THE APPLE OF SNAKES

epilogue

Re: It's been a while...

E.M. Lark <emlark@nisaba.edu>

‾‾

Dear Diana,

Your translations never cease to amaze. The other translators who've been helping out have nothing but praise. They also seem to believe that your leaving Nisaba University to become an author was one of the great tragedies of our generation. I've tried telling them that the only reason you're half as talented as you are is because you left the program but they won't listen. 'Tis the folly of us scholarly types, or so I think you might've said once.

I apologize that I'm sending this email so late at night but I imagine you'll be awake to receive it. You'll also have to excuse any spelling errors you come across. I'm a bit tipsy. It's made me nostalgic and prone to poor decisions.

This email is just meant to let you know that everyone really likes what you're doing. Myself included. The university is probably going to make the announcement about the discovery and maybe even begin to push out your translations. You'll get some emails containing the specifics of what you can and can't tell people soon. Not that it really matters. I don't want to work with anyone else on this project. I don't think that anyone else can create something like you can. You've always been amazing, Diana.

I just wish you wouldn't work so hard. It's probably a miracle you haven't dropped dead from exhaustion and had that awful, two-tailed excuse for a feline eat half of your corpse before it started to stink so bad your neighbors started to complain about the smell.

Dr. E.M. Lark

Professor of Modern Literature From Across the Continents

Director of Nisaba University's Modern Ecekasurian Literature Program

___

Re: It's been a while...

Diana Aylin <dianaaylin@kx.lit.com>

‾‾

My grandfather died when he stopped working. I have no such intention.

I will work myself into immortality, not an early grave. You will see.