Fig. 01 — Portrait of the owner
Rich Shiba InuRICHINU
A short orange dog at the head of a long table. He does not bark, he does not hurry, and he has never once told anyone where the money came from.
—
I The Dog
He has never
explained himself.
Ask him where the money came from and he will close one eye. Ask again and he will close the other.
The dog came with the house. Or the house came with the dog — the paperwork went missing years ago and he has stopped looking for it.
He is short, orange and extremely comfortable. Three chains, one watch, no opinions about daylight. He keeps the blue light on because it makes the gold look more expensive, and he is right.
— the room, 11:40 pm
- Origin
- The house, or the dog
- Temperament
- Seated, mostly
- Weakness
- Blue light on gold
II The Room
The table has
never been cleared.
-
01
The Light
Blue, all day. Nobody remembers ordering it. Nobody turns it off.
-
02
The Stacks
Counted once, in a dream, and then never again.
-
03
The Door
Opens onto the hallway. The hallway opens onto the door.
III House Rules
Seven rules.
He follows one.
Written on the back of a napkin, in a handwriting nobody has been able to identify. The dog has never confirmed it is his.
- 01
The door has no handle. It opens for whoever he likes.
- 02
Money stays on the table. It looks better in the light.
- 03
Nobody asks about the watch.
- 04
Guests may count the stacks. Nobody has ever finished.
- 05
One eye closed means welcome. Both eyes closed means come back tomorrow.
- 06
No one leaves while the light is still blue.
- 07
The dog is never late. The dog is already here.
IV The Posture
“He is not guarding the money.
He simply likes the warm side
of the light.”
He has been sitting like this since before you arrived.
V The Collectors
Two doors.
Both unlocked.
The room does not advertise. It simply leaves the light on and waits to see who walks in.
VI The Address
Everything about him
fits on one line.
—
He will be here when you get back. See the ledger
Rich Shiba Inu
