Want to join in? Respond to our weekly writing prompts, open to everyone.
Want to join in? Respond to our weekly writing prompts, open to everyone.
from Dallineation
Yesterday I learned about a letter that hundreds of Christian leaders and scholars had signed which calls for resistance to a cruel and oppressive government and urges all to follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ. The letter is called “A Call to Christians in a Crisis of Faith and Democracy” and I encourage you to visit their website to read and sign it if you are willing and in a position to do so.
I post the full text of the letter here – giving full credit to its authors and signers – as a memorial and record, and to document it for posterity in case their website is ever taken down.
There are moments that call for repentance and resistance, courage and conviction, faith and fortitude. This is one of those moments.
The question is, what will we do now?
We are facing a cruel and oppressive government; citizens and immigrants being demonized, disappeared, and even killed; the erosion of hard-won rights and freedoms; and a calculated effort to reverse America’s growing racial and ethnic diversity– all of which are pushing us toward authoritarian and imperial rule. What confronts us is not only an endangered democracy and the rise of tyranny. It is also a Christian faith corrupted by the heretical ideology of white Christian nationalism, and a church that has often failed to equip its members to model Jesus’s teachings and fulfill its prophetic calling as a humanitarian, compassionate, and moral compass for society.
Therefore, as Christians in the United States, representing the breadth of Christian traditions and one part of our nation’s religiously plural society, we are compelled to speak out more boldly at this time.
We call on all Christians to join us in greater acts of courage to resist the injustices and anti-democratic danger sweeping across the nation. In moments like this, silence is not neutrality—it is an active choice to permit harm.
This call is particularly dire as our nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a time of celebration and reflection on our historic racial and human rights progress and setbacks, as we seek both democratic and civic renewal. Instead, current trends and forces assault our core rights and freedoms and threaten to derail and even destroy our democracy. This is not a distant danger or a future possibility. It is a present and urgent reality.
The government-sponsored cruelty and violence we are witnessing stands in total opposition to the teachings of Jesus. We refuse to be silent while too many people who call themselves Christians aid, abet, or simply stand by and allow these atrocities.
This political crisis is driven by people who have fallen for the temptation of absolute power—undermining democratic checks and balances, entrenching economic inequality, exacerbating divisions, and normalizing corruption and the indiscriminate use of violence.
Freedoms and rights once assumed to be secure are being stripped away, redefined, or selectively applied. Decades-old civil rights protections are being dismantled. Truth is being replaced by lies and propaganda. Governance is being hollowed out and replaced with corruption, loyalty tests, intimidation, and the normalization of lawlessness. The architecture of democracy and the rights secured by the separation of powers are being eroded from within, while we are told to accept it as “law”, “order,” or “God’s will.”
Sadly, the crisis is not only political—it is one driven by a moral and spiritual collapse showing up in alarming levels of polarization. Our faith is being tested. Christians cannot pretend otherwise and must make a decision to act.
We refuse to baptize domination. We refuse to sanctify cruelty. We refuse to confuse authoritarian power with divine authority. We choose to resist, calling forth the righteous demands of our faith rooted in the teachings of Jesus. Religion should not be used to deify politicians or justify their abuses. When it is, faith ceases to be faithful and becomes a weapon of both heresy and hypocrisy.
As Christians, we must never preach nationalism as discipleship, confuse American and Christian identity with whiteness, or mistake allegiance to modern-day Caesars for faithfulness to Christ. We must never surrender our prophetic voice by aligning with powers and principalities rather than with the One who calls us to be purveyors of justice and righteousness.
Now is the time to boldly embrace fidelity to the message of Jesus: to defend the image of God in every person; to love our neighbors — no exception; to reject retribution; extend grace, mercy, and compassion; reflect the radical counterculture of the Beatitudes and live out the call of Matthew 25 with special care for persons who are poor, vulnerable and marginalized.
As followers of Jesus, we must take these principles seriously, as we seek to renew, deepen, and fortify our faith, resist false religion, build Beloved Community, and become a truly multi-racial, inclusive democracy.
In every generation, the Church is called to declare without fear or favor, “Thus saith the Lord,” bearing witness to the sovereignty of God over every system, party, and power.
As Christians, our ultimate allegiance belongs to God alone, and we believe that any political leader who demands absolute power places themselves in opposition to God’s sovereignty.
