Shadows on the Wall: Interlude with Questions
[Scene: On a vast dark plain stretching to the horizon, the couches from the Chairman's office sit forlornly. The black outlines of mountains and an (upright) castle can be seen in the distance. On one couch, what look like old clothes are piled up, and A-ko and B-ko are rummaging through them energetically. Nearby, Gir floats midair, with cables attached to his head and blue light limning his dark outline. On the other couch, C-ko sits at her ease, sipping a tall glass of something with ice in it.]

C-ko: [Sets her glass down on the coffee table between the couches] So, are we going to do it?

A-ko: [Extracts a man's loafer from the pile, peers inside it hopefully, then shrugs and tosses it over her shoulder] Do what?

B-ko: [Pokes through the clothing] You'd think we would have found it by now.

A-ko: I can't even remember what it looks like.

C-ko: [Shrugs] Don't give up yet. I was asking if we were going to answer questions. It's what we do anyway, after all.

A-ko: I suppose, for certain values of "question!" [She tosses things aside from the pile; one thing that goes flying looks rather like the decorative braid used on certain Ohtori uniforms.]

B-ko: And certain values of "answer." Hey, Gir, you want to answer questions?

Gir: Look at meeeeee! I'm flooooaaaaaatiiiiing! Wheeeeeeeeeeee! What was the question?

C-ko: That sounds like a "yes" to me. So, we're going to let anyone ask us questions, right? And we're going to answer truthfully?

A-ko: [Offended] We always tell the truth.

B-ko: Welllllll.... for certain values of...

A-ko: [Picks out a sleeve garter from the pile and fires it off at B-ko like a rubber band.]

B-ko: [Laughs, catches the garter and tosses it to Gir, who eats it.]

C-ko: Sounds like we're going to do it, then.

B-ko: All right. [Holds up a half-cloak, then tosses it aside] A-ko, are we finding anything but clothes?

A-ko: [Reaches into the pile of clothing and pulls out a handful of something which she lets trickle through her fingers] Only sand.

C-ko: It'll take your mind off things.