echo: A Goblin Algorithm

Within the goblin esoteric tradition, echo is a vowel sound, not a word. This distinction is considered load-bearing.

echo carries with it a sense of the future-that-didn't-happen, the version of itself it was supposed to become and didn't. Goblins, who excel at noticing what is missing, find this version of echo more interesting than the actual one.

A Goblin Aside Concerning network

In the goblin underground, network is approached the way one approaches an unfamiliar lock: slowly, with curiosity, and with several backup plans for when the obvious approach doesn't work. Goblins are surprisingly patient about this. They have, after all, the time.

The Goblin Verdict on echo

The Goblin Council's working group on echo has dissolved itself, voluntarily, citing 'progress.' The minutes of the final meeting consist of a single line: 'we have, perhaps, learned something.' Goblin scholars consider this an excellent outcome.