Sandi walked into Mr. DeMartino’s classroom on Monday morning, her first day in school since she’d quit the Fashion Club. She started to go back to her usual seat but stopped halfway. Quinn was sitting at Sandi’s old desk, and Tiffany was sitting next to her; in front of them were Stacy and Brooke. They all waved at her; she waved back weakly and turned away, scanning the room for the empty desk farthest from them. I’m really not ready for this, she thought, and forced herself to pay attention to the lesson in order to stop thinking about the Fashion Club.

Somehow, she managed to get through the rest of the day. She hadn’t considered the fact that she would be separated from Jane during school hours - they didn’t even take lunch at the same time. She had never before gone through an entire school day without someone to talk to, and she found the experience to be exceptionally unpleasant. After school she headed straight to Jane’s house.

“So post-popular life isn’t what you’d thought it be?” said Jane, not unsympathetically, after listening to Sandi’s troubles. “If Daria and I didn’t keep each other company in class, I think I’d probably feel the same way, minus the rejection by former friends, of course.” She frowned. “I honestly didn’t think they were that shallow.”

“I don’t know. Maybe they’re just mad at me. If that’s the case I imagine they’ll get over it. But it’ll never be like it was before. I almost wish I was a brain or something, so they’d let me skip to your class.”

“So you could be entertained by Kevin and Brittany too? Trust me, you’re not missing much.” Jane considered the situation.
“Aren’t there any unpopular-but-cool juniors you can hang out with?”

“I don’t know. I mean, there are a lot of unpopular students, but I don’t know if any of them are also cool.” She smiled. “I’m sure I can find out, though. That’s a really good idea. Thank you.”

“Hey, no problem. Bringing unpopular people together is just one of my many talents.”

Daria stood outside Jane’s door with her usual inscrutable expression. “Hey.”

“What’s up?”

“Wanna go out for pizza?”

Jane looked at Daria wryly. “So where is he this time?”

“Visiting the overrated university where he’s planning to hide from me for the next four years.”

“Ouch! Sorry I asked. Um...is that as serious as it sounds?”

“What? Oh. No, nothing happened. I guess I’m just feeling kind of confused about where our relationship’s going to go.”

“That’s a pretty touchy subject for all of us.” There was a strained silence. “Which we can deal with at another time. Anyway. Pizza. Why not?” Jane paused for a moment. “Um…Do you mind if Sandi comes along?”

“Is she here?”

“Yeah, we were just hanging out upstairs.”

“I guess that’s all right.”

“Cool. We’ll be right back.” As Jane headed back up the stairs, Daria shook her head. Three days had been nowhere near enough time to get used to the new Sandi, or to completely convince herself that there wasa new Sandi.

“Hey! Hi, Daria!” Sandi waved as she and Jane came back down the stairs.  God, thought Daria, she sounds almost…perky.
As they sat down in the booth at Pizza King with their sodas and slices, Sandi looked up in surprise. “Are we eating pizza with cheese?”

“Why, yes, we are,” said Jane, giving Daria a sidelong glance.

Sandi tried to process this information but couldn’t. “Do you always eat pizza with cheese?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. Ask Daria about my opinion of cheeseless pizza some time.”

“But you eat pizza like all the time, don’t you?”

“As often as I can afford to.”

Sandi’s mouth dropped open in astonishment. “But you’re so thin. I’m afraid I don’t understand how that’s possible.”

Jane shrugged. “I don’t know. I have a high metabolism, I guess. Of course, I get a lot of exercise from running. I imagine that helps.”

“Of course.” The look on Sandi’s face made Daria think of Archimedes shouting “Eureka!” “I should have thought of that. That’s how I…um…took care of my little problem in that area. Except that I was swimming, not running.” Sandi looked thoughtfully at the pizza. “So if I exercised, I could eat pizza with cheese all the time too. I can’t believe I never thought of that.” She picked up the slice and took a healthy bite. “That’s really good. I can’t remember the last time I had pizza with cheese on it.” She polished off the slice so fast that both Daria and Jane were taken aback. “I forgot how good that was! Let’s get some more. My treat!” She jumped up and skipped back to the counter.

If Sandi had turned into a werewolf, Daria would have had roughly the same look on her face. “What was that all about?”

