День триффидов
The Coming of the Triffids
Ishouldimagineit’slikelytobeanaltogetherdifferenttypeofintelligence,Uonlybecausetheirneedsaresomuchsimpler.Lookatthecomplexprocesseswehavetousetogetanassimilableextractfromatriffid.Nowreversethat.Whatdoesthetriffidhavetodo?Juststingus,waitafewdays.andthenbegintoassimilateus.Thesimple,naturalcourseofthings
HewouldgoonlikethatbythehouruntillisteningtohimwouldhavemegettingthingsoutofproportionandI’dfindmyselfthinkingofthetriffidsasthoughtheyweresomekindofcompetitor.Walterhimselfneverpretendedtothinkotherwise.Hehad,headmitted,thoughtofwritingabookonthatveryaspectofthesubjectwhenhehadgatheredmorematerial.
"Had?"Irepeated."What’sstoppingyou?"
"Justthis."Hewavedhishandtoincludethefarmgenerally."It’savestedinterestnow.Itwouldn’tpayanyonetoputoutdisturbingthoughtsaboutit.Anyway,wehavethetriffidscontrolledwellenoughsoit’sanacademicpointandscarcelyworthraising.
"Inevercanbequitesurewithyou,"Itoldhim."I’mnevercertainhowfaryouareseriousandhowfarbeyondyourfactsyouallowyourimaginationtoleadyou.Doyouhonestlythinkthereisadangerinthethings?"
Hepuffedabitathispipebeforeheanswered.
"That’sfairenoughheadmitted.Because—well,I’mbynomeanssuremyself.ButI’mprettycertainofonethingandthatisthattherecouldbedangerinthem.
