День триффидов
World Narrowing
Itcausedthetriffidstorecoilafewyards,andtherebystoppedthembuildinguppressureagainstthefence.Asanadditionalguardwerananalarmwireontheinnerfencetoenableustodealwithanybreaksbeforetheybecameserious.
Theweaknesslayinthetriffids’apparentabilitytolearn,inatleastalimitedway,fromexperience.Wefound,forin-stance,thattheygrewaccustomedtoourpracticeofchargingthewireforawhilenightandmorning.Webegantonoticethattheywereusuallyclearofthewireatourcustomarytimeforstartingtheengine,andtheystartedtocloseinagainsoonafterithadstopped.Whethertheyactuallyassociatedthechargedconditionofthewirewiththesoundoftheenginewasimpossibletosaythen,butlaterwehadlittledoubtthattheydid.
Itwaseasyenoughtomakeourrunningtimeserratic,butSusan,forwhomtheywerecontinuallyasourceofinimicalstudy,soonbegantomaintainthattheperiodforwhichtheshockkeptthemclearwasgrowingsteadilyshorter.Nevertheless,theelectrifiedwireandoccasionalattacksupontheminthesectionswheretheyweredensestkeptusfreeofincursionsforoverayear,andofthosethatoccurredlaterwehadwarningenoughtostopthembeingmorethanaminornuisance.
Withinthesafetyofourcompoundwecontinuedtolearnaboutagriculture,andlifesettledgraduallyintoaroutine.
