Dream d2540-s: Four Findings in Hand

I had a dream where...

I had a dream where I stood at the crossing of three cold lanes with four papers folded together and the white dog beside me, her shoulder against my leg, both of us still.

The crossing had a signpost with other papers pinned to it, older ones, their edges soft. I did not read those. I had my own.

The four findings were the result of the repair. The seeing had failed - all seven places had gone unreadable from the Hall at once, and before any count could be taken the instrument had to be corrected. That work was done before I arrived at the crossing. I did not do it here. I carried the results of it.

The first finding named two seats closed: the Council Hall, the Scriptorium Annex. Gone by the record, not by the night.

The second finding named the cold houses: Elderhaven, Glenholt, Mistgarth, Sablegate. No smoke from any of them.

The third finding named the places still lit: Cinderfirth, Ivorymere, Nettleness. Present. Readable now that the seeing was repaired.

The fourth finding was the count: four cold, three lit, two seats withdrawn. A complete reading. No gap in it.

I held all four together at the crossing and the thing I noticed was that they agreed with each other. Each one said the same thing as the next, in different terms, and none of them contradicted. The Hall had sent me out before with readings that could not be reconciled. This was the first time I had come back with four that could.

Lano pressed close. I put the papers under my arm. The lanes ran out to the open fields in three directions and the horizon was low and pale and I stood there a moment longer than necessary before I turned back.

The count was taken. The instrument held. That was all.

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