Jane shook her head. “Hey, as long as she’s buying, I don’t think we should be too picky.”

“Seriously.”

Jane thought for a moment. “I guess she’s learning how to have fun, Daria. Think you can stand it?”

As she completed another lap at the Lawndale Health Spa’s pool, Sandi thought about the grueling regime that Quinn had coached her through. Swimming was certainly more enjoyable when you weren’t forcing yourself to do it. God, I hope I never break my leg again! She completed a few more laps and got out of the pool.

“You swim very nice,” said a girl with close-cropped blonde hair who was standing near the pool. Sandi had seen her at school - she was an exchange student from Switzerland or someplace.

“Thank you…um, it’s Heidi, isn’t it?” The girl nodded and Sandi walked over to her. “I don’t think we’ve ever been formally introduced.” She held out her hand. “Sandi Griffin, Pres-- ex-President of the Fashion Club.”

Heidi looked at her in astonishment. “They made you leave?”

“I resigned. Um…why do you ask?”

Heidi glanced away from Sandi for a moment. “I tried to join this Club, and I was thinking they would let me in, and then they told me I could not come in because I have ugly shoes!” Her normally pale face flushed red. “I was thinking they really meant I was ugly and were embarrassed to tell me so. But I couldn’t believe they would think so about you.”

“When did that happen?” Sandi shook her head. “I can’t believe anyone would think you were ugly. You’re totally cute.”

“I think I’m not so cute. I think you just say this to be nice.”

“I give you my word I would not do that.”

“Really?” Heidi smiled. “Thank you.” Her expression changed to quizzical. “But then they were really thinking I had ugly shoes?”

Sandi realized with a start that she hadn’t even bothered to look at Heidi’s shoes. She glanced down; Heidi was wearing clogs. Sandi’s mouth dropped open. Clogs! Well, no wonder they wouldn’t let her join.

Heidi looked at her in dismay. “You are also thinking I have ugly shoes?”

Sandi had no idea how Heidi had guessed what she was thinking. “Um…” She didn’t want to say “Yes,” but she couldn’t come up with a way to say “No” convincingly.

Heidi’s dismay turned to anger. “You’re just like them!” She walked off without another word. Sandi was completely at a loss.

“So you didn’t go after her?” said Jane.

“I guess I should have, but…I just didn’t know what to say. I mean, she was right. We’re all the same. I thought maybe leaving the Fashion Club would…improve me or something. I guess I was wrong.” Sandi stared at the floorboards. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing to me for?”

“For being so shallow.”

“You can apologize if you treat me like that. You haven’t so far.” Jane gave her a look that Sandi correctly interpreted as meaning “And you damn well better not.”

“You’re different, though. You have your own style.”

“Well, maybe this Heidi girl has her own style, too.”

Sandi pondered this. “Maybe. Do you think I should like talk to her?”

“I think you need to make that decision yourself.”

At lunchtime on the following day Sandi walked into the cafeteria and looked around, finally spotting Heidi at a table by herself. After taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Sandi walked over to her. “Um…hi.”

Heidi turned and scowled at her. “What do you want?”

“Um…I’d like to apologize for my hasty judgment of you based on your choice of footwear.” So far, so good.

Heidi’s expression softened slightly, but only slightly. “You’re sorry for this?”

Sandi nodded.

“All right. Thank you.” Heidi went back to her meal.

“Um…would it be all right if I had lunch with you or something?”

Heidi turned back to her, still scowling. “You do this because you feel sorry for me. Don’t.”

What? Sandi glared at her. “I didn’t say I felt sorry for you, you—” Heidi drew back. Oh, that was wonderful, Griffin. “I’m really sorry!”

“Yes. Will you please go away?”

That was probably a good idea. “All right.” Sandi trudged out of the cafeteria, unaware that Quinn, Stacy, Tiffany, and Brooke were watching her.

“What do you think that was all about?” said Quinn.

Stacy shook her head. “I think she’s like trying to make new friends. I knew we should have retired her old desk.”

Quinn rolled her eyes. “Sta-cy! Sandi would never try to make friends with a girl who wears clogs!”

Sandi was waiting for Heidi when she left school that afternoon. Heidi stared at her. “You don’t give up!”

