Chapter 16

“For family occsions ... no ... for government or formal parties ... yes.”

Jackie said, “What makes you think we’re going to be attending formal parties?”

I said, “Or government functions?”

George said, “David, Jackie ... please ... consider your mother.”

So ... there is this little place ... not in a Mall ... and not ‘downtown’ where one needs to ‘know’ someone ... or their brother ... to get in the door. It looks like a 1920’s era house with a detached garage, and in the garage ... a few of Santa’s elves, having been replaced by robots, carpenter shoes. I use the term ‘Carpenter’ because there is a fella who transforms numbers into ‘lasts’ made of wood, one right and one left. Feet are not identical.

When he slips those ‘lasts’ into a box labled with the owner of the feet that modeled the ‘lasts’, places that box in an elevator and pushes a button ... noise and vibration disturbs the local night crawlers from their appointed rounds. Unless one has another destination ... a smart ‘one’ gathers some of those night crawlers and goes fishing ... because there is a waiting period.