-an HEIR to the HORNBOOK-

Greatest Hits and Missives
by Benedict Monk

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

-Waft-

SMELL PIECE

Use a name card without a name.
Put an address and a smell instead.

SMELL PIECE

Send smell signals by wind.

1963 Summer

'Grapefruit' Yoko Ono

I can't!

I can't smell. I lost the ability some time ago, and I'm not entirely sure how. The best theory so far accuses a Jesuit mad scientist and his bunsen-heated chemicals. The details are murky, but somehow he managed to sweet talk the school board into housing his lab in exchange for occasional alchemical instruction.

[Lab Manual Excerpt]
Step One: Boil liquid in beakers.
Step Two: Beakers shatter.
Step Three: Charge beakers to students at inflated prices.
Step Four: Profit.

Contractually, he dispensed advice.
"Waft. Don't sniff."

Wafting means to place the nose near, but not above the surface of the glass, and then make a curious "come hither" gesture to the friendly efreet materializing above you. This signal tells the immortal creature, who speaks no English, that you are willing to barter your sense of smell in exchange for three wishes.

Sadly, it also means that you will never be able to complete all of Grapefruit's performance art pieces.

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