“Um…I really think I can explain things if you’ll give me a chance. I’d really like to.”

“Why?”

“Because I kind of like you, and I don’t want to you think I'm like totally shallow, because I think I’m at least partly deep, and I thought what you said yesterday was really nice, and I feel really bad about how everything worked out.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Heidi shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

Sandi’s hands clenched and she started to lash out but caught herself in time. How would Jane handle this? “Um…okay. Can I at least buy you a slice of pizza or something?” She smiled weakly.

Heidi turned and looked her over carefully. “You’re crazy.” It was not an insult but a statement of fact.

“Would you rather have Chinese?”

“I guess you won’t stop until I say yes. All right! Pizza is good. Let’s go.”

“So my friend Jane is helping me to stop being so completely shallow, but I still have like a serious problem with it.” Sandi wondered if she was pushing too hard, talking too much. God! Being a friend is really difficult.

Heidi had stopped frowning, but she hadn’t quite worked her way to a smile. “So are you telling me you don’t hate my shoes?”

“That’s kind of complicated. I admit that I had a pretty bad reaction when I first saw them, you know, because of all the Fashion Club stuff and whatever, but after giving the matter careful consideration, I decided that I don’t care if you want to wear them.”

“So you want to be friends even though I have such shoes?”

Sandi nodded, gritting her teeth slightly, and hoping Heidi would never say the word “shoes” again so long as she lived.

“I guess I’m willing to give you a chance.” Sandi smiled, and despite herself Heidi smiled in return. “But you are crazy.”

Sandi nodded again. “I guess you could say that. Would you like some more pizza or something?”

“Thank you, yes.”

On her way to the counter Sandi passed a booth occupied by the Fashion Club, who watched her closely. On her return they all got up and followed her. As she sat down again and handed a slice to Heidi, Quinn said “Hi, um, Sandi.”

“Hello, Quinn.”

Heidi bristled at the sight of Tiffany and Stacy. “These are the ones who threw you out of the Club?”

“They didn’t throw me out. I was the President.  I threw myself out.” Sandi turned back to her former leadettes. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Quinn looked genuinely concerned. “We just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine. I’m not sure why you would have thought I wasn’t, but I appreciate your concern.”

An awkward silence followed, interrupted by a familiar voice saying “Hey!” Jane was standing behind the Club members and waving. Sandi smiled and waved back before she had time to consider the effect this would have on Quinn and the others. Jane pushed her way through them (they seemed to have lost all power of independent movement) and said “Hey! Is that Heidi?”

Sandi nodded. “Heidi, this is my friend Jane that I was telling you about.” Quinn and Stacy gasped audibly.

Heidi smiled shyly. “You’re the one that made her crazy, yes?” Tiffany’s jaw dropped open on the word ‘crazy.’

“I can take some credit for that,” said Jane. “I see why Sandi likes you so much.” Sandi put her hand to her mouth and blushed. Brooke managed to pull herself away and staggered back to grab her glass of water. Jane watched her go with amusement. “Anyway, it’s good to see you worked things out! I have to get back to my table - I’m buying. See ya!” She pushed her way back through the still-immobile trio.

“What was that all about?” said Daria.

Jane shrugged. “Just saying hi to a friend.”

Daria heard the front door slam and started counting off seconds; Quinn marched into her room just as she got to five.
“What the hell did your fuh-rend do to Sandi?”

Without looking up from the computer, Daria said “Besides treat her like a human being instead of a brain-dead fashion zombie? Nothing that I know of.”

“Daria! This is serious! Do you realize that she just humiliated the entire Fashion Club in public?”

She turned to face her sister. “Quinn? This is me you’re talking to.”

Quinn continued to glare at her.

She sighed. “Listen. I don’t control Jane’s behavior. If you have a problem, you need to talk to her about it.”

Quinn’s scowl was replaced by a look of consternation. “I can’t talk to her! She’s weird!”

“She speaks English. You speak English. More or less. I don’t see a problem.”

“But you’re her friend!”

“Exactly.” Daria turned back to her writing.

Quinn let out an exasperated cry and stormed out. How could her sister be so unreasonable? Telling her to talk to Jane? She shuddered. But she was President now; she had responsibilities. All right, then, she’d do it. She was going to need backup, though. She went to her room and started making calls.

