День триффидов
The Coming of the Triffids
Itwasfoundthatittookabouttwoyearsfortheloststingtobedangerouslyreplaced,sothatanannualpruningassuredthattheywereinastateofsafetywheretheycouldprovidevastamusementforthechildren.
Intemperatecountries,wheremanhadsucceededinputtingmostformsofnaturesavehisownunderareasonabledegreeofrestraint,thestatusofthetriffidwasthusmadequiteclear.Butinthetropics,particularlyinthedenseforestareas,theyquicklybecameascourge.
Thetravelerveryeasilyfailedtonoticeoneamongthenormalbushesandundergrowth,andthemomenthewasinrangethevenomousstingwouldslashout.Eventheregularinhabitantofsuchadistrictfounditdifficulttodetectamotionlesstriffidcunninglylurkingbesideajunglepath.Theywereuncannilysensitivetoanymovementnearthem,andhardtotakeunawares.
Dealingwiththembecameaseriousprobleminsuchregions.Themostfavoredmethodwastoshootthetopoffthestem,andthestingwithit.Thejunglenativestooktocarryinglong,lightpolesmountedwithhookedknives,whichtheyusedeffectivelyiftheycouldgettheirblowsinfirst—butnotatallifthetriffidhadachancetoswayforwardandincreaseitsrangebyanunexpectedfourorfivefeet.Beforelong,however,thesepikelikedevicesweremostlysupersededbyspring-operatedgunsofvarioustypes.Mostofthemshotspinningdisks,crosses,orsmallboomerangsofthinsteel.
