A Woman Reaches an Inflection Point.

 

By now, since her sister has been out looking for her for several hours, she figures it should be safe for her to walk quietly, and in an appropriate manner, with a sealed package to near the outer shores of a foreign room. She will resume bargaining once the shortest of the tables have been well secured. Her knowledge of placements is sketchy at best, but the flair she's shown in the past will hold her in good stead even if, as everyone expects, a blind tracing is not enough to repel a timid dowager if a tunnel is shown to be at risk. We check the water with a shellacked tube, and still no sign. To some this might seem romantic, but for us it's a matter of lights and desk.

If she was seen asking around about my part in the dilemma, she never let on. But I'd be reluctant to put it past her to rehearse silently and if no one could remember seeing her face then a swollen finger would have to do. I know that I'd told her my side but by this time it was clear that her husband, who'd taught me to count beyond one million when I was a wee bit of a slip, could no longer stand her love of barely scalded thread. She said it would keep her safe in the event of a random outbreak. He dismissed this as just so much pseudoscience.

I was afraid for years that it might come to this. And now, here we are. Just wavering. But still insistent that any goading will come to naught. Even as our pen sales are holding steady, the stately varnish is all but worn clear through. When I see her again I'll be sure to transfer some obvious lengths into her ivory box. It won't hurt to get her on the record in case all prior indications are lost in an expected fire. One or more unusual characters have been observed lately, spreading false tales about a copper mining operation in Zambia. Everyone will soon know that this is pure Grade A piffle. And I won't be shocked to hear them renounce their faith.

In the morning when Dear Leader promotes his vision of an expected Appearance, I will be seen to wear my Complebent Robe and carry a Roman Vidol at steady mounds of rictus. She, however, if no longer lost but not yet found, can be counted upon to train a host of glimmers to induce an aptitude for panache in a prancing 'legend' of some type of Game. You should be warned, though, not to get too close or form needless alliances when a hat alone would do the trick. Our play in this matter is pure scope. And, one other thing: rifles are forbidden once you hit the Grounds. Just sayin'.

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