The Observance

story fifty-one · figures 151–153

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THE OBSERVANCE · THE WHOLE OF TIME, AS ONE CIVIC YEAR — issued by the office of proportion · the busiest period on record occupies twelve seconds THE OBSERVANCE · THE WHOLE OF TIME, AS ONE CIVIC YEAR issued by the office of proportion · the busiest period on record occupies twelve seconds JANUARY THE FIRST · the beginning of everything no observance · THE HALL IS CLOSED the first three hundred and sixty-four days LATE DECEMBER the dinosaurs THEIR PAPERWORK WAS NOT LOCATED THE FINAL HOUR humanity appears unannounced, AND IS SEEN ANYWAY · noted as an exception, NOT PRECEDENT THE FINAL TWELVE SECONDS writing · agriculture · the glorious age ALL OF IT. EVERYONE. TABLE OF EQUIVALENCES, POSTED FOR CONVENIENCE · one second = four hundred and thirty-seven years, near enough · one human life, average: NOUGHT POINT ONE EIGHT SECONDS · THE OFFICE ROUNDS DOWN · the introductory rate, held four quarters: undetectable at scale · the countdown will be mirrored on the app, ONE WEEK BEHIND, for the convenience of historians PARTICIPANTS ARE INVITED TO PERFORM, WITHIN THE TWELVE SECONDS, THE WHOLE OF CIVILIZATION, at their discretion. Costumes are permitted. Silence is permitted. The office notes that BOTH HAVE BEEN TRIED. Attendance is free. The queue opens at dawn. Late arrivals are admitted to the following universe. THOSE WISHING TO ATTEND THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING ARE ADVISED THAT IT HAS TAKEN PLACE.
151 · The Observance
THE OBSERVANCE · THE APPLICATION WITH NO FIELD TO HOLD IT — one pre-registration · and the whole story is what the office does with it THE OBSERVANCE · THE APPLICATION WITH NO FIELD TO HOLD IT one pre-registration · and the whole story is what the office does with it SHE APPLIES to observe the twelve seconds ON BEHALF OF A PERSON the application has no field THE OFFICE FILES IT accepted into the field for OTHER the only place it fits SHE IS ADVISED the observance is not addressed to persons correctly, and at no charge SHE CONFIRMS that she will attend AT THE OBSERVANCE one participant asked for the twelve seconds AGAIN and was DIRECTED TO NEXT YEAR, WHERE THEY ALREADY ARE AND THE FORM provides a field for remarks so she used it REMARKS, VERBATIM: "I stood for one. At this scale it is the same as standing for everyone. That is the part I came for." SHE IS IN THE PIECE FROM THE FIRST LINE, WHICH IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A JOKE ABOUT SCALE AND A STORY ABOUT ONE WOMAN INSIDE IT. The office declines her premise, accepts her application, files it under other, and prints what she said. STANDING FOR ONE IS ON THE OFFICE’S OWN LIST OF THINGS IT CANNOT PRICE.
152 · The Observance
THE OBSERVANCE · THE CORRECTION POSTED THE FOLLOWING MORNING — the office restates the age of everything, overnight, and carries the difference forward THE OBSERVANCE · THE CORRECTION POSTED THE FOLLOWING MORNING the office restates the age of everything, overnight, and carries the difference forward AT THE OBSERVANCE 437 one second = four hundred and thirty-seven years, near enough THE FOLLOWING MORNING 438 one second = four hundred and thirty-eight years overnight what was restated THE AGE OF EVERYTHING what the observance was held at the previous rate what happens to the difference CARRIED TO THE NEXT OBSERVANCE why both figures are correct they are real ages of the universe · the office did not miscount what it did instead adopted a new cosmology overnight AND CARRIED THE SHORTFALL LIKE A BALANCE THE HALL IS BOOKED INTO THE NEXT CENTURY, THE BOOKINGS ARE HONORED, AND AT THE SCALE PUBLISHED ABOVE the entire remaining program of observances occupies rather less than the time it takes to read this sentence, which the office has costed and rounded down. The queue for the end is orderly, and in no hurry. GOOD CROSSING.
153 · The Observance

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