"It had to be here. It had all the hallmarks of a classic Cracklejack lair. And besides, his intuition crowed at him, you know it's in there. Wych-hunting's in your blood; isn't that what Father always said? You've got the wych-sense just like he had. You just know" (Chapter 1, p. 5-6).

"'We are in an age of industry, Thaniel. The Age of Reason. Men toil in factories, scientists create wonders; we are unravelling the mysteries of the universe, and they are cold and hard. Science is the new way, and science has not time for poetry or stories or careless folk. I fear for you, son. I fear that those traits that were your mother's will mean your undoing one day.'
'What of the wych-kin, Father? Where do they fit into this new age of science and reason and logical thought?'
Jedriah's head had sunk a...