From the story archive · Fictional encounter
Attending a world-renowned orchestra performance. The violinist steps forward for a solo, complete silence in the concert hall. Just as they complete a particularly emotional passage—PFFFT—a barking spider provides an unexpected coda.
The conductor, without missing a beat, gives a slight nod as if acknowledging another instrument in the orchestra. Three music critics later described the moment as "a brilliant juxtaposition of the sublime and the human condition."