“Pardon?”"When you divvied up the manuscripts, why didn’t you take some, you know, to share the misery?”"I did. I took thirty manuscripts and maybe a dozen proposals home with me Friday. I did them that night.”"Ah, I see.” Edwin paused just a beat too long. Long enough to let the comment hang in the air. Long enough to underline the fact that May had spent Friday night alone, with her cat, reading book proposals and unsolicited manuscripts. “I should, ah, get back to my cubicle,” said Edwin. “Meeting starts in half an hour. I figure I’ll be able to get through most of the slush by then.”May watched him leave. Drank her coffee. Thought about all the many mokitas that clutter our lives and give it its texture and meaning.