I interviewed an electrician friend for research I’m doing on a novel. He said that most people don’t understand just how unforgiving electricity is. The common question he gets on a job is “How soon will the lights be back on?” Although that’s ultimately what he is aiming for, his priorities are different. “My first goal is that I don’t get myself killed,” he says. “Second, that I don’t get anyone else killed. Third, that I don’t start any fires.” Fourth on the list are the lights.