3151. Terms of service © Bruce Goodman 21 March 2025 |
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There were two things Julia disliked immensely: housework and cooking. She kept her house reasonably tidy, but just enough for visitors not to gossip about it. Her diet left a little to be desired: mainly takeaways and reheating meals from the supermarket. And yet, she seemed healthy enough. Having said that, she was very popular with the townsfolk. She always had people calling for a cup of coffee and a shop-bought cookie or two. Now and again however something strange and incomprehensible happened. Visitors learnt to simply nod as if they understood. It was what Julia said at times that was unfathomable. “I was just reading,” said Julia to a visiting waitress from up the road, “that with new data, paleomagnetists have found a prolonged near collapse of Earth’s magnetic field, some 575–565 million years ago during what’s known as the Avalon explosion, the dawn of macroscopic complex animal life. What nonsense these scientists go on about. They’re talking through a hole in their head.” What else was there to do other than nod? Julia could tell the visitor wasn’t comprehending but she couldn’t help herself. She had to tell someone. Thank goodness her term of service was coming to an end. She could return to her own planet and get back to normal. Back to Index Next Story Previous Story |