Page 2 (1/2)

"Sweet dreams," he added with a chuckle It was his favorite joke

4

This gathering, this dwelling place where they slept now, heaped together, was only one, a relatively sivers Every human population has countless such colonies--invisible always--of these well-organized, attentive, and hard-working creatures who hts at their task

Their task is both sih touching, they gather material: memories, colors, words once spoken, hints of scents and the tiniest fragotten sound They collect pieces of the past, of long ago and of yesterday They co dreams Then they insert the dreams as the huive dreams to pets, as well) sleep

The act of dream insertion is called bestowal It is very delicate It requires absolute precision to bestow a dream, or even to decide exactly when one should be bestowed

Littlest, the one as only learning, had not yet studied bestowal She was beginning the way they all had, with the touching, the gathering of , too, to dissolve

"Concentrate," Fastidious had told her "Stay very still, focusing on your own form"

Littlest stayed motionless and tried to concentrate on her sht Everything would be easier if we had wings I could swoop and glide, and I would never tumble on the staircase because I would si!" Fastidious's voice was exasperated

"Sorry," Littlest said apologetically, opening her eyes "I was just thinking--"

"That's the point! You are not supposed to think! Focus on your form and will it to break down and dissolve"

Dutifully Littlest tried again--carefully not thinking, not paying attention at all to the thoughts that tried to swis, or all the s she wondered about--and when she did that, focusing only on her own sin to happen for the first time She felt the pieces of her, the very tiniest pieces (she did not know if they even had a naleefully "It's working!"

Then, of course, it ended Littlest opened her eyes, knowing she had done it, at least a little bit, and hoping for praise from Fastidious

But Fastidious had disappeared

"Where are you?" Littlest called in alaroodness! You've dissolved!"

In front of her, particle by particle, Fastidious reappeared She had a very annoyed look

"Two things," Fastidious said "One, do not ever call out when you areSee what happened? The instant you cried, 'I'ed, abashed

"Two Never, never, never call attention to the fact that so session, of course, but if we had been out there" Fastidious gestured toward the larger world, the hu is to become--what?"

"Invisible," Littlest whispered

"And we need to be invisible why?"

"So that humans won't see us Or know about us"

"And if I am dissolved, out there, in the hulared at Littlest and ioodness! You've dissolved!'"

"I'hed She was tired and had a touch of headache She didn't like children and was i that now Thin Elderly would take over the training of Littlest One

5

Nowcame The woman rose slowly She ide awake--she aloke early--but her joints were stiffened by sleep and she sat at the edge of the bed for a while, oing

She had a sense of humor about herself

"You make me feel like the Tin Woodsman in The Wizard of Oz," she said to her left knee "Rusted and immobilized I wish I could oil you"

She stood, after a oas flowered flannel, the ss She slipped her bare feet into worn blue slippers

"Good , who yawned and thumped his tail "What about some breakfast?"

Slowly Toby roused and stretched, his nose to the floor while his rump rose He watched while she put on a robe and tied the belt Then he followed her into the hall, down the stairs through the front parlor into the kitchen, and stood patiently beside the cupboard where his food was stored He watched while she filled a kettle ater and set it on the gas burner He watched while she found a teabag in the canister, took a thick brownin it He watched while she dropped a slice of bread into the toaster and turned the toaster on

Finally she filled his bowl and set it on the floor beside the stove Then, when the kettle whistled, she poured the stea