"When our advantages include 'at least reality more or less functions in a straight line,' you know it's bad." This he observes with dry amusement, only a little outwardly bleak. "I'm curious how far the resemblance runs, actually. They say this world was remade by the dream, however unintentionally. Hard for me to tell what's a scar on reality from the wound of the dream, and what's..."

He gestures, broadly, to the books on squid.

"... whatever the Pthumerians brought by showing up after. Might help to figure out where each influence begins and ends. It could give us some clues about those motives."