Difference Engine.

Summary

In the Paleontology Hotel, Edward Mallory ascends the staircase with a bellboy carrying his packages. He encounters Lord Owen and observes a group of students debating. Mallory admires his checkered vest before receiving a visitor's card from Mr. Laurence E. Li Fan, a wealthy journalist. They meet at the front desk, where Li Fan expresses a desire to consult Mallory about a controversial topic within the Geography Society. He proposes a research project focused on societal issues rather than natural geography, suggesting a statistical study of urban dynamics in London. Mallory finds the idea intriguing yet impractical, questioning the allocation of resources for such a project.

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