So here’s what I think is happening *now*. Central — Core of 4 or whoever — wanted *The Table* to become front and center, and cleared way for that by at least temporarily eliminating the ToXic Art Gallery and its bulk of the Art10x10 from the town. As of the last hour, it’s returned, but not where it was before. It has replaced the Hobo Squat that use to occupy the northeast corner of the burg, a logical progression looking back on it. The Goldie statue has also been moved to the end of a way that briefly became golden in color, but has, for the moment, turned back to its normal and lackluster gray — no golden roads in the village as of this writing (it could change in a moment’s notice). But Goldie is still there. And there isn’t just one Stairs Gallery building in town, but *two*, both surrounding the Big Boy tower.
Before I forget, I made what might be a meaningful mistake in calling the Big Boy tower the Power Tower in the last several exchanges of the last blog post here. I’m going to just let this error stand, for I believe Big Boy *is* the center of power in town now, and that’s what Central (Core of 4, etc.) had in mind all along. Let me return to that thought.
The *second* Stairs Gallery in VWX Town now, and on the opposite side of Big Boy from the first. Both are connected to Big Boy by a bridge.
The now central Table House — *The* Table House — sitting on land formerly occupied mainly by the ToXic Art Gallery. Never fear: that gallery would shortly return to VWX Town.
VWX Town skyline looking from the east. Soon the Hobo Squat (right) would be no more — that’s where I reinstated ToXic Art.
View from west, with The Table House visible more in the foreground.
Looking toward the Wall of Eyes from around The Table House, Goldie in foreground.
The Table itself, in the upstairs of The Table House.
Nice view from the transparent upstairs wall, looking toward the Quadtower of TILE.
“Hucka D., it’s time to talk about all this.”
Hucka D.:
It is what it is — a power play. This is probably what the Core of Four wanted all along: The Table in their midst. Whoever controls The Table controls the town. That was their thinking.
bb:
Who are the Core of Four, then?
Hucka D.:
In you mind, you’ve guessed the 4 dopplegangers of The Kniks, who are actually 1 Knik, and that is Knok. You see them/him in the very first collage displayed in the Power Tower Gowlery. Go take a look — take a snapshot. I’ll wait.
bb:
Okay.
Hucka D.:
So the Core of Four… you go…
bb:
So the Core of Four are The Kniks who are one Knik and that is Knok. But what of the townspeople? We’ve speculated that Biker Jones and Ranger Johns, and perhaps Furry Carl and Bean Mister and Lt. Pepper along with them, are candidates for the Core of Four.
Hucka D.:
Cardboard Derek Jones should know. His grandfather Cardboard Isaac Newton Jasper Jones was killed in the town’s Meat Wars. His grandmother Cardboard Derek Jeter inherited the old postmodern art mill, which churned out a dozen or so prodigies in its day. That was behind the present Wall of Eyes, and when Carrcassonne still had all knowing power. The eyes only looked at her in those days.
bb:
Should we bring back Cardboard Jones to verify all this, Hucka D.?
(Sound of door slamming, which made Hucka D. jump out of his seat but which I, baker b., barely heard. In fact, I looked around for another insect tapping at the far window that Hucka D. seems oblivious of. Derek Jones enters.)
CDJ:
In fact, there was no eyes on the wall in those days. I was listening with my supersonic powers while walking down the street toward this place. What do you call this place anyway? It’s a squat!
bb:
We call it Nowhereville.
CDJ:
Appropriate. Yeah, that’s something I didn’t tell you. Carrcassonne wasn’t always blind, as it were. She gave her eyes to the wall. Her eye which is many eyes. Isn’t there a story of Shiva in your Indian mythology with the many eyes?
bb:
Unsure, Cardboard. Maybe a 3rd eye you are referring to? Also I think Shiva was a destroyer. Was Carrcassonne a destroyer?
Hucka D.:
Yes. (insert sound of door slamming to Hucka D., and the sound of another tapping insect to me, baker b.) CDJ had to leave because he remembered he forgot to lock his front door [as he just whispered to me]. He’s afraid of Central’s goons, and probably for good reason. They hang at Furry Carl’s newly inserted bar, get drunk, and then go looking for trouble, especially towards Southside and Westside. Cardboard Jones also told me last night that they’ve actually changed the name of the whole town from Westside to Westend, just because that’s what everyone seems to mistakenly call it — like me! But Westside’s Story goes on.
bb:
You mean the play based on the history of Westside — er, Westend. I actually like Westside better.
Hucka D.:
It could change[ again].
—–
bb:
So back to The Table, Hucka D.
Hucka D.:
It is what it is.
(to be continued?)
Sunklands 