День триффидов
The Coming of the Triffids
"Ineverthought—"Ibegandoubtfully.
"Youtrythinkingofitabit,andwatchingthem.I’dbeinterestedtohearyourconclusions,"hesaid.
Itwasacuriousthingthatinallmydealingswithtriffidssuchapossibilityhadneveroccurredtome.Pdbeenprejudiced,Isuppose.bythelove-calltheory.Butoncehehadputtheideaintomymind,itstuck.Icouldn’tgetawayfromthefeelingthattheymightindeedberattlingoutsecretmessagestooneanother.
UptothenI’dfanciedI’dwatchedtriffidsprettyclosely,butwhenWalterwastalkingaboutthemIfeltthatEdnoticedpracticallynothing.Hecould,whenhewasinthemood,talkonaboutthemforhours,advancingtheoriesthatweresometimeswildbutsometimesnotimpossible.
Thepublichadbythistimegrownoutofthinkingtriffidsfreakish.Theywereclumsilyamusing,butnotgreatlyinteresting.Thecompanyfoundtheminteresting,however,Ittooktheviewthattheirexistencewasapieceofbenevolenceforeveryoneparticularlyforitself.Waltersharedneitherview.Attimes,listeningtohim,Ibegantohavesomemisgivingsmyself.
Hebadbecomequitecertainthatthey"talked,"
"Andthat,"heargued,"meansthatsomewhereinthemisintelligence.Itcan’tbeseatedinabrain,becausedissectionshowsnothinglikeabrain—butthatdoesn’tprovethereisn’tsomethingtherethatdoesabrain’sjob.
"Andthere’scertainlyintelligencethere,ofakind.
