The dreamcatcher works so well for Dagmar and Hesse that they buy a mailcatcher, a friendcatcher, a flycatcher and a discussioncatcher too. (The flycatcher is just one of those unrolled sticky things; they call it that for symmetry.)

Life gets a lot smoother. Too smooth, in fact.

“Dag,” says Hesse carefully one day. “Ever get the impression that we can’t actually… talk about those?” He waves toward them.

“Because of the dis–the disc–” She can’t quite name it.

“Yeah.”

“Um.” She bites her fingernail. “Should we take it down?”

“Mmf mmfff!” agrees Rondo, from the cotton web outside their door.