Servile Civets

I was in the Tower of the Book again, a pleasant way to while away a Friday afternoon. You could sense the tension in the little crowd to which I was speaking. It was like trying to produce kopi luwak under time pressure.

Everyone was politely engaged, as always. I've been the victim of these hired-gun games before, so I felt a deep sympathy for those forced to listen to me. As the old joke goes, you might pay them enough to be servants, but not enough to be civil.

And yet, they were nice people. Not sad, servile or solitary, but intelligent and critical, although some kept their harshest thoughts to themselves. I appreciated the professional interaction a lot, and it reminded me of the good things I miss about bean production.