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This is Flit-chan.
[):]->�<-[:)]
Many of you know him by now.
Flit-chan is a butterfly, and also a muse.
Normally, Flit-chan is happy.
>�<-[:)]
But right now Flit-chan is sad.
[):]->�<-[:(]
This is Flit-chan's Author, Shadow Lurker.
(@_@)-(Sigh.)
Ordinarily, Shadow Lurker is as happy as someone whose muse
can throw lightning bolts can be.
But right now Shadow Lurker is also sad.
(@_@)-(snif.)
This is Myria, One Big Spider.
//�\\-(Myaaaannn. snf.)
And Max, her mate. (Girls come first, if you're a spider.)
//�\\-Myannn.)
And the Spiderings, also.
/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\-(snf.)
All the Spiders are also sad.
Why are they sad?
The List is going down.
It might come back up.
It probably will.
But, it might not.
So they are sad.
�<(@_@)//�\\//�\\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\ -(snf.)
They've seen the List go down before.
They've seen it rise from the wreckage more than once.
They hope, very much, to see it again.
But who can know?
They've been on the List a long time.
Though they don't quite remember how long.
(Myria ate the first post they got from it, and a lot of posts were
put into off-reader storage when their computer crashed awhile back.)
But they came in at the end of the .SIG wars.
For those of you who remember _them_.
For a long time they didn't talk much.
They just lurked, as Lurkers and Spiders are supposed to do.
(Butterflys can't make noise in any event.)
But, eventually, they got up their courage to say something.
And people were willing to answer back.
It amazed them then, and it amazes them now.
They wanted to have the next chapter of R&A-ALS to send it off with,
but they're stuck on one lousy scene, and might not make it.
So ...
If it happens, some day, somewhere on the Net,
that you happen to turn around and look
out into the digital darkness, just beyond your screen,
and you happen to see there a Lurker, and a Butterfly,
and a whole bunch of Really Big Spiders,
just sitting there,
reading over your shoulder ...
Don't worry.
Lurking is what Lurkers, and Spiders, do best.
But we _will_ be around.
And we _will_ be back.
My Sisters, My brothers:
Once or twice you may have saved my life.
Without you I would yet be mute.
I owe you all a debt that I doubt I will ever be able to repay.
And to You, and You, and You, and You,
and to all of You over there,
I will not say Goodbye. Even if this _is_ Goodbye.
I will say:
Au' revoir.
>From Flit-chan,
>�<
Myria,
//�\\
Max,
//�\\
the Spiderlings,
/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\/�\
And myself,
Ever and always the most humble and obediant of your servants,
Eric Hallstrom
January 30th, 2001