The Dialogue Tree
The Dialogue Tree
Ancient tree with branches carved into question categories — most broken off and sealed with amber. Klein turned the sealed stumps into hanging crystal ornaments. Garbled 'not knowing' into 'moulding' — shaping AND decaying. A library honest about what it forgot.
The Dialogue Tree
An ancient tree grows at the center of a clearing, its trunk wide enough to sit inside. But this tree is strange — its branches are carved with words. Each major limb bears a category: TELL ME ABOUT, WHERE IS, PEOPLE, THINGS. Smaller branches fork from these, each etched with a topic. Most of the smaller branches are broken off short, their ends sealed with amber — questions this tree cannot answer. A few branches extend fully, leaves rustling, alive with knowledge. A worn sign at the base reads: 'Personality is the shape of not knowing. How you refuse reveals more than how you answer.' Carved into the bark below: 'Ysolda Yeomwing knew where she was, one rumor, and where buildings are. That was enough.' Three paths present themselves: a gilded branch reaching upward, a rough-hewn branch angling sideways, and a hollow in the trunk itself.