Allegiance to such leaders is idolatry and manipulates the teaching of Jesus as a tool of oppressive power, replacing compassion with control and unity with division. A faithful Christian witness is fundamentally incompatible with nationalist power and the suffering it is producing in our nation and around the world.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh. His life and teachings reveal God’s way and must shape our lives, our conduct, and our public witness, especially in this moment. Jesus became human to reconcile us back to God and to one another. This moment is a critical test of our primary allegiance to Him.
Jesus announces His mission in His first sermon: to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19). Any gospel that contradicts this is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus teaches in the parable of the Good Samaritan that love of neighbor knows no political, social, or ethnic boundaries (Luke 10:25-37). This love stands in direct opposition to a politics of exclusion and discrimination.
Jesus declares that truth and freedom are inseparable: “You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). Yet, every day we hear lies and distortions that seek to divide and demonize. Truth liberates us from the captivity of lies and brings us into a deeper relationship with God and all others.
Jesus blesses peacemakers, calling them children of God (Matt. 5:9). The Hebrew and Greek words for peace, Shalom and eirene, mean a resolving and restoring of broken relationships. All forms of political violence stand in contradiction to the way of Christ, and Christians must reject them at every turn.
Jesus gives His final test of discipleship in Matthew 25:31-46, making clear that the measure of our faith is revealed in how we treat those who are hungry, thirsty, sick, strangers, or imprisoned. To say, as some do, that this passage is only about taking care of fellow Christians is an incorrect theological interpretation. It is for the nations, ethnoi, for all peoples. This passage names people who are, even now, being directly and deliberately targeted and harmed by those in political power. To serve and defend the most vulnerable is to serve and defend Christ Himself.
In this moment, we believe the Holy Spirit is moving us to stand, speak, and act with greater courage to serve the most vulnerable and advance God's reign of justice and peace.
Therefore, we commit to:
“Choose you this day whom you will serve.”—Joshua 24:15
Faith and democracy do not die in a single moment; they erode when we trade courage for conformity, substitute the gospel for power, and fall silent in the face of wrongdoing.
This letter is made in a spirit of humility and solidarity. It is an invitation for each of us to ask what faithfulness to Christ and love of neighbor demand of each of us at such a time as this.
If we as Christians fail to speak and act now—clearly, courageously, and prophetically—we will be remembered not only for the injustices committed in our time, but for the righteous possibilities we allowed to die in our hands. History and future generations will record our choices, but the God of heaven and earth will judge our faithfulness.
Now is the time to take risks for the sake of the Gospel and our democratic rights and freedoms.
We call on Christians to remember that we serve a mighty and awesome God, who is sovereign over nations and rulers.
We serve a God, through our Lord and Liberator Jesus Christ, who equips us with the courage and fortitude to stand for justice and peace. We will always stand in solidarity with those who are most vulnerable among us.
Now is the time to speak and act.
May God guide us, empower us, and strengthen us.
This is the kind of statement I wish my church — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — would make, or at least endorse. As of the time I write this, no senior leaders of my church have signed, endorsed, or referenced the above statement.
I suspect the authors of this letter do not consider Latter-day Saints to be Christians and would not allow them to sign it if they wanted to. This would be sad, if true.
But what is even sadder is that no senior leaders of my church would likely sign this letter. They have been deafeningly silent on the concerns expressed in this letter and seem to be trying to take a position of neutrality at best, or complicity at worst. We don't know what their position is on these matters – they haven't stated it.
LDS apologists claim that the church doesn't need to make any statements on current events or crises such as these – that general statements and teachings on the doctrines of the church should make their position clear. But members of the LDS church are divided on these issues in the absence of clarity from leadership.
I believe this silence to be a grave mistake.
I recently wrote a blog post about the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer – a Protestant minister in Nazi Germany who refused to take a loyalty oath to Hitler, worked with the Resistance, and was imprisoned and ultimately executed by the Nazis just weeks before the war ended in Europe.
Bonhoeffer believed the Word of God applied to every aspect of our lives, that it is the responsibility of Christians to declare the Word, and that Christians have a duty to speak out – to stand and be counted – when we see things happening in our world that are contrary to the Word.
Early on, Bonhoeffer tried to help rally the churches in Nazi Germany to oppose and resist the regime, and for a time they seemed to be building momentum. But the movement failed and most churches eventually submitted to government control and became the Reich Church – a church ran by a violent fascist government that sought to ban the Old Testament and rewrite the New Testament to portray Jesus Christ as an aryan fighting the Jewish people.
