Far below the familiar world of the underground train system is an antiquated system constructed entirely of wood. On a quest to find a party hosted by some loose acquaintances, I hurry through Camden Tube and take a series of very wrong turnings, then find myself alone on a tatty wooden platform. The quality of the silence that surrounds me is disturbing. I have not heard so little ever before in my life. After what seems like an interminable wait, a uniformed official dawdles towards me along the platform. As he approaches, I notice that he is cobwebbed and extremely dusty. He says to me, in a broken whisper, that the train will be "along presently". My experience teaches me that this phrase is extremely flexible and could be interpreted in a number of ways.