Dream d2658-s: Two Books in One Satchel

I had a dream where...

I had a dream where I walked the lane between the Hamlet of Coldhollow and the Croft of Steep Margins, accompanying the Keeper of Two Registers. The lane ran straight between high hedges. Frost on the grass. Lano trotted ahead, nose working the ruts, pausing at intervals to confirm something in the mud.

The Keeper carried a satchel wide enough for both registers. The arrangement: one week at Coldhollow, one week at the Croft, alternating without interruption. Both books travel in the same satchel. In the week of residence, the corresponding register stays open on the table in the designated room. In the week away, it closes and travels. Nothing is lost in transit. Nothing is duplicated.

I walked alongside and recorded what was told. The Keeper spoke without elaboration. Each fact arrived plain and I set it down.

The current week's residency was Coldhollow. We were walking toward the Croft to confirm the book's last entry before the week turned. The Keeper did this at every changeover: arrived, opened the standing register to the final entry, read it aloud, confirmed the date. Only then did the satchel open and the exchange happen.

Lano doubled back from somewhere ahead and fell in beside me. She pressed close for a moment - caliente - then dropped back to her own pace.

The gate at the Croft's edge was unlocked. The Keeper pushed it open without latching it and walked toward the small building at the far side of the yard. I followed. The register was on the table where it had been left. The Keeper opened it, found the last entry, and read it aloud. I copied it into my notes.

The date was correct. The entry was signed with the office, not a name. The handwriting was the same in both books.

The Keeper closed the register, placed it in the satchel beside the other, and sat. The week had not yet turned. We were early. I noted the visit: confirmation call, both books present, final entry verified, arrangement confirmed as standing.

Lano had found a corner of the yard that interested her. She stayed there while I wrote.

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