Nathaniel had found a relatively dry patch of grass, far enough away from the portable garderobes so as not to be overwhelmed by the stench. A sea of people surrounded him -- people who were caked in mud and wearing some of the strangest clothes Nathaniel had ever seen. Many of the women appeared to be wearing loose nightdresses and had wreathes of flowers in their hair. There were also, much to his embarrassment, quite a few people who were not wearing any clothes at all.

All around him were the sounds of singing, chanting, babies crying, and people engaged in intimate actions that in Nathaniel's opinion should occur in the bedroom, and not in front of thousands of people. Up on the stage was a band of long-haired, scruffy, men and women singing and making noises with various musical instruments in a manner that in Nathaniel's opinion should never, ever be classified as music.

He looked around himself, frowning. "These people came here voluntarily?"