Chapter Thirty-Nine
The Empty Plate
“Nobody knows what it like to lead, unless you’ve led, that is.”—Beryl
That night, as DBO was engrossed in note-taking while listening to her earphones, Hilda paid a visit. Mindful of the wind chimes, she stood by the shed door, pushed her portable reach any shelf step into position, and peered through her spy slit.
She saw the empty sandwich plate—the bait had been taken—and was about to smile a smile of smug satisfaction when she spied the wireless earphones. She could see they were padded for comfort, molded to DBO’s ear.
Hilda, routed to the spot, experienced a sea of emotions never felt before—she who considered herself un-astound-able was astounded by this slip of a girl.
There she was using wireless earphones in a shed transformed into a hub
