22 - The Prime Cause

The sunny weather has tempted thousands to Gwair to celebrate the Upstart Gala. The shops are doing brisk business and the street food outlets are spreading their fragrant smoky vapours around the quaint streets.  All would be well, but just as Kolya activates his ponderomotive synchrotron, the skies cloud over and a hard rain starts to fall. This signals the start of a dramatic mass  departure, leading to traffic jams exacerbated by a breakdown in the traffic light system. Malvolio Claxendell curses the weather, but Abdul Hasib ibn Burd, the Poet-Philosopher, suggests that  the responsibility  (though not necessarily the blame) may  be laid at the door of the Infant Genius.