The School of Embellishments

I have lied to you for years. Some subtle. Some whoppers. Sometimes you manage to recover the truth. But what does this game of loss and recovery accomplish? Light and shadow will always follow the rules, bending or lengthening as required. Candles will go on dying atop 2 a.m. tables around the world, the perpetual flickering, that uneven light, convincing couples of possibility. We are constantly cheated by the wavering. You said that, remember? Heat and light require care. But consider this: You want to believe. You want to believe that the white rabbit has vanished, but there's no magic — just flourish and imagination. She's always there, in the darkness, trembling below the hatstand, waiting for you to reach down and bring her up into the light.

The Goldberg Deviations

Johann, I want you to have these. They're important.

Is this all of them? This isn't much. Listen, I appreciate the gift. Not this gift. I mean my talent. My music. That gift. But this? This is just a handful of notes. I don't think I can do anything with these.

Trust me. You can. These are the ones.

I'm sure they're some of the ones. You've heard my work — you hear everything, right? So, you know I usually use a lot more. What you're giving me here…does it have to be in G major? I'm just saying it's kind of, you know, ordinary?

These are the ones.

I don't want to be disrespectful, but you're not a musician. I'm not saying you're not creative. Heavens, no! I mean you're The Creator. I'm a fan. I think my top three would have to be, in no particular order: Light, Eve, and trout. But music is different.

Trout? Really? I've always felt like I didn't get the color quite right. And the size. I should have made them bigger. A lot bigger. Or else really, really small. Anyway, we're getting off track. You just need to put these notes together the right way, and everything will fall into place.

For the tune?

For everything. Humanity will have answers to all the big questions if you can accomplish this task.

Okay. If it's that important to you I'll noodle around for a while and see what happens, but I'm sure I'm not going to be able to come up with anything complete.

Don't worry so much about complete. Just make a moment, a spark, a little machine that thumps along and lets folks feel like there's something.

Something?

See that wino across the courtyard?

Sure. That's Timothy. He's a real turd.

He sits there because that west-facing wall at sunset turns a color that makes him feel like there is something more than his own shitty life to wake up for. Compose that. I've given you everything you need.

Can I add a few notes?

No.

No?

No.

Okay. No. Got it…I might add a couple, though. Just to kind of put my own spin on it. That's cool, right?