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03:24

Things started changing very slowly. It wasn't solely the appearance of mice that disturbed the citizens of N. in their monotonous and peaceful day-to-day routine. Very few people noticed the presence of rodents but, since N. was devoid of any harmful and chemical substances which might have killed the unwanted visitors, mice had a great opportunity to reproduce. Even greater than in the confined wooden boxes in K., since trash bins were abundant, basements unoccupied by any hostile representatives of animal kind and people - unprepared.

Gemma's actions were put to a halt. Spending nights with Jacob wasn't something she was fond of doing and her frustration grew every day. She decided to make use of the system and started supplying the only man who needed her help. If she could do anything, it was making use of something that was abundant in N. and scarce in K. She started taking a percentage of the profits from the bean trade and sending them to Melquiades.

Melquiades was temporarily tempted to buy something for himself, possibly some new furniture or a new set of clothes but then he felt too old for the material possessions and desired youth which couldn't be bought by any amount of money. The possibility to travel in time would be his second wish, but could not yet be accomplished. So, instead, he again contacted the consulate and asked him to organize the shipment of goods.

The planes were flying over K., leaving bags, boxes, and sacks full of second-hand items. Melquiades ordered clothes, sheets, cutlery and crockery, pots and pants, shoes, bicycles, old TV sets, used furniture and fifty cars which were given to those who could still drive a car. The new cargo was supplied every day and soon the streets of K.'s cities started changing. People were wearing more colorful clothes, they were carrying bags, umbrellas, wearing watches. Children were riding bicycles all at the same time and it was a wonder for Melquiades how it was possible that a dozen little kids were able to keep the balance on a two-wheel vehicle. People weren't happier but they definitely were better equipped. Sofas were placed in front of the living spaces and people would sit in front of their buildings and enjoy the setting sun while eating and drinking, and taking pleasure from each other's company. There was still almost no electricity in K., and the petrol was scarce so one could use the car if there was something really important to carry. Then Melquiades noticed something else which gave him food for thought. People were learning how to make use of their new acquisitions. They were learning with the pace of how they taught each other to cook. Imitation was the key to success. And Melquiades asked those who could still read to sit still in the street sofas, open second-hand books and read aloud so that those who wanted to listen, could do this easily. And soon there were groups fond of books and groups fond of films displayed on old TV-sets running on old aggregates. The people of K. started to be more occupied and the food wasn't such a crucial matter, even though it still was the major part of their time. And while the majority were still living the same exact life they were leading every single day for decades, some things were changing. Melquiades appreciated these changes and every day ordered more goods, so more and more planes were flying over K. Funny enough, with planes something else changed. With planes came also birds.