December 25, 1996

I had Christmas lunch at Mrs. Mallory's place. Deep-fried turkey was served, along with stuffing and bread and collared greens and wine.

I met the cat Schrodinger again. Schrodinger was a double of the cat THE Quinn Mallory had. I never met that cat, though i had encountered his doubles on more than one occasion.

She of course spoke about her son, and her son seemed to be very similar to the Quinn Mallory I slid with for a year and a half. He was already a graduate student by the age of nineteen. She also spoke of her husband Michael; he died under the same circumstances as the Michael Mallory of my world.

She mentioned more abut her life. She had a few friends in the neighborhood; she did not have any family to whom she was close.

I did of course tell her a condensed version of my story, including the part where my other self slid with the Quinn, Wade, and Rembrandt from my world. She of course could no more understood why he decided to take my place than I could.

We spoke, and she asked if I met her husband's doubles.

"More than once," I simply said. She inquired no more.

It was a pleasant lunch.