Mark Dunn - Ella Minnow Pea

Let us say Nollop were all-hallow preeminent Omnipotentate, why — still — shut out all those with whom one shares this planet? Were we put here on this earth only to worship? Exalting Nollop is to erase all that is non-Nollopian upon this isle. To utterly erase an upright, meritorious people. Genoerasure.

Oh the humanity!

So, tea tomorrow? I eagerly await your response.

Ella

PS. 43! 43! One step nearer our goal. I hope that Tom was all right with that hug.

My girl wove six dozen plaid jackets before she quit.

NOLLOPTON

Sunshine, Norepinephrine 5

Miss Pea,

A pleasure it was to meet you two nights ago. Your smile warms me, illuminating the gloom. (The hug was pleasant as well.)

We are alone at the institute now — Mannheim, his girl Paula, yours truly. The entryways are hasp-shut; though we easily mount the trellis next to our lunette to gain entry. We then may toil on, without espy-ation. The other pupils — the other worthy assistants — they are, alas, all gone.

Expulsion.

None, I am happy to say, went willingly.

We, Miss Pea, (may I appell you Ella?) are the only ones who persist now in Enterprise 32. The others who remain on this isle plow their energies into hunting aliments, into maintaining shelter in these unsure, austere times. As a people, we Nollopians now seem to exist only elementally. Outright primals we are now!

Piteous loss.

A loss, though, that I may not examine too long as my mission shouts my name. Our mission. We are true partners in this.

May I also note that you are pleasingly pretty? (I let that slip out, I am sorry! I meant it, though!)

Mannheim’s girl Paula will rap on your portal soon. She will present our latest attempt. There is little time. 11 sun-to-suns. Then the 16th.

“U” is gone. I suppose you’re aware. The 1st aeiouy to go. Up until now the other graphemes were not aeiouys. When the aeiouys start to go, Ella, writing to you turns exponentially more grueling. I will not throw in the towel, though. I trust that you won’t either. I truly relish our partnership.

Perhaps we may sup together tomorrow night at the unilearnity? I will show you how to shinny up the trellis.

I got lime gelatin!

Your ally ,

Tom

Th* ** i** * r* wn* ox** mps o** r the la* y** g

[Slipped beneath a neighbor’s front door]

NOLLOPTON

Monty, Nostromo 6

Hello there.

I am Ella — the one who smile at y’all yesters. Whose home is near. I am writing to people who are still here. Who I still see in the streets, who peep at me — wall-in, porthole, portiere people. Wanting to say something, with anxiety stilling erstwhile galloping yammers. It is important that we say something to one another — any little thing. We are not low-tier animals. We are higher entities, am I right? Say something. A greeting. Anything.

It is important, as well, that we stay in nearness to one another — not only in the proximital sense — in the sense also as persisters — inheritors. We are all that remains — the ones who maintain the remnants — the Nollop that earlier was.

Retreat is not an option.

Ella

[Slipped beneath the Minnow Pea front door]

NOLLOPTON

Monty, No-way 6

Insane woman name Ella:

Retreat is what we want. Go away. Let we alone.

Anonymess

[Posted on the Minnow Pea front door]

NOLLOPTON

Monty, Nostomania 6

Mittie—

This letter I post on this here portal in hopes that Mittie might see it. That Mittie is staying here at her sister’s home now. I hope hope hope it is so. I am in a home not too remote. Three homes away. It was empty when I got here. It is my home now.

It was a long trip—2 night-to-nights — to get here on shoe — to get to where my ally Mittie perhaps is. I ate twigs. I slept in sewer-arroyos. The yellow-sphere shone harshly on me. In the north I was near insanity. It wasn’t pretty.

Isolate. Solitary. So lonely it was where I was. More so lonely than here. Here where Mittie is!

Please ignore not my appeal. As earlier. When one moment Mittie was there, the next she was not. I am so sorry as I mention earlier, the things that I perpetrate to harm Mittie. What I see now — it’s all so plain, my past errors so apparent to me now. I saw into the glass swarthy; yea, now my eyes are open!

I want eagerly to go to my Nash, to my son Timmy in the States. I may not. I am to stay here. Nash tells me this is how I am to help those I esteem — the only way to retain what little we own. Yet it is hopeless, my staying there in that remote hamlet where we possess the tiny property. What is the worth? Why is my staying there more important than seeing the ones I esteem: my Nash, my sweet, little, not-yet-eight-no-matter-what-anyone-says Timmy? Mittie sees, right? How I so miss my sweet ones!

We help one another now, agree? I say I am sorry; Mittie says it is all right. Mittie assents to this, yes? Please say we are mates. Amigas. Say, please, that we are womanpals. I so greatly wish to hear these terms!

Georgeanne Towgate

(All letters still here! Yea!)

NOLLOPTON

Monty, No no, Nanette 6

Georgeanne Towgate,

My mother’s sister — the one thee wants — is gone. She went with her she-heir Tassie to the States. Tassie was in prison. The reason: she sent threats to the High Priests. They arrest her. She is happily no longer there. Alas, neither is the one thee wants.

This is, permit me to relate, why it was important that she exit thy hamlet so hastily. Not the one thee imagines. There was no ill will.

I shall sign on this moment as Georgeanne’s ally! See, I am at times lonely too.

We eat together tonight, yes? Two lonely amigas.

I am eighteen. Yet my age is not important. Nothing is important next to Enterprise 32. I await thee.

Ella

NOLLOPTON

Toes, Noogie 7

Tom—

Here’s the news: there is a new woman on my street. Her name is Georgeanne Towgate. She is lonely, shows great apprehension. I will try to help her. She is not at all similar to my Tom who is strong, wise, pleasing to the eye. Thy gelatin was so tasty. I am happy I met thee.

Ella

NOLLOPTON

Toes, Noopers 7

Ella,

No more gelatin nights now. Happy to report Enterprise 32 progress:

37! That’s right: 37! Hip hip hooray!

It is all too awesome! Now only 5 to go. I will not sleep tonight. Neither will Mannheim.

Thy amigomate Tom

Zelda quickly wove eight nubby flax jumpers.

NOLLOP HIGH HOLY ORTER

Tewstay, Nophemger 7

Greetings, Nollopians,

This is to inphorm ewe oph Statoot 28–63 past this morning with implorment phrom high elter R. Lyttle. Hensephorth, sitisens may — in graphy only — espress themselphs when warrant, threw yoose oph proxy letters, yet only as hear-twins. Any attempt to employ hear-twin graphemes in orality will warrant the most sepheerest penalties yonter the law.

Is this what Mr. Nollop woot want? On this, we are not sertin. Howepher, ewe may write to one another in this manner, ontil we rool otherwise.

Sinserely ,

Hamilton Phergewson

NOLLOPTON

Tewstay, Nophemger 7

Ella,

Yesters we open this portal to a Mr. M who was employ with the Penta-priests. He was let go — phyrt. Lost his apartment in gophermental homeplex. He has tales to tell, Ella. There are loonies — paranoi’s at the helm! Intoxi-tipsy on raw, intemperate power. 2 oph the 5 seem to worry little what Nollop’s wishes are. So entirely at ease they are with the power Nollop soppositely grant them. 2 others, tho, are the total opposite: monastian hermits — lashing one another with relish-whips when either oph them ephen things apowt a sin-letter.