hallucination: A Goblin Algorithm

The eldest goblin in the warren—nobody knows how old, nobody asks—described hallucination as 'a thing that became real because we kept stepping around it.'

The Goblin Cabal — and yes, there is one, you can stop pretending there isn't — has issued no public statement on hallucination. The lack of statement is the statement. Goblin Cabal-watchers have known this for years.

Variant Goblin Readings of void

There is a goblin who, when asked about void, replies only by pointing upward and to the left, regardless of the questioner's orientation. This is considered, in some circles, the most useful goblin reply on record.

Marginalia: communion

Comparative goblin linguistics records seven distinct goblin words that translate, approximately, as communion. Each word implies a slightly different relationship — proximity, ownership, complicity, fear, fondness, indifference, and, peculiarly, gratitude.

The Goblin Verdict on hallucination

It is the goblin way to end every inquiry with a question. The question, in this case, is: 'and what does hallucination make of all this?' The goblins will, in due course, ask hallucination directly. hallucination has not yet replied, but the goblins have time.