[Bordermarch] The coded Yellow Rubber Gloves

[Lathrop, Dave]

I probably looked statuesque as I stood atop the north tower;  hands
steady in front of my face; eyes transfixed on my bright yellow rubber
gloves; a stern hardened look casting my features into dark shadows.

There was a pattern etched in the yellow rubber gloves that called for
some closer scrutiny; I hadn't scrutinized all day, and I felt up to
this immediate challenge. 

I have a God given gift that enables me to block out everything that is
happening around me for but a few scant moments, and therefore, I am
able to pour my total concentration into the problem that is immediately
before me. There are times when I have called on this talent to assist
my endeavors in executing some of the chores HE Elisabeth has written on
her honey-do list. Sometimes, if I concentrate to hard, I fall asleep!
My love muffin Elisabeth occasionally catches me in these catatonic
states and I fear she abuses me while I am defenseless. I suspect her of
this atrocity because every day I wake with new aches and pains all over
my body.

I noticed  that the manufacturing process employed to apply the molten
coat of yellow rubber to the cloth gloves I was wearing left a random
pattern of swirls, bumps, and pits in the fingers of the gloves. There
was nothing unique about the patterns except for the two perfectly
formed circles that looked like small craters in a sea of yellow
destruction. There was a crater on the index finger of the right, and
left hand glove.

As I brought the gloves closer to my face everything else around me went
out of focus; the craters had my full attention!

My big brain was racing, yet pacing itself at the same time. It was
trying decipher what could very well be a coded message in the yellow
rubber that would unravel the mysteries that surround time and space
itself! 

I would understand the coded message the yellow rubbers gloves contained
soon after my trance was broken by the laughter of one "Adolf the Bear".


I struggled back to reality, and saw Adolf on the ground below me,
pointing a pudgy finger, and calling for all to witness my shame. I
tried to explain to him that I saw a coded message in the yellow rubber
of the gloves, but he just kept laughing.

I moved on with the passing day and left all thought of the insults
behind me. 

The sun was brutal, but a cool breeze kept the workday at Border Keep
tolerable. It was when we were cleaning up for the day when I realized
the meaning of the caters in the yellow rubber gloves.

We were all on the north tower, surveying our work and progress for the
day when I felt the board I was standing on disappear beneath my feet!
This normally wouldn't bother me, but at that moment I was Ten feet from
the ground! It seems Aaron Mud Wolf didn't realize that I was perched on
the very board he was trying to remove. 

As the void opened beneath my feet, and I started my decent, the meaning
of the perfect yellow craters in my gloves became crystal clear; they
were put there to act as suction cups!!!

I reached out with the speed of a God and latched onto Lord Phocas's
breast with all my strength. I can't really say that I knew what I was
grabbing but I knew it was composed of flesh and bone. My instincts and
superior brain saved me from instant death once again. 

I gave a mighty tug and pulled myself from the void. Phocas was
speechless. I looked up and noticed his arms were flailing about; he was
trying to mouth some words, but I only heard grunts.  His eyes were
really big and his mouth was formed into a perfect circle.

When I let go of him, he grabbed his breast and looked like he was
reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. His first understandable words
sounded something like, "How am I going to explain this to my Lady?"
When he lifted his shirt to look and the damage my death grip had
inflicted on his breast, it seemed very minor to me. Although he was
truly worried, and in some amount of pain, I assured him I would vouch
for him and his trustworthiness to his Lady.

Because I do respect the wishes of others I won't mention the fact that
Adolf almost tied his own legs together with a square knot when he
entangled his ankles in the davit ropes. I do not want to talked about
Sir Simonn's near death experiences when he decided to straddle some of
the wooded beams on the tower; I think his crotch broke his fall, but I
could be mistaken. Lord Aaron Mud Wolf had a perfect day, except for the
fact that he threw our mortar bucket down in a fit. The bottom of the
bucket broke out and the handle was destroyed.  Lord Brand Eric seemed
obsessed with imperfections in the mortar joints, and circled the tower
like a mud dabber, patching all the little imperfections.  Lord Zane was
so quite no one knew he was there until quitting time, and he got in the
truck. Mistress Tessa of the gardens and Lady Kimberly provided welcomed
relief with their beauty and some much need lunch.

We had some friends from arrive and worked on the ravine to get it
cleaned and in tip-top shape: it now looks great. I didn't catch their
names, but our thanks got to all of them.

 

ALL in ALL,

A pretty good day at Castle Border Keep.

 

HE Santiago