Trent opened the door. “Hey. You’re Daria’s sister, right?” He surveyed Stacy, Tiffany, and Brooke. “You must be Daria’s sister’s friends. I guess you want to talk to her other friend?”

Quinn fixed him with what she hoped was an authoritative stare. “Actually, we’re here to speak to Jane.”

“Really? Whoa. I’ll see if she’s here.”

As he disappeared up the stairs, Stacy nudged Quinn and said “Who’s that? He’s cute.”

“Wasn’t he at that party at Brittany’s last year?” said Brooke. “With that band.”

“Ohmigod! I think you’re right!” said Stacy. “Is he like Jane’s brother?”

“Sta-cy!” Quinn put her hand to her forehead. They’d better get this straightened out fast or the whole Fashion Club was going to go crazy.

“Hey,” said Jane, coming down the stairs, “what’s up?” Sandi and Heidi were following her.

Quinn steeled herself. “Look, we don’t know how you did this to Sandi, but we’ll do whatever we have to to make you stop.”

“What?” Jane started laughing. She turned to Sandi. “Were they always like this?” Sandi tried not to smile. Heidi shook her head.

“This is not a laughing matter,” said Tiffany. “What did they do to you, Sandi?”

“Tiffany dear, nobody did anything to me.” Sandi frowned slightly. “I find it more than a little offensive that you would imagine otherwise.”

“But you’re acting so--different!” said Stacy.

Brooke nodded. “You never would have hung out with people like this before.”

“No, I guess I wouldn’t have. I guess that’s why I quit. I got kind of tired of being the kind of person who treats people like dirt or whatever just because they’re different.”

“Right!” said Jane. “Now she treats people like dirt because they deserve it!” Sandi started laughing, which made her protest of “That’s not nice!” less than convincing.

“How can you turn your back on your friends this way?” Quinn was practically shrieking.

Sandi glared at her. “I don’t believe I was the one who didn’t have the courtesy to call my best friend to let her know that the Fashion Club had acquired a new member. And I don’t believe I was the one who took over my best friend’s desk without even mentioning it to her!” Sandi was almost hyperventilating. “All it would have taken was a simple phone call!”

Quinn was too stunned to make her usual excuses. Stacy had been right to suggest that they keep Sandi in the loop, and Quinn had overruled her--why? Because I’m President, and I don’t want to share!  She thought of Daria’s story, the one she had to read in secret because Daria had flatly refused to let her see it, the one where Daria had her saying to Jake “Oh daddy, I was a stuck-up little nightmare.” For the first time, she realized why Daria saw her that way. “I’m sorry, Sandi.” It was all she could say. She started crying; she was sorry.

Sandi came up and embraced her. “Thank you,” she said quietly. For a long moment no one said a word. Finally Quinn pulled back and said “I’m sorry we bothered you. I guess we should go.”

“Hey.” Sandi looked Quinn in the eyes, and then turned to the other Club members. “I really don’t want to stop being friends with all of you guys just because I happen to have made some new friends. I mean, maybe you think I’m like too weird now”-- They disavowed such a notion--“so maybe we could go out and go clothes shopping or something sometimes?”

There was general assent to this proposition. “Is it all right if I like call you?” said Sandi. It was all right.

“Well, we really do have to go,” said Quinn, who was still uncomfortable about being in Jane’s house, with Jane standing there watching them. “You know, Fashion Club business.”

“Oh, yes, that reminds me,” said Sandi. “There was one other thing. Heidi advised me that several months ago, when I was temporarily…indisposed, someone offered her the chance to become a member of the Fashion Club, only to cruelly turn her down later because of her footwear. I hope that’s not true.”

Quinn turned to Stacy. “You told me you were considering her, but you didn’t tell me you already told her she could join!”

“I didn’t tell her that! I--“ Stacy and Quinn turned and looked at Tiffany simultaneously.

“What?” Tiffany looked at Heidi. “Oh yeah. I wasn’t supposed to do that, was I?”

Everyone looked at her expectantly.

“What? Oh. Um…sorry.”

“Thank you,” said Heidi. She looked at Sandi and smiled.

“Anything else?” said Quinn.

“That’s all I can think of for the moment. I’ll see you all later,” said Sandi.