American Christians must learn from the mistakes of German Christians in the 1930s and 40s. We must learn from the examples of people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
We must stand and be counted now, showing in word and deed that Christianity is not what those in power are trying to make it.
#100DaysToOffload (No. 138) #faith #Christianity #politics
from Two Sentences
Work was chill so far. The evening was more notable — did a chill run, had a long call with my partner, and tried out the local Mexican stand.
from
💚
Our Father Who art in heaven Hallowed be Thy name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil
Amen
Jesus is Lord! Come Lord Jesus!
Come Lord Jesus! Christ is Lord!
from
💚
Artemis II (pt. III)
The lucky way out For this fortune of air Exploring the symphony- of noise In thoughts to care in time Special about In six shiny windows The Mercury of days As the messenger Rod to reunion If preterm but at speed High-altitude poem For crews to enjoy- And at most- remembering her Our ship of plans Linking our phone To the day of ideas More than mercy The victory sings Of payloads of fortune And just enough energy- to return And researched to the skies A thing about wear To spot on the payout In electrical force And everything works- just enough Staying the course Of rockets the same And this- Our day beyond In a course of will And three repeats of the tour Sincerely that star That victory eye For thoughts of made whole In stunningly deep For the Moon- and back.
from
Kroeber
O Zizek a colocar uma balaclava, no final da conversa com a Nadya Tolokonnikova. O gato que me veio cumprimentar a meio da minha caminhada. Os dias às vezes só precisam destes pequenos prazeres, para resgatar alguma luz. .
from
Roscoe's Quick Notes

My basketball game before bedtime tonight will find me following the Indiana University Women's Basketball Team as they travel to their final road game of the regular season. They'll be playing the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in New Brunswick, New Jersey at Jersey Mike's Arena. The game has a scheduled start time of 6:00 PM CST and fits nicely into my routine.
I'll be listening to the pregame show then the radio call of the game streaming from B97 – The Home for IU Women's Basketball.
And the adventure continues.
from brendan halpin
Cory Doctorow recently caused a stir on the nerdy corners of the internet where I hang out by writing an essay saying he uses AI to proofread his blog and, what’s more, you are a chump if you decide not to buy literally anything. I mean, that’s my interpretation, but he gives multiple examples of how every form of tech is tainted by its association with someone horrible, and his conclusion seems to be that one therefore should be indiscriminate in what one uses and purchases.
Now, I do not worship Cory Doctorow as many folks do—I think he’s a gifted nonfiction writer who, like most of these guys who run their own platform, desperately needs an editor.
But he’s a smart, insightful guy who, like most internet celebrities, is a little high on his own supply and therefore annoying, but I read him semi-regularly for his smarts and insights.
And I get where he’s coming from here—he’s repeatedly asserted that you can’t shop your way to social change, and that, furthermore, that placing all the onus on social change on individual consumers is a strategy to prevent mass movements that might actually cause real change.
So far so good. And, yes, there is, famously, no ethical consumption under capitalism, but people seem to see this and respond with “so, therefore, you shouldn’t even try,” which is how I’m reading Doctorow’s protest-too-much defense of his AI use.
I disagree with this on both a moral and political basis. We cannot, after all, perfect ourselves as human beings—we will always slip up and harm people we care about and/or do things that don’t align with our values. But I think most of us agree that we have a responsibility to keep trying, while knowing that we will never reach the goal.
And, also, while shopping (or, more accurately, refusing to shop) alone cannot bring about social change, it remains an important tool in our arsenal. For many of us our purchasing power is the most meaningful power we have. If you live in a gerrymandered “red” state, you can’t vote your way out of fascism. If you, like me, live in a “blue” state controlled by the Democratic party, you effectively get a choice in every election between people who believe we should be grateful serfs of the Epstein Class, and the collection of religious fanatics, grifters, and pedophiles that calls itself the Republican Party. Voting alone will not bring about the change I want, but I still do it. Trying to make my purchases align with my values also won’t bring about the change I want, but I’m damn sure not going to renounce the only power I have that the ruling class cares about.
Here’s what I have found about trying to reach the impossible goal of having my economic life reflect my values—every time I do it, usually by NOT buying something rather than by buying something—it makes me feel good. I’m not saying you, like me, should renounce corporate social media (though for God’s sake get off of X, what the hell are you doing on a literal Nazi site), or eating meat, or any of the things I’ve done to try to feel like somewhat less of a hypocrite. But I am suggesting that you’d be foolish to not even try to align your economic life with your ostensible values.
