In the usual course of things, the future is mercifully hidden from us. I say mercifully because few indeed are those among us who have only joyous elements in their futures. And who wants premature knowledge of the troubles that lie ahead? Oh people go looking for it, that's true enough. Fortune tellers make a living from it, and ouija boards are brought out on quiet evenings at home. But in the main, the future keeps its secrets pretty well hidden. When it fails to do so, well the results are unpredictable...