When the Prime Minister announces a new rail line in Ismyre, there are protests: from the wizards, who are concerned about the country's magic, from the naturalists, who fear the damage to the soil, plants, and animals, and from the Sisters of Our Lady Who Slumbers Under the Earth, who would prefer their giant serpent deity to rest peacefully. As the railway proceeds, the worries of the wizards and the naturalists come to pass... and the earth has begun to shake.