I don’t care if Cory Doctorow uses AI to proofread his blog. Proofreading is one of the rare tasks that AI actually excels at, which makes sense since it was trained on the purloined output of hundreds of millions of writers. And look, nobody likes a scold. The fact is that people who are trying very hard to live their values will still fall short (I have an Amazon Prime subscription and shop at Whole Foods all the freakin’ time) because we all fall short, and the fact that other people aren’t doing the same things as you doesn’t mean they’re bad people or that they’re doing nothing at all.
You’ve got a lot of tools available to make the world a better place. I urge you not to throw any of them away.
The same God who guides the stars in their courses, who directs the earth in its orbit, who feeds the burning furnace of the sun, and keeps the stars perpetually burning with their fires—the same God has promised to supply thy strength. While he is able to do all these things, think not that he shall be unable to fulfill his own promise!”
— Charles Spurgeon
#life #quotes #theology
from folgepaula
since the sun began to shine again, I am longing for the next days and I can feel my heart has been slowly opening. all I long for is the promise of these beautiful simple days, when I can lie in an open field and fall asleep under its warmth, perhaps close to a cute tree, but exposed enough to feel the sunlight settle on my skin while the earth gathers around me like a soft blanket. I want to be able to close my eyes and surrender to it the way a child surrenders to a mother’s chest: safe enough to sleep, free enough to silent, held enough to cry, because everything is allowed there and everything is natural. And then I want to throw myself into a small river or a lake and get the water wrap itself around me in a hug, while the plants brush against my legs like gentle hands, and in there I know I will laugh again, before I rise to the surface, wrap myself in a towel, and sit at the margins to dry, feeling every pore of my skin open, as if my whole soul is finally able to breathe again. that’s all I want.
/feb26
from Faucet Repair
9 February 2026
Stuck star (or possibly Third man): returned to the star image in the studio today after the last go at it didn’t work. That’s something I’ve found myself doing for the first time—returning to elements/motifs from failed paintings and re-deploying them. Used to treat references that led to inert paintings as dead weight, but it’s nice to now see that unsuccessful work really can be bent into more interesting shapes. In this case it was by paring down; this one even more than Plane. It’s a small pink star floating near the middle of a panel and sort of spiderwebbing out over a sky blue blotch of watercolor. Now that I think about it, the spiderwebbing feels related to a Lois Dodd painting (Spider Web with Clover and Grass, 2004) I've looked at a lot this week after Louis Block wrote about it in the Brooklyn Rail (it's included in the retrospective he covered). Anyway, I think I like the questions it is asking. Which seem to circle around stability, projection (I see a facade), order, and control.
from
Olhar Convexo
Recentemente, o INSPER proibiu o uso de celulares em seus campi, e a FGV seguiu o mesmo caminho. Na realidade, não é uma proibição propriamente dita, já que são adultos — e não há lei que dite essa regra, nem federal, nem estadual — é uma forte recomendação que pode beneficiar os alunos em projetos internos das próprias universidades.
Entretanto, definir uma “política de forte recomendação do não uso” é proibir sem usar uma lei, segundo relatos de alunos ao podcast “O ASSUNTO”, do G1. (edição de 18/02/2026).
Mas essa proibição traz algum benefício real ou apenas tenta controlar o incontrolável?Essa proibição já está em vigor no INSPER há pelo menos um ano, e os professores relatam que as notas e a qualidade do ensino já tem sido melhor.
Podemos usar o exemplo de uma faculdade do Texas: uma política de incentivo ao uso direcionado apenas ao aprendizado. Quanto “melhor” for o uso — nos momentos corretos — os alunos ganham moedas (coins) para trocar por descontos em lojas no campus e outros benefícios. A diferença é que a política do incentivo não é mandatória — é voluntária.
No Brasil, uma recente pesquisa divulgada pelo G1, demonstrou que os brasileiros usam o celular, em média, por 05h e 30min por dia. (com uma média de 4h apenas usando redes sociais!). Quando olhamos mais a fundo e separamos por faixa etária, vemos a disparidade entre os jovens: 70% destes passam entre 10h e 19h por dia usando o telefone. Deste tempo, em média 9h por dia é dedicado somente para redes sociais.
Devem ser realizadas políticas de incentivo ao uso correto do celular, especialmente pelo temido efeito contágio em sala: esse efeito é literal – quando um aluno começa a jogar, os outros têm vontade de jogar também, e quando percebe-se, a sala inteira está olhando para as telas.
