Quote by J.G. Farrell, The Siege of Krish

He could hear that musket ball droning about the room, lethally bisecting it again and again like a billiard ball going from one cushion to another. He remained crouching there for a long time before he was able to convince himself that it was quite impossible, physically speaking, scientifically speaking, for a musket ball to go on and on ricocheting like that in a rectangular room; it could only be his imagination. So he forced himself to stand up again and suffered no ill-effects; a small but significant triumph for the scientific way of looking at things.

He could hear that musket ball droning about the room, letha

Summary

This quote highlights the protagonist's experience witnessing a musket ball seemingly defying physical laws by continuously ricocheting around a room. Initially, he questions the possibility of such an occurrence and attributes it to his imagination. However, by challenging his own doubt and adopting a scientific perspective, he realizes that it was indeed impossible for the musket ball to defy the laws of physics. This epiphany becomes a personal triumph for the protagonist as it reinforces the power of scientific reasoning in understanding and debunking seemingly supernatural occurrences.

Topics

Satire Science Superstition Native

By J.G. Farrell, The Siege of Krish

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