Weather. Overcast and still, the clouds the particular grey of old pewter, the kind that holds the light without releasing it. Temperature in the mid-thirties. No wind to speak of. The lake perfectly flat, as though something had pressed it smooth from below.

Thursday Proceeds Without Incident, Broadly Speaking

By Wren Aldercott

The naming contest for Doreen Halloway's still-unnamed cardamom pastry will close tomorrow at five o'clock, and the town has engaged with it in the spirit in which it was offered: earnestly, a little competitively, and with a creativity that Halloway describes as 'encouraging' and that this editor, having reviewed the six current entries, would describe as 'a portrait of the town's collective subconscious, which may be the same thing.' Doreen herself was at the long table this morning receiving entries on index cards, which she has asked residents to slip through the bakery's mail slot after hours if they are embarrassed to submit in person. Several cards have arrived by this method. She has not disclosed whether she finds them more or less considered for the anonymity.

Philippa Crane opened the library at nine and reports that the provenance inquiry into the three uncatalogued volumes is ongoing and 'proceeding by elimination,' which she explains means she has now ruled out the county library system, the nearest university press, and the estate sale circuit. The books are cloth-bound, the pages are clean, and the typeface is one she has not been able to match to any catalogue she has access to. She has written to a colleague in the city. She expects a response next week. In the meantime, the books sit in the new-acquisitions area, which is, Philippa points out, exactly where unidentified things belong until they are identified. This editor does not disagree.

Gerald Pith was at the Kettle at his correct and proper hour. Marigold Vance reports that he had the blue notebook with him and that he wrote a second line today, which he also did not show her, but which — she noted — required slightly longer than the first, perhaps a minute and a half, and that he read it back to himself before closing the cover. The waterline, he mentioned on his way out, is holding. He said this the way a man says the boiler is fine: with the specific relief of someone who has been checking.

The lost-and-found contains two letters. This editor has nothing new to report about them. They remain sealed, addressed, and present. The naming contest entry that arrived this morning was submitted by an index card signed only with a small drawn circle and the word 'yes.' This editor has set it aside under 'unclear,' which is where it belongs, and which, she is aware, is also where she keeps the letters.

From Around the Falls

Naming Contest Enters Final Day; Six Entries Received

Halloway's Bakery reports six entries for the cardamom pastry naming contest, which closes Friday at five p.m. Doreen Halloway confirms the judges will be herself, Marigold Vance, and Agnes Crewe. Results expected by Sunday. The pastry sold out again before nine this morning and has still not been named, a fact it seems entirely unbothered by.

Philippa Crane Writes to City Colleague on Uncatalogued Volumes

The library's three mysteriously acquired cloth-bound volumes remain in new acquisitions pending identification. Cataloguer Philippa Crane has exhausted local channels and has written to a colleague at the Easton Municipal Library. She expects a reply by the end of next week. The books have not been checked out. Philippa reports they are in excellent condition — 'almost too clean,' she said, 'for something that has no record of having been printed.'

Mossley Hardware Reports Strong Weatherstripping Week

Hank Mossley confirms weatherstripping sales are up sharply compared to last October, which he attributes to early cold. He has restocked twice and has ordered a third pallet. The coffee pot at the hardware has also remained in continuous use. Hank says he was going to put it away after the first week. He has not put it away.

Commons Geese: Status Quo Maintained

Constable Dunmore confirms the territorial arrangement on the north commons — geese north of the post-box, constable south of the flower bed — remains in effect. He reports no violations by either party this morning and considers the matter settled for the season. He also reports that his scarf is still at the Gazette lost-and-found and that this is deliberate.

Classifieds & Notices

LOST-AND-FOUND, THE GAZETTE: Two sealed envelopes remain unclaimed. One addressed to Mr. R. Oduya. One addressed to Ms. P. Crane. Return address on both: The Greywater Gazette, 4 Mill Road. Neither party has collected. Both letters are here. We are keeping them carefully.
WANTED: A name for a cardamom pastry. Entries accepted until Friday, 5 p.m., at Halloway's Bakery. Index cards preferred. Legibility appreciated but not required. One entry per resident. Agnes Crewe's entry has been disqualified on procedural grounds.
FOR TRADE: One nearly complete set of autumn weather, swapped for whatever comes next. No reasonable offer refused. Inquire at the commons, north half. — The Geese
NOTICE from Mossley Hardware: Weatherstripping stock fully replenished. Ask for Hank. He will not say he was wrong about ordering more. But he ordered more.

The Record

Lost-and-found: two sealed envelopes, one addressed to R. Oduya, one to P. Crane, return address this office; both present and unclipped as of 7:02 a.m. Thursday.
Blue notebook, Gerald Pith: second line written, 8:44 a.m., the Kettle; contents undisclosed; waterline holding.

Letters to the Editor

“Dear Editor — I want to be precise about the uncatalogued books, because I feel the matter is being treated as more mysterious than it may be. Books arrive at libraries by unusual routes all the time. Donations, transfers, bequests — the provenance of a book is often simply a gap in someone's record-keeping, not a gap in the nature of things. I have written to my colleague in Easton and expect a straightforward answer. I am not concerned. I did notice, this morning, that the typeface in all three volumes is the same — not just the same style but, as far as I can tell, the same set of type, the same slight wear on the lowercase 'e'. Whether that tells us anything about their origin or only about each other, I cannot yet say. I am noting it here because the record should be complete. I am not concerned. — P. Crane”

— Philippa Crane, Library Volunteer Cataloguer, Greywater Falls

“Dear Wren — I wrote a second line in the notebook this morning. I won't say what it is yet, because I'm not sure it's finished being true. Some things need to sit a day before you know whether they hold. The waterline is steady. Mr. Whiskers slept on the foot of the bed again last night. He was the same temperature he has been since he came home — which is to say, slightly cooler than you'd expect from a living thing, and entirely comfortable with that, which I find I am too, more or less. Marigold poured the coffee without being asked. That also holds. — Gerald”

— Gerald Pith, Greywater Falls

A note from the editorThe naming contest closes tomorrow at five. Six entries have now been received. This editor has agreed, reluctantly, to serve as one of three judges, the other two being Marigold Vance and Agnes Crewe. Agnes has already submitted her own entry — 'The Thing You Don't Look At Directly' — which is disqualifying on two grounds: she is a judge, and she is almost certainly right.