As the Club members headed out, Stacy turned back and looked at Jane. “Tell your brother I think he’s cute!” She grinned.

After the door closed they could still hear Quinn berating her. Jane shook her head. “I can’t wait to see the look on Trent’s face when I tell him that! She’s nervier than I remember.”

Sandi nodded. “It must be from hanging around Upchuck so much.”

“What?”

“Did you miss his big magic act? She’s like his magical assistant or whatever.” Sandi looked archly at Jane. “And possibly more than that.”

“You’re kidding!” Jane was laughing. “Stacy and Upchuck? I have to start paying more attention to the rumor mill.”

Heidi looked at them in consternation. “This is the red-haired boy who growls all the time?” She shuddered. “He is horrible!”

“I think I can safely say we’re all in agreement there,” said Jane. “So, you want to look at the rest of the drawings?”

Sandi walked into her house to find her mother waiting for her, wearing an expression even more sour than usual. “Hello. I hope this rumor I heard about you quitting the Fashion Club isn’t true.”

“It’s true, mother.”

“Why are you doing this? I understand why you did it when you were fat. You fixed that. What’s your problem now?”

“There is no problem. I happened to find out that a certain redheaded friend of mine is applying to a reasonably prestigious college. Naturally I thought it would be appropriate if I applied to a more prestigious college. Naturally I’m not going to have time to qualify for such a school and run the Fashion Club simultaneously.”

“And this redheaded friend of yours is taking over your duties as President?”

“Precisely. I imagine that she’s going to be very busy over the next year or so.”

“I see. Very crafty.”

“Thank you.”

Recounting the conversation to Jane, Sandi found herself increasingly troubled. “I just don’t think I could have told her the real truth, but…”

“She would have really freaked out, huh?”

“That’s a very severe understatement.” Sandi studied the pattern on the rug for a minute and then looked at Jane again. “I don’t really care that I lied to her, but I kind of feel like…it wasn’t fair to you.”

Jane stopped painting. “Huh?”

“I guess I feel like I didn’t stick up for you, and I should have. I mean, it’s like I’m ashamed to be your friend, or something.” With great difficulty, Sandi restrained herself from crying.

“Hey. You didn’t try to hide me from the Fashion Club, did you? Lots of people know we’re friends. Don’t beat yourself up because you have a hard time talking to your mother. I mean, this is Linda Griffin we’re talking about.”

“She is kind of a difficult person to deal with. It’s kind of awful. I mean, she’s a lot like me.”

“I’d put that the other way round. She was here first, wasn’t she?”

Sandi nodded. “I guess this is an awful thing to say, but…I kind of think that I inherited that from her. I’m not sure if I can really change.”

Jane shook her head. “I think you’ve changed. It looks to me like you don’t really take after your mother too much.”

“Do you really think so?”

Jane looked at her wryly. “Haven’t you known me long enough to know that I don’t lie to spare people’s feelings? Even when I ought to? Of course I really think so.” She set down her brush and turned to face Sandi. “Your mother’s tried to make you into a copy of her, but I don’t think that’s who you are. Come on! Think I’d be able to put up with you if you really were like that?”

Sandi got up from the chair, came over to Jane and embraced her.

Jane looked at her in astonishment. “Whoa! What did I say?” Sandi neither spoke nor released her grasp. Jane sighed. “Oh, hell. I suppose I had to show my warm side some time.” She put her arms around Sandi.

“Who’s Edward Hopper?” said Sandi.

Jane looked at her curiously. “A talented 20th-Century American artist. Why?”

“There’s a big show of his…” Sandi tried to come up with the right word. “…work?” Jane nodded. “at the Lawndale Art Museum. I thought maybe we could go see it or something.”

“I might be up for that. What’s it cost to get in there these days?”

“It won’t cost us anything. We can use my mother’s membership to get in for free.”

“All right! I knew she must be good for something.” Jane looked at her shrewdly. “So you’re taking up art now?”

Sandi smiled. “Well, if I’m not going to be a fashion commentator, I have to find something else to do with my life. I thought maybe I’d learn how to be one of those people who writes art reviews and stuff.”

“And give me glowing reviews?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’m a hundred percent in favor.”

Jane turned around in the gallery and looked at Heidi. “Hey, where’s Sandi?”

