The decadent : being the gospel of inaction : wherein are set forth in romance form certain reflections touching the curious characteristics of these ultimate years, and the divers causes thereof

The opening scene drops listeners onto a soot‑stained railway platform in late summer, where Malcolm McCann steps off a rattling train into a chaotic jumble of workers, street‑children and noisy market stalls. The air is thick with coal smoke, dust and the clatter of endless freight, painting a vivid portrait of a town caught between grim industrial progress and a lingering, oppressive filth. McCann’s sharp, weary eyes scan the grimy surroundings, already hinting at a mind that measures the world in both contempt and weary observation.

As the crowd shuffles past, McCann searches for his elusive companion Aurelian, finding only an assortment of carriages that range from battered hacks to an ostentatious victoria pulled by immaculate horses. The narrative balances vivid description with a dry, almost philosophical commentary on the decay of modern life, inviting listeners to contemplate the “gospel of inaction” that underlies the characters’ aimless drift. Expect a richly textured, slowly unfurling story that critiques the restless, profit‑driven era while following one man’s reluctant passage through its soot‑covered streets.