"That's the end of our story," states Maud.

"Is it new or not?" asks Ditto.

He considers and categorises the pieces of their story. Most of the pieces he has heard elsewhere, especially those of the charismatic leader guiding its people to what they believe will be a better way to live. He has collected many such stories in this world. Their popularity amongst humanity seems to be second only to stories of breeding.

He looks instead to the lesser pieces of their story for something new. The story they told him within the story they told him, The Tale of the Three Siblings, would delight many of his kin. Perhaps he should seek out more wayward servants to ask for more of these 'founding stories'.

He thinks on how very like the Gentry the lead player is. It abducted another of its kind out of love born of drawing Candy's attention and changed its world to satisfy its Story.

That brings him to a question asked to the escaped Mirrorskin. "Why did you flee your Keeper?"

It shifts through a variety of appearances before returning to its neutral state before replying, "Because it made me like this and took away every single memory I had. I'm not even entirely sure whether I was actually female or if I just think I was. I don't remember my name, whether I had any family or friends, nothing. Would you appreciate having all that taken from you?"

"Why do your markings displease you? They allowed you to take many Roles in your Keeper's Stories. The story you have given me indicates this pleases you."

"Maybe if I had been asked nicely rather than being whisked away and been given the option to come back and keep my memories, I wouldn't be so upset. Humans can't change what we are as easily as you can. Do you have any idea how painful it was to have my skin turned into whatever this is?"

He does not understand. How can something be unchanging? Why do they always reference these concepts of 'pain' and 'hurt' as though they are some explanation for their behaviour? Why do humans never understand how much the Gentry must love them that certain members of his kin would invest so much of their magick in helping their beloved servants fill Roles only humans can play?

"I have heard humans reference the concept of 'family' and 'friend' on many occasions. What are they? Why are they so valuable to you that you would cast aside our love?"

"Friends are people who share similar interests, who you like to spend time with but who aren't related to you," Maud explains. "Family are your relatives, like how Candy and I are sisters. We are family, sisters, but we're also friends because we like to spend time with each other."

"What is a 'sister'?"

Ditto smacks its face with a hand and says, "Now you see why I had enough after trying to explain to my first Keeper why humans are so attached to their children. This is why you don't debate with the Gentry. It's not that they're better at logic or anything, it's that they look up and say 'the sky is crunchy' when it's a clear blue autumn afternoon, then they get all surprised when you don't understand."

He looks at the sky to find Ditto is wrong. "The sky is blue, not crunchy."

Both humans stare at him for a moment before Ditto says, "Of all the possible responses you could have given, that was near the bottom of what I would have expected, just above 'I'm sorry for how I've treated you humans and I'm going to make sure my kind stop abducting you.'"

"Why would I say that?"

"Never mind. Look, as much fun as it is trying to explain the most basic concepts of human relationships and understanding of the world to something that is not and never has been human and doesn't share any of our frame of reference, our friends are waiting for us. What's the verdict? Is our story new or not?"

He has been categorising their story as they speak. So much of it repeats themes he knows, but there are a sufficient number of new pieces to be worthwhile. "I accept it as a new story for my collection."

"I'm glad you liked it," Maud says.

Ditto places a hand on its shoulder again and nods toward the entrance to the Hedge, which he has now opened for them. As they leave, it turns back to him to say, "For the sake of any other humans you meet, I hope you find many more new stories."

They both disappear into the Hedge. He pauses there another moment before returning to his van to find a small bit of paper tucked under his windshield wiper. Some human must have placed it there as he listened to the new story. The local humans want money because his van is stopped where their Contracts with the road agree it was not meant to be stopped. He shreds the paper and gifts it to the winds to carry where they will.

As he enters the cab again, he wonders if he should have asked those humans to explain their contract with money. Perhaps he can ask the next humans he meets about it. If those next humans are amenable, perhaps he can even ask them about his van's contract with petroleum.

He continues his journey through the centre of the city until he comes to a collection of very tall buildings. There, he spots two humans who might have a new story to tell him. They stand there facing one another as they engage in conversation. He stops his van up against the walkway nearest them, first ensuring he is parked next to one of the metal sticks with the heads full of flashing numbers. When he is satisfied he has parked his van just as all the other vehicles are, he exits and approaches the humans.

He believes they will be perfect. He has never seen humans like these. Their matching heads of multi-coloured hair remind him of Polychromatics, but they cannot be escaped servants of Rainfall Cloud because they have no Masques. They must be 'twins'.

"You'll get it next time, Dashie," one of them says.

"As if I would've been happy setting behind a desk anyway," the other replies.

Its voice is lighter than the other's voice, and its hair is longer. The chest of that one sticks out further from its body, while the bulging in the other comes from its belly. Perhaps they are not twins.

"Can I help you?" the first one asks when it notices him standing near them.

"Tell me a story," he replies.