Perhaps simply that life is inexplicable, alarming, and bewildering and will continue to be so until it kills you.

[Dirk gives a one-shouldered shrug, again far too bright and casual for the words that've just come out of his mouth.]

Which, come to think of it, is probably the moral of any given story involving toasters, for that matter. Kitchen appliances in general, extraordinarily alarming things in my experience.

[Which is, this time, sort of a joke, though a joke based firmly in reality. He has, after all, seen a microwave oven indirectly kill a man.]

Lots of food for thought here, though. Clearly I'm going to have to do a survey of local literature.