День триффидов
The Coming of the Triffids
Hehadalsoestablishedthattheinfertilityrateoftriffidseedswassomethinglike95percent.
"Which."heremarked."isadamnedgoodthing.Iftheyallgerminated,there’dsoonbestandingroomonly,fortriffidsonly,onthisplanet."
Withthat,too,Iagreed.Triffid-seedtimewasquiteasight.Thedarkgreenpodjustbelowthecupwasglisteninganddistended,abouthalfasbigagainaslargeapple—Whenitburst,itdiditwithapopthatwasaudibletwentyyardsaway.Thewhiteseedsshotintotheairlikesteamandbegandriftingawayonthelightestofbreezes.LookingdownonafieldoftriffidslateinAugust,youcouldwellgettheideathatsomekindofdesultorybombardmentwasgoingon.
ItwasWalter’sdiscoveryagainthatthequalityoftheextractswasimprovediftheplantsretainedtheirstings.Inconsequence,thepracticeofdockingwasdiscontinuedonfarmsthroughoutthetrade,andwehadtowearprotectivedeviceswhenworkingamongtheplants.
AtthetimeortheaccidentthathadlandedmeinhospitalIwasactuallywithWalter.Wewereexaminingsomespecimenswhichwereshowingunusualdeviations.Bothofuswerewearingwire-meshmasks.Ididnotseeexactlywhathappened.AllIknowisthatasIbentforwardastingslashedviciouslyatmyfaceandsmackedagainstthewireofthemask.Ninety-ninetimesinahundreditwouldnothavemattered;thatwaswhatthemaskswerefor.Butthisonecamewithsuchforcethatsomeofthelittlepoisonsacswereburstopen,andafewdropsfromthemwentintomyeyes
