Notes on a Series of Bathroom Tiles Popular c.50 years ago

by AlexM

First tile.
A four-pointed star: the city of Ramne, simplified for the sake of ceramic representation.

Second tile.
A willow with six thick branches that keep pale cats on one side and dark cats on another; the latter cats are in a smaller space. The artist’s choice of cats to represent the people of Ramne can likely be traced to her childhood at her mother’s cattery, where the animals were kept in willow-wood pens, and perhaps also to the enduring popularity of cats with the people of Ramne.

Third tile.
A cat neither dark nor pale curled at the willow’s base. Knowledge of Adne’s actions makes the meaning of this tile clear: the cat is dead, self-poisoned, and its proximity to the tree means it too will die, just as Madar did from Adne’s touch. A deceptively peaceful tile, but these are for popular consumption.

Fourth tile.
A triad of drooping willows, and in each corner of the tile is the Ramne-star. The stars’ positioning signify that the drooping willows occur with Ramne. In truth it took longer for Adne’s rebellion to have the small effect it had. The artist’s need to hide meaning in trees and cats, almost a century later, indicates this.

Though it is sad to see Adne’s sacrifice rendered as bathroom tiles, its presence during a daily cleansing ritual makes up for this somewhat.

Catalyst

by David

The day was warm and a dry breeze blew out of the west. A good day for making cash.

Cars found a pebble. His hands were full. He picked it up in his toes and put it in his pocket. After he let Tools off at the mirror garden, he hid behind a solar array and examined his find. It tasted siliceous, with a hint of manganese. It was smooth and cool, pleasing to touch, so he kept it, despite its condition of no value.

Tools knew Cars had found something while carrying her to the garden. After making sure that her latest crop of mirrors had sufficient nutrients and were growing well, she called Tracks.

“Honey, I have a job of mutual profit.” Tracks was already shaking her head.

“Cash up front. Always cash up front. You know that.”

Tools bit the side of her finger while she thought. “Two mirrors. You choose.”

They settled on three, and Tracks was on the case. What did Cars find, and what was it worth?

Cars and Digs were sitting together on the bluff. The horizon was rising to meet the sun. Digs spat the pebble out and handed it back.

“It doesn’t taste good and it’s not nutritious. It is only a pebble.”

“I have wondered,” he replied, “does everything have to have measurable value?”

She pushed him down and straddled him. “Compare,” she said.

He popped the pebble in his mouth.

Cars dropped Digs off at the landfill excavation and ran to the taxi stand.

“You’re late!” Bossman shouted, his hair standing up in fury. “You’re docked a day’s pay.” He leaned forward and sneered. “We gotta be faaaaiiiiir!”

“You know what? I don’t think that IS fair. Also, I don’t want to carry people all day. Let them walk.” He dropped the pebble into Bossman’s hand.

“So what is it?” Tools asked. Tracks shrugged.

“He gave it to Bossman. Bossman threw it in the dirt and I picked it up. But it’s only a pebble.”
“Did he do anything special while he had it?”

“No. Put the pebble in his mouth and had sex with Digs.”

Tools looked at the pebble. She tasted it. “You got the wrong thing. Go look again.”

“Keep your mirrors,” said Tracks, “I’ve got work to do.” She put the pebble in her pocket, running her thumb over it as she walked away.

The end