Category Archives: Heterocera

Baker Bloch meets Karoz Blogger at Perch. “We might as well go sit at The Table instead of outside,” suggests Karoz. “Warmer in there.”

“Alright,” Baker agreed.

—–

“Where am I suppose to sit again?” asks Baker slyly.

“Why don’t you sit where Wheeler usually sits. Just a suggestion.”

Baker does as Karoz suggests. Ah: ultimate power, he thinks. What a living joke!

“I can’t see you because of that stupid Kubrick light, Karoz. Do you think Wheeler would mind if I delete it?”

“You’re the town custodian,” answers Karoz. “Responsible for cleaning up and making sure there’s no clutter. If the lamp is clutter in this manner — blocking vision of others at The Table — then you’re okay. You have that right.”

“I’m going to test to see how much light we would lose by turning it off.” Baker turns off the lamp. “Not enough to matter,” he decides, and deletes the light. “Curled Paper can keep his bulb on during the meetings. And we’ve been so rude… Curled, my man, my boy, how are *you* doing?” No answer from Curled Paper.

“You have to turn his light off,” Karoz points out.

“Oh. I was *sure* it was the other way around.”

“No,” reinforces Karoz. “He needs to be off to respond.”

“And to take notes,” Baker realizes. “So the lamp will have to stay. Tell you what, let’s replace it with the standing Kubrick light like the one downstairs. Hold on and we’ll see how that looks…” Baker copies the standing lamp from downstairs and rezzes it between and behind Hucka Doobie’s and Curled Paper’s seats. “There. That could do.”

“Wheeler’s not going to like the fact that it’s on the opposite side of The Table from her.”

Baker Bloch ponders what Karoz says. “Well, maybe she won’t have any choice.”

Wheeler appears at the room’s opening as Wilson.

“So you’ve figured out I’m to be replaced. Don’t worry. I predicted that way before Karoz. I knew it before the beginning. Mars is gone. I have no place here except inside the Squared Circle. You will not be punished. I must leave. Doreena is about to manifest once more. It’s 2:30 am. Like clockwork she is. Ta ta!” Wilson vanishes.

—–

Wheeler, as Wilson, takes Baker Bloch’s place at the North Sea, a direction he didn’t get around to exploring those 8 long years ago to complete his own attempted aqua-encirclement of Nautilus City. The two projects, separate in time, lock together in hypertime and make a whole. The door can be truly opened this way, both eventually understand. Not a tease this time. Cooperation is golden.

“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.”