,but,asfarasIhavebeenabletoconfirm,itsfirstoccurrenceintheoutsideworldtookplaceinIndo-China—whichmeantthatpeoplewentontakingpracticallynonotice.Indo-Chinawasoneoftheseregionsfromwhichsuchcuriousandunlikelyyarnsmightbeexpectedtodriftin,andfrequentlydid—thekindofthinganeditormightconceivablyuseifnewswerescarceandatouchofthe"mysteriousEast"wouldliventhepaperupabit.ButinanycasetheIndo-Chinesespecimencanhavehadnogreatlead.WithinafewweeksreportsofwalkingplantswerepouringinfromSumatra,Borneo,BelgianCongo,Colombia,Brazil,andmostplacesintheneighborhoodoftheequator.
Thistimetheygotintoprint,allright.Butthemuch-handledstories,writtenupwiththatblendofcautiouslydefensivefrivolitywhichthepresshabituallyemployedtocoverthemselvesinmattersregardingseaserpents,flyingsaucers,thoughttransference,andotherirregularphenomena,preventedanyonefromrealizingthattheseaccomplishedplantsatallresembledthequiet,respectableweedbesideourrubbishheap.Notuntilthepicturesbegantoappeardidwerealizethattheywereidenticalwithitsaveinsize.
Thenewsreelmenwerequicklyoffthemark.Possiblytheygotsomegoodandinterestingpicturesfortheirtroubleofflyingtooutlandishplaces.