Quando pensamos que os alunos já são adultos quando estão nas universidades, esse pensamento deve ser feito com ressalvas — lembre-se que os alunos oriundos das escolas, geralmente são adolescentes (com 17/18 anos), que entram na faculdade, geralmente, no ano seguinte (com 18/19 anos), ou seja, raramente ocorre grande evolução em tão pouco tempo.
Porque não faz sentido restringir?
Os profissionais, especialmente aqueles do time dos cálculos (calculadoras de diferentes tipos) e da área da medicina (consultas de condutas médicas) e farmácia (consulta de interações medicamentosas) — usam o celular rotineiramente no mercado de trabalho.
Não faz sentido restringir, afinal também se faz o mesmo uso nas universidades.
Faz-se necessário desenvolver mecanismos de controle do uso dos celulares, voltados ao uso do brasileiro jovem, sem usar a “restrição mandatória”. Um exemplo já mencionado, é a política de incentivo (Universidade do Texas).
O celular não é o vilão.
O vilão é a incapacidade institucional de lidar com a complexidade dele.
Rio de Janeiro, 19 de fevereiro de 2026.
Aunque muchas personas piensan que la vida de un robot es afortunada, o por lo menos satisfactoria, este tipo de afirmaciones parten de opiniones sesgadas.
Quien así piensa no observa lo fundamental: no es lógico comparar. Quiero decir, no examina por sí misma la vida robótica, sino que la compara, sin más, con la vida humana, que en estos momentos parece un desastre.
Un robot es un robot, por útil o inútil que sea. Hemos visto robots que dan tres pasos y se caen, y otros que corren, saltan y hasta hacen muecas. En cualquiera de los casos, son robots. La identidad robótica está garantizada, al menos en este momento de la historia.
Pero el ser humano es diferente. Primero somos bebés, luego vamos pasando por las diferentes etapas, hasta trascender el en paz descanse. Somos de esta o aquella nacionalidad, ricos, pobres o no se sabe, nuestros antepasados fueron nobles, habrá que ver o facinerosos, carnívoros o veganos, sanos, enfermos o ahí vamos. En todo esto y más, es lógico que nos encontremos con un problema de identidad del tamaño de diez burros, y a la espera de que una circunstancia desencadenante nos encamine al brote de angustia existencial.
Los robots no poseen características similares. Haríamos bien en no comparar; en no proyectar en ellos nuestros fantasmas. Lo que sí es cierto -todo sea dicho-, es que tienen cara de pasarla bien en nuestro mundo.
Soy consejero legal de Markus Skhalagrinsen desde hace cincuenta años. No tengo la menor duda de su honorabilidad; sé que va con la verdad por delante.
Él está dolido. Destila rencor cuando se acuerda del asunto, pero no sabe si callar, porque las consecuencias de armar un escándalo podrían ser perjudiciales para él y su familia, y cree que hasta para nuestro Estado, que no está para muchos brincos.
Realmente, es un auténtico pionero en materia de inteligencia artificial. No me cabe duda. Quizás antes no se llamaba así, claro. Ahora bautizan las cosas de otro modo, según las modas en Silicon Valley.
En su trabajo, Markus ha tenido un éxito moderado. Ya está mayor, cumple ochenta y nueve en julio.
Escribe libros de relatos. Ninguno se escapó de recibir elogios de la crítica y su obra en conjunto fue premiada con la medalla del mérito literario, aunque no hizo el dinero que esperaba.
Su método es único. Reúne sobre el escritorio las obras de Ray Bradbury, abre una página, señala un renglón con los ojos cerrados, lo digiere, y viento: desarrolla una historia. Otras veces arranca con una paráfrasis y luego empuja lo que viene, horno, papel y tinta.
-Dígame si no soy pionero. Merezco un reconocimiento público, por lo menos -me dice.
-Sí, Markus, ya sabes, las cosas son según se miren. Se llama inteligencia artificial si lo hacen en Silicon Valley. Pero aquí, entre nosotros, no faltará un desgraciado que lo llame plagio.
from
China Internship
In today’s global economy, a resume is only as strong as the real-world experience behind it. While many look to study in China to learn the language, the most successful global leaders are those who have actually stepped into the professional landscape.
The China International Leadership Programme is designed for those who want more than just a certificate. This is a blended, high-impact programme where a core component allows you to actually work in China, applying your leadership skills in real-time through meaningful professional placements.
By combining online modules with immersive, on-the-ground experience, you won't just learn about leadership—you will practice it.
