Dusk, outside

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart is outside, watching the early sunset.

He's not shooting anything right now. The black fur rug he was making is finished.

Instead, he stands, with a mug of mulled wine in his hands, feet planted deep in the snow, and watches the daylight fade into the odd brownish yellow typical for snow clouds, and then, darkness falling, along with more snow.

It settles on his shoulders and in his hair.

Comments

[young_womble]

"Why do they do that?"

[scots_wolf]

"They're very poor, and nobody has ever taught them better," Urquhart says.

[young_womble]

"Why should being poor make someone uncaring about their environment?"

[scots_wolf]

"They are so busy surviving, they have no time keeping clean," Urquhart says. "And after a few generations, they forget clean exists."

[young_womble]

"Clean is relative." Wellington says.

[scots_wolf]

"But you recognise dirty when you see it!" Urquhart says.

[young_womble]

"When you clean the floor, do you eat your dinner off it?"

[scots_wolf]

"No," Urquhart says. "I use a plate."

[young_womble]

"But you'd still call the floor clean."

[scots_wolf]

"Yes," Urquhart says. "Clean is different for different things."

[young_womble]

"Yes, it's relative." Wellington says.

"We mostly pick up rather than actually clean."

[scots_wolf]

"Remove active bits of dirt, you mean?" Urquhart says.

[young_womble]

"Litter, mostly. Cans, bottles, lolly sticks. The occasional really big thing like a dumped cooker, or car even."

[scots_wolf]

"Cars are valuable," Urquhart says. "Why would anybody dump one?"

[young_womble]

"Because it's broken? Tobermory made it run on clockwork."

[scots_wolf]

"If valuable things are broken, you repair them!" Urquhart says. "These people in your world must be stupid!"

[young_womble]

"We try not to think of them like that. Just misguided."

[scots_wolf]

"You are kinder than they deserve," Urquhart says.

[young_womble]

"Well they do give us plenty to live off."

[scots_wolf]

"Do they give it to you," Urquhart says, "or do they just discard it, and you reuse it?"

[young_womble]

"They discard it. But a Womble can live off what a Human Being leaves behind in a day, for a month."

[scots_wolf]

"You seem to be very hardy and crafty creatures," Urquhart nods.

[young_womble]

"Oh yes, well we all have different skills. Most of us just collect. I'm the librarian so I spend more time indoors."

[scots_wolf]

"What kinds of books do you have?" Urquhart asks, interested.

[young_womble]

"Oh all sorts, from learn to read to degree level biochemistry."