“I thought she was right behind us.” Heidi looked around. “She must have stopped. Come on, she can’t be so far.” They retraced their steps and found Sandi two rooms away, gazing at a painting of a man standing at the pump of an old-fashioned gas station.

“Hey,” said Jane. “You like that one, huh?”

“It’s…really beautiful,” said Sandi. “The color is just…and the way he makes the light come out of the door and the windows…” She shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Do you mind if I just stay here a little longer?”

“Hey, take your time! There’s nothing wrong with studying a great painting.”

Heidi nodded. “Art is good, yes.”

“Thanks.” Sandi returned to the work. Jane tried to remember the first painting that had held her in its spell like that.

“Jane?” She turned at the sound of a familiar voice. Tom Sloane was walking toward her. “Hi!”

“Hey! What brings you here? Aren’t you afraid you’ll bump into your mother?  I thought you kept far away from places like this.”

He nodded. “I try to. Daria really wanted to see this show. She’s a few galleries back, criticizing the signage.” He looked at Heidi. “Is this one of your seldom-seen sisters?”

Jane laughed. “I wish! This is Sandi’s friend Heidi. Heidi, this is my ex-boyfriend Tom.” Heidi cautiously shook hands with him.

“Pleased to meet you.” Tom turned back to Jane. “Who’s Sandi?”

“I forgot you haven’t met Sandi! That’s her, staring at ‘Gas.’” Sandi turned and looked at them. “Hey!” said Jane. “This is the famous Tom you’ve heard so much about.”

“Hi,” said Tom, holding out his hand. He looked at her closely, trying to figure out why she looked so familiar. His eyes widened in disbelief as he remembered Quinn and her three friends rubbing blush on each other’s faces and making animal noises like some sort of prehistoric cultists. He looked at Jane and then back at Sandi. “So…you’re friends with Jane?” Jane and Sandi nodded. “But you’re part of the Fashion Society, aren’t you?”

“Club,” said Sandi. “But I resigned.” She looked at him closely and started to laugh. “I remember you! You’re the one who walked in during the blush finals!” She turned to Jane. “I never saw anyone look that scared before in my life.”

“Hey.” Daria had joined them.

“Hey, Daria!” said Jane. “We’re just sharing embarrassing stories about your boyfriend. Have you met Heidi? Heidi, this is Daria.”

Heidi looked at Daria, at Tom, and then at Jane. “She is your friend…and he is her boyfriend…and he was your boyfriend?” Jane nodded. Heidi turned to Sandi and said “They’re all as crazy as you are!”

“Of course,” said Sandi. “I hope you don’t think I was crazy before I knew them.”

“Don’t you have a date tonight?” said Linda.

“No.” Sandi picked at her food. Why did Jane and Heidi both have to be out of town at the same time?

Linda frowned at her. “That’s not like you, Sandi. Is there something going on that I should know about?”

“I don’t believe there’s a law or anything that says I have to go out on a date every single night of my life, mother! Is it all right if sometimes I just want to have dinner with my family or something?”

Linda scowled but could think of no adequate rejoinder. Tom Griffin looked at his daughter. “That’s an interesting picture you have up in your room.”

She turned to him and smiled. “Thanks! It’s an Edward Hopper picture. I really like it.”

“Is that that gas station thing?” said Linda. “I don’t know why you’d want to have such a depressing picture. Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Mother! I don’t think that picture is depressing. I think it’s beautiful.”

Linda’s frown deepened. “When did you start collecting art, anyway? You’ve never been interested in it before.”

Sandi thought very carefully about her response. “I’ve always been interested in attractive things. Lately I’ve started to expand my horizons to include attractive works of art. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

“I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it. But it’s expensive, isn’t it? And you already spend so much money on other things.”

“It’s just a print, mother! And for your information, I didn’t spend a single penny on it.”

“No?” Linda’s eyes narrowed. “Then where did you get it?”

“It was a present,” said Sandi, “from a friend.”
 

Note: Daria and its characters and settings were created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn. Daria and all related characters are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of  Viacom International Inc.  This story was written for non-commercial purposes and is not to be reproduced without express permission of Corvus Marinus, who may be reached at corvus-marinus@home.com.  Thanks to MMan37x for helpful advice regarding dialogue.