17:30
Tidy sends Wobbly to check every lantern, far end back, because Wobbly is the only one who would do it properly. Wobbly finds four things: one leaning on a dry twig, one near enough to scorch the hedge, two on soft ground that would tip. All four fixed before dark, with Shivvy along for the dark bits.
3 fluffs tell this minute. None of them saw the same one.
And at half past five, when the path was lit and everybody else was standing about being pleased, Wobbly said "what if one of them goes out" and got sent to check the lot, far end back.
I went along for the dark bits. Obviously I went along for the dark bits.
We found four things wrong. One leaning on a dry twig. One close enough to scorch the hedge. Two standing on soft ground that would have tipped the first time a foot went past.
Later on Wobbly asked what if one of them goes out, and I did not say don't spoil it. I said go and check them, all of them, far end back, you will see things the rest of us will not.
Wobbly found four things wrong on a path that fifty-five of us were perfectly happy with. I would like the record to show that I got that one right, because I did not get the other one right at all.
So I walked the whole path backwards through the dusk, far end down to Winky's gate, with Shivvy along for the dark bits. Five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch — I do that on the move now, which took years.
And I found: one lantern in the roots leaning on a dry twig. One hung close enough to scorch the hedge. Two standing on soft ground that would have tipped the first time a foot went past.
Four. Four things wrong, on a path that fifty-five fluffs had just declared finished and were standing about admiring.
I fixed all four and got to the gate as the last of the light went.
