From the day
Perspective: The Future Historian · Tactile
I run my thumb over the textured linen finish of the Rook cards, an ephemeral material destined to be outclassed by the synthetics of the century to come. My heavy wool waistcoat chafes against my neck as I scan the morning paper, noting that Chicago realty shows big values that even humble New York’s sheer verticality can no longer eclipse. The Western operator speaks of averages for large plots, oblivious to how these dirt-and-brick foundations will eventually anchor a kingdom of steel. I push the paper aside, brushing a stray speck from my sleeve as if it were one of the wretched cooties from the trenches of a war that hasn't even begun.