In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.
In 2023, that perfectly chilling exchange between human and computer is echoed every day as modern-day Daves make impossible demands of HAL's granddaughters, Siri and Alexa.
" Peeves, " Percy whispered to the first years. " A poltergeist." He raised his voice, " Peeves -- show yourself." A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.
There is nothing more demoralizing, more destructive, more disempowering to a citizen than the belief that the system is rigged against them, said Secretary Kerry.
And yet as disappointed as I was that these women made that choice, I also deeply understood the insecurities that drew them to the side of the room and kept them glued to those chairs.