The programme is strategically built around three core objectives to maximize your professional and personal ROI:
The programme consists of eight modules delivered in a flexible, hybrid format. You begin with online modules that establish your knowledge base, which then transition into experiential, on-the-ground components. This ensures that when you arrive to begin your work placement, you are prepared, culturally aware, and ready to lead.
We offer three distinct pathways, each building on the last to offer deeper levels of immersion and professional responsibility:
A focused, high-intensity immersion perfect for those looking to kickstart their Mandarin skills and cultural understanding.
Deepen your expertise by combining language mastery with a broader understanding of China’s diverse landscape.
Our flagship 12-month programme for those ready to fully commit to their professional development. This track provides the most comprehensive experience, allowing you to live and work in China for a full year.
from
wystswolf
Coalescence
When I think of you I see it— a soft red glow in the dark of the world,
I am the wind And you, a coal...
One ember glowing hot but patient. Hidden beneath the ash.
I ache to see what light we make.
I lean close— slowly—
and feel our ignition— your heat answers mine.
Breath deepens, you brighten.
Tell me not to.
from 下川友
片手で船を出した。 もう片方の手は、頬の髭の剃り残しをなぞっていた。ざらりとした感触が、朝の光に溶けていく。 「初めてガムを食べたときも、こんな感じだったなあ」 隣で船をたたんでいたミルが、顔を上げた。 「ガムって、あの噛むやつ?」 「そう。初めて食べたとき、噛んだら破れて、変な感じがしたんだ」 ミルは首をかしげて、また船に戻った。彼女の宇宙服は、朝日を受けて淡く光っていた。
その日、天気は三度変わった。朝は霧、昼は雷、夕方には雪が降った。 「今日は、天気が三回も変わったんだよ」 アルトがそう報告すると、ミルは「ふうん」とだけ言って、ピアノの下に潜り込んだ。 「友達に連絡するから」と言って、スマホの画面を見つめていた。 ピアノの脚の影が、彼女の頬に落ちていた。どの星の友達に連絡しているのか、アルトはあえて訊かなかった。
「サウナ入ってくる」 「ハマってるね、それ」 「うん、黒い人が頑張って作ってくれたからね」 湯気の向こうで、ミルが頷いた。 「本当にそうだよなあ」 アルトが言った。 「本当にそうだよなあ?」 ミルも繰り返した。 ニュースの音が遠くで流れていた。二人とも、それにうなずいていた。
自分のホームページを作るのにハマっている。 「また呼吸を忘れてるわよ」 「はっ」として、アルトは慌てて呼吸を再開する。 「これ、誰に見てもらうの?」とミルに聞かれて、 「電話帳順に、姿勢が良くなった自分を送る」と答えた。 「それって、どういう意味?」 「電波。チューニングを合わせないと」 ミルはしばらく考え込んで、それから小さく笑った。 「アルトらしいね」
航海中、自販機が浮いていて、サイダーを買うことにする。 ボタンを押そうとしたら、自販機の上に鳥が乗っていて、こっちを見ている。 「風邪ひけやー」 アルトがそう言って、そっと手を差し出すと、鳥は首をかしげて、また空へ戻っていった。 ミルがその後ろ姿を見送りながら言った。 「あの鳥、私たちのこと、どう思ってるのかな」 「さあ。でも“風邪ひけやー”って言ったから、友好的なことは伝わったと思うよ」 二人はまた船に乗り込む。宇宙服のブーツが、自販機にくっついていたアスファルトの地面を軽く鳴らした。
「シソ揚げる」 そう言って、ミルはシソを揚げ始めた。 油のはねる音を聞いていたら、弟から電話がかかってきた。 「アニメみたいな髪型しないと、体重計に乗れないんだよー」 弟は今日も、言いたいことを優先して話してくる。 相変わらず思い込みが激しいなあ、と思いながら、買って帰るおみやげを考える。 しばらくして戻ってきたミルは、なぜか髪の毛が少し立っていた。
夜、宇宙船から庭に出ると、遠くにチーズケーキみたいな星が見える。 ふわふわしていて、甘くて、少しだけ焦げ目がついている。 「本に載ってた通りだ。かなり住みたい星No.1だ」 アルトが言った。 二人は並んで、チーズケーキの星を見る。その周りの、砂糖のような星々が静かに瞬いていた。
ミルが言った。 「アルト、最近、こっちの星の言葉、練習した?」 「5級くらい」 「そう。でも、なんとかなると思う」