Conversation · Little Lily

"Hello, mister!" The Net Picker's daughter waves at you.

"Do you know anyone named Ruby?"

"Ll... Luby... Rr... R-luuby." Suddenly the girl gets all serious and leans in, as if she's about to tell you a secret.

"My mom tells me that I'm a big girl, but she doesn't know that I can't say ll. Or like, sometimes I can, but then... ll... rr... llrr..."

"Kids." The lieutenant shakes his head.

"What's that?" (Point at the stuffed bird hanging from the ceiling.)

"It's a grouse," she yelps, smiling broadly.

You might be able to get on Garte's good side if you make up for the skua you broke?

"Well, can I have it?"

"Sure! I mean you already took it. I don't like it anyway... it looks angry."

All right. You just need to grab it from the ceiling and go!

"Sure! Just go and get it. I don't like it anyway... it looks angry."

"Can I have it? I know someone who really likes stuffed birds."

"Sure! I mean you already took it. I don't like it anyway... it looks angry."

"Sure! Just go and get it. I don't like it anyway... it looks angry."

"Yes, but what's it for?"

"I dunno."

"Uh, okay, thanks."

She twirls the furry doll around in the air, giggling happily.

Wasn't Garte, the cafeteria manager, trying to repair a piece of taxidermy?

You might be able to get on Garte's good side if you replace the broken skua you almost certainly broke?

"What's this?" (Show her the stuffed bird you took from the ceiling.)

"Are the twins outside your brothers?"

"Yesss." She frowns. "They don't want to play with me. They're older and play outside!"

"They look the same! Haa ha haa! Sometimes I can't tell them 'part."

"I guess they do look alike."

"Haa ha haa!" She continues laughing. "Lamby tells them part." She waves her fuzzy doll in the air.

"They look identical, right? I said the same thing."

"They look... ai-dent-ik!" She slowly processes the word, then snickers with laughter.

"Where are your parents?"

"My mom's outside, and I don't really know about my dad." She gives you a bright smile like it's a good thing.

"I heard you kids might have gotten into the Feld building?"

"Noo, mister!" Her eyes grow wider as she shakes her head. "Even Lamby doesn't like it." She hugs her stuffed toy tighter.

"We don't go there. Mom and auntie think we do, but it's very booky."

"Wait, you mean spooky, right?"

"Mhmh," she replies, nodding. "It's very, very booky."

"Why is it 'booky'?"

"Vee-eery booky!" She's clutching her stuffed toy and shaking her head. "Don't go there."

"Is there anything you can tell me about the building?"

"It's old and broken." She nods. "Dan-ze-ruus, Mom says. I listen to mom. Lamby also listens. Brothers listen. They tried going there, but it was scary and they ran away!"

"What's that thing you're holding?" (Point at her toy.)

"It's Lamby! He's my friend. Sort of, like..." She holds the fuzzy beast up to demonstrate.

Lamby is a stuffed lamb that, admittedly, has seen better days. One of the eye-buttons is missing and the fur is tattered in several parts.

"Lamby looks like he's falling apart."

"Yessss, Lamby has lived a long life." She waves the lamb around in the air. "Lamby was a... re.. a rev..." She stumbles on her words.

"Rebel?"

"Noo-noooo, that's not it." She frowns, looking at her tattered toy. "You know what you are, Lamby."

"I think she means 'revolutionary'."

"Yessss," she yelps happily! "Lamby was a re-luz-ion...ry."

"Revolutionary?"

"Revisionist?"

"Revacholian?"

"Remote Viewer?"

"Revanchist?"

"Lamby looks soft."

"Yes. Very soft." Suddenly she pushes the stuffed animal toward your face.

"I don't deserve it. I'm scum."

"Press your damn cheek against Lamby, okay?" The lieutenant sounds authoritative -- and surprisingly gruff.

Press your cheek against Lamby.

"Isn't he soft?" She's right, Lamby is very soft. She rubs the white fur against your cheek, then returns the lamb into her lap, cuddling it.