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[somekindofsin]

I highly suggest that everyone take a moment to read this entry.  It's one of the most sensible things I've read in months.

As for the recent parasitic infestation, I think it's reasonable to assume that the strange phenomena this month--the star shower, the horrible stench in the center of the City, the rampant illness--are all related to it.  It's

Comments

[misterblackbird]

I know for a fact that the smoke had a poisonous component to it. It acted as an insecticide. But whether that was its real purpose, I don't know yet.

[somekindofsin]

I thought the traces of pyrethrins that I found on my robe were related. I don't think the insecticide was terribly effective, however; there was a tick crawling about my room this morning.

[misterblackbird]

I know it killed the spider outside my window, and it seems to have brought down most of the fleas in the opera house. But apparently it wasn't quite effective enough.

[somekindofsin]

Or ticks are unusually vile and resilient.

Do you think the deities are to blame for the initial infestation?

[misterblackbird]

I know I'd like to find some way to blame it on them. I doubt we brought it upon ourselves, not in as suddenly as it came on us.

[somekindofsin]

That's the simplest course, blaming the deities. I can't believe that we're to blame; we have no control over who or what enters the City, including--I would assume--pests.

[misterblackbird]

Well we were recently visited by a very unusual dog.

[somekindofsin]

Yes, that did occur to me. You would think, though, that a higher power would have the ability to ward of fleas. I suspect that the ordeal with the hair is connected, but surely we would have noticed the boom in the pest population and the spread of disease before now if the parasites came with that creature?

[misterblackbird]

Maybe it took them as long as that to build up their numbers. They might have been lurking in the City the entire time and have only just found us to infest.

[somekindofsin]

If that's the case, then they're not terribly clever... or they had a different source of food, which would imply that we may not be alone and small beings can pass through barriers.

[misterblackbird]

And if we're speculating on that, then we may never find an answer that satisfies us. We've no way to really find it out.

[somekindofsin]

No, not yet, but speculation can lead to the greatest discoveries.

Do you know of anyone in the City with the ability to shrink to the size of, say, a flea?

[misterblackbird]

I've not heard of anyone with that ability, no.

[somekindofsin]

That's unfortunate. Oh well! An experiment for another day, I suppose.

[misterblackbird]

What sort of experiment were you imagining?

[somekindofsin]

Nothing at all. Nothing that can't wait, at least.