Tomás says the door in the fog is gone and that he's fine
We have printed a photograph of Tomás looking healthy and normal below for reassurance. (Note: if your copy of this newsletter does not contain a photograph, this is a printing issue and not cause for alarm. He is still fine.)
The Tide Brings News… Island Newsletter Vol. XV
Local News:
The naming window has closed. The Turpin baby has been named. We have been asked not to print the name in this newsletter either. We support this decision. Everyone on the island now knows the name through other means, which is the traditional way.
Tomás has returned from the fog.
He is well.
He says the instruments are fine. He also says he found a door out there, standing alone, not attached to anything.
He did not open it.
We have printed a photograph of him looking healthy and normal below for reassurance. (Note: if your copy of this newsletter does not contain a photograph, this is a printing issue and not cause for alarm. He is still fine.)
The community hall on the mainland side will be closed for “assessment” from next Monday.
We have been told this is routine.
Council has sent two men in long coats to do the assessment. They have measuring equipment. Residents who pass the hall are advised to keep walking and not engage the men in conversation.
If one of them smiles at you, return the smile (a small one only, teeth optional) and continue on your way.
There is to be no fishing on the south bank this month. There is something there, sleeping.
We’re letting it sleep.
Craft Corner: Monthly Talisman
This month Clíodhna has sent us a remedy for unwanted attention. She says it has never failed her. Given that Clíodhna lives alone up at the black fort and has done for forty years without incident, we consider this a strong endorsement.
The Unnoticed Charm — For Passing Through Without Being Seen
You will need:
- dirt from a crossroads (any crossroads, even a small one between paths)
- a seed of any kind (saved, not bought)
- grey thread
- a small piece of mirrored glass (a broken compact works; a watch face works; a chip off a car mirror should not work but Clíodhna says it does)
Timing: New moon or overcast day. Do not make this on a clear bright morning. Bright mornings invite scrutiny.
- Mix the crossroads dirt and the seed in the palm of your left hand. Consider the places you need to pass through unseen. Not people — places. Places have better memory than people and respond to negotiation.
- Fold the mixture into a small square of cloth or paper. Spit on it once. (Clíodhna’s instruction, not ours.)
- Lay the mirror fragment face-up on a flat surface. Place the folded packet on top of it.
- Wind the grey thread around both: the mirror and the packet together, seven times, saying nothing. Silence is the working here. The thread is the working. Your quiet attention is the working.
- Carry in a left pocket, or a pocket nearest the heart.
Do not use this charm to escape your responsibilities to the island. It will not work for that.
The island always knows where you are.
Herbarium Arcanum
Siobhán Gunny’s book has been delayed due to an incident with the proofing copies.
She says this is the publisher’s fault. The publisher, we are told, says it is the book’s fault.
We are not printing further details at this time.
Here is this month’s extract, which Siobhán sent us via sealed note and asked us not to read before printing. We have not read it before printing.
Plant: Cormorant Weed (Phalacrus niger) — Disputed Classification
Kingdom: Possibly Plantae
Notes: Grows in the rafters of unused buildings and on the undersides of the pier boards. Appears within six weeks of a structure being abandoned. Does not appear to photosynthesize. Does not appear to require water. Siobhán writes: “I have attempted to classify this plant within the standard botanical taxonomy and have found the exercise instructive in terms of what taxonomy is for and whether it is adequate. I have decided it is not adequate. I will be proposing a seventh kingdom. My publisher is not supportive of this.”
Smell: Like a room someone recently left. Old tea. A little stone.
Do not eat the Cormorant Weed. Siobhán notes that three previous researchers tried this and two of them became briefly convinced they were buildings. The third has not commented.
Local Weather
The fog has lifted.
We are grateful.
Clear skies, moderate westerly, sea temperature unremarkable. The strand looks beautiful in the mornings at the moment and Rory’s goats have stopped doing the thing.
The birdsong is back in full.
This is either very good or it means the birds are compensating, but either way it is nice to hear.
Tomás says the door he found in the fog has gone.
He checked.
There’s just a flat field. He is fine.
He says this without being asked, which the newsletter team has noted.
Tips, hints, comments or suggestions? Email the editor, Orion Slade, at orionsladenews@gmail.com
