Speech

He was in the back garden when it came to him.

It was an instant revelation. One moment it was not there, and the very next, it was! The truth of it came so abruptly into sharp focus that it was almost overwhelming. Nevertheless, there it was, as plain as day. It was quite simply the answer to it all. It was the reason for life on Earth. It explained the existence of the cosmos and the part that all living things play in it. It was the key that, by its very nature, would unlock every conceivable mystery. It clearly laid out the answers to all questions that were ever posed by philosophers throughout the ages. It was the solution to everything that needed to be solved. It was, in itself, the reason for everything.

It was the ultimate panacea.

Unhappily, he knew that without the power of speech he was not able to pass any of this on to other earthworms.