"Harry Adam Knight - Fungus" - читать интересную книгу автора (Knight Harry Adam)

The big cylindrical bin was covered with huge growths that looked like giant toadstools. They were about
18 inches high and a foot wide. They were sprouting out of the top of the bin and down its side like frozen
beer foam.

Naseem stared at them in amazement. They hadnтАЩt been there when heтАЩd last emptied the kitchen scraps . .
. when? Less than three hours ago?


He called to the others. The tone of his voice brought them out at a run. They reacted to the sight in the
same way he did.

After a long pause Dinesh said, тАЬWhat is that stuff? Where did it all come from?тАЭ

Naseem shook his head. тАЬI donтАЩt know. It wasnтАЩt here before. ItтАЩs grown very suddenly.тАЭ

They both looked to the older man for enlightment, hoping that their uncle had encountered something
like this in the past. But he seemed as astonished as they were. тАЬTheyтАЩre like mushrooms. Like giant
mushrooms,тАЭ he said slowly.

тАЬMore like toadstools,тАЭ said Naseem doubtfully. тАЬToadstools can grow this big, canтАЩt they?тАЭ

Dinesh disappeared into the kitchen and returned wielding a broom. тАЬWe must destroy them.тАЭ

тАЬNo, wait,тАЭ said Naseem, stepping in front of him. тАЬPerhaps we should call the Health men. Those things
are not normal.тАЭ

тАЬThe Health men would close us down,тАЭ said their uncle. тАЬAnd my brother would have our skins. We
cannot tell anyone about this.тАЭ He nodded to Dinesh. тАЬGo on, get rid of them.тАЭ

Dinesh pushed past Naseem and began to energetically attack the growths with the broom. As the broom
struck them the larger fungi burst with a dry popping sound, releasing a faintly luminous cloud of green
powder. Very soon the whole alley was filled with the dust and all three men were covered with it.


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Dinesh continued with his flailing until all the growths were gone and only powder remained. This he
swept up and dumped into the big container. By 3.00 a.m. no visible trace of the fungi remained, either on
the ground or in the air. A breeze had sprung up and the cloud of tiny fungi fragments had been carried
away.

By 3.30 a.m. the billions of particles were spreading over the West End of London . . . and beyond.




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