Chapter Eight
The Garden of Greatness
“The illusion of being heard keeps peace.” —Scribbled under the Voted In’s table
Deidre spent the morning loitering incognito style by water coolers and beverage centers. She started in the lobby of the Building of Opulence and, hearing nothing but “Let’s put our feet up” and “Fancy another sparkly,” moved on to the cleaner’s and limo mechanic’s lounge. Everyone was in a jubilant spirit. It seemed Hilda’s holiday was front-page news, and she—Hilda’s right-hand reporter—knew nothing about it. Had she been dropped?
Exhausted, confused, and a little panicky, she arrived at the courtyard of greatness just as the sun was setting. Hilda usually appeared at the end of the day to view the artist’s work; she liked to hear what the artist had to say while sh
