“Did it attack you? Threaten violence; seize your goods?” “Eh? No, of course not. It’s worse than that,” said the farmer. “It went and philosophized at us!” There was a beat of silence while they wondered if they’d misheard him. “I’m sorry?” said Silt. “It wouldn’t let us pass!” wailed the farmer’s wife, clutching his arm more tightly. “It just kept going on about determinism, and the futility of it all, or some suchlike.
