I am sleeping on a mattress in his cabin, which is the most primitive shelter imaginable. I now understand why civilisation invariably evolves into concentrations of city dwellers. In the city one is surrounded by networks of efficiency. All human knowledge is accessible in its most convenient forms. But here! Alas, here the very idea of enlightened knowledge is suspect. Modern science is unknown. Things break down. Distances are vast, continental—no, cosmic! The seasons are tyrants who will not be denied. The virus and the bullet wield excessive authority.
