“Tell me all about Mars, Baker Bloch. I’m so excited! Now that you’re back, I mean.”
“It was an adventure for certain. INSCO was a highlight. Obviously Old Mabel’s Dawg Pound. Be sure to not call her just Mabel. She’s grown up now.”
“Shame about her brother having to go off to war,” says Baker Blinker. “It’s not fair to make people do that — fight in someone else’s battles.”
“No. Hopefully he’ll be okay and Old Mabel and he can be reunited soon.”
“Yes.”
“Thanks for visiting me over at INSCO by the way.”
“You’re welcome,” says Baker Blinker.
“It cheered me up — you showing up. Lemon and Sugar were good company, but they’re not my kind. I belong here. In Collagesity.”
“Of course,” states Baker Blinker. “This is home.”
“When will Wheeler be back?” he asks. He scratches his nose.
“As soon as she’s circumnavigated the whole Nautilus City island successfully I suppose. She just said she’s going to run around the island — said it was predicted in one of our user’s Boos collages, the one with the spool table, I believe.”
“Boos, um, 07 I suppose.” Baker Bloch reconsiders the number. “08 — sorry.”
“And I suppose you want to know about The Table.”
“Of course,” says Baker Bloch. “I guess it can’t operate while Wheeler is away.”
“No, but she’s got it all set up now. Basically. A question remains about Zappa.”
“Show me how it works,” requests Baker Bloch.
“Well… let’s say that I’m Wheeler at The Table. You’re opposite me so you would be Karoz, who is opposite Wheeler there. Then — I’ll put my beer at right angles to both of us; and to my right. That’s Curled Paper, the notetaker.”
“You know, I’ve never seen him move a lick. He just sits there reading his Winesap book.” Baker Bloch then comically assumes the stilted reading position of Curled Paper, making Baker Blinker smile.
“Now set your coffee cup opposite my beer.” Baker does as requested. “That’s Spongeberg.”
“Cool,” says Baker Bloch.
“Appropriate colors as well, because Curled Paper is lit like a yellow sun and Spongeberg is night dark with stars. I suppose Wheeler planned it that way, or it was in the cards. Something.”
“Something,” Baker Bloch agreed.
“And then, let’s see, this green sphere is Mmmmmm Salad Bar Jack, who stands in for Lemon. Well, he’s actually done some kind of mind-body meld with Lemon, who, being a flattie and all, can’t really sit at The Table. So that’s Salad Bar. And opposite Salad Bar is Hucka Doobie. I’ll just rezz a plain sphere for him.
“Then on the right of Karoz — that’s you — is Dr. Blood,” continued Baker Blinker. “A silver cube will do for him. Then opposite Dr. Blood, according to Wheeler’s master plan currently, is Zappa. This is the last addition; Wheeler states Zappa is the most problematic component of The Table, but hasn’t explained that to me fully yet.”
“You two are still getting along?” queries Baker Bloch.
“Okay, I suppose. I’m getting over the shock. I just have to accept the triangle and that I’m not sitting at the top.”
“Wheeler as Bill is,” Baker Bloch completes Baker Blinker’s thoughts.
“Yes.”
Sunklands 