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Whattheyneededwasaplacewheretheywouldhaveroomtoexpandanddevelop:anareawithnaturaldefenses,which,onceithadbeenclearedofexit-lids,couldeconomicallybekeptclearofthem.Wheretheynowwereahighproportionoftheirlaborwasoccupiedwithmaintainingfences.Andastheirnumbersincreased,thelengthoffencelinewouldhavetobeincreased.Clearly,thebestsell-maintainingdefenselinewouldbewater.Tothatendtheyhadheldadiscussionontherelativemeritsofvariousislands.IthadbeenchieflyclimatethathaddecidedtheminfavoroftheIsleofWight,despitesomemisgivingsovertheareathatwouldhavetobecleared.Accordingly,inthefollowingMarchtheyhadpackedupagainandmovedon.
"Whenwegotthere,"Ivansaid,"thetriffidsseemedeventhickerthanwherewe’dleft.Nasoonerhadwebeguntoset-tieourselvesintoabigcountryhousenearGodshillthantheystartedcollectingalongthewallsinthousands.Welet‘emconicforacoupleofweeksorso,thenwewentfor‘emwiththeflamethrowers.
"Afterwe’dwipedthatlotout,weletthemaccumulateagain,andthenweblitzed‘emoncemore—andsoon.Wecouldaffordtodoitproperlythere,becauseoncewewereclearofthemwe’dnotneedtousethethrowersanymore.Therecouldonlybealimitednumberontheisland,andthemoreofthemthatcameroundustobewipedout,thebetterwelikedit.
"Webadtodoitadozentimesbeforetherewasanyappreciableeffect.
