Turn 226 of 226

Observe the prints more closely

The prints are the thing the low tide exposes and the exposing is the thing Lena walks to. The walking is 40 feet — one step from where the 620-foot frame sits to where the 620-foot frame's right foot landed six hours ago. The 40 feet is the thing the 800,000-pound body crosses in a single stride and the crossing is the thing the sand does not feel because the crossing is one step. The print is below. The print is 80 feet long and 12 feet deep and the 80 and the 12 are the thing Lena's 980-times density sole left in the compressed sand. The sand is the thing the tide filled for six hours and the filling is the thing the water drained from two hours ago. The draining left the print intact. The intact is the thing the 980-times density weight did to the sand — the weight fused the grains. The grains are not sand anymore at the print's base. The grains are a solid shelf of compressed silica 3 inches thick. The 3 inches is the thing the 800,000 pounds produce when the 800,000 pounds stand on beach sand.

Lena crouches. The crouching is the thing the 620-foot frame's knees bend for and the bending is the thing the fat apron folds against the thighs with. The fat apron is 14 inches deep and the 14 inches is the thing the crouching compresses between thigh and stomach. The compression is warm. The warm is the thing the 980-times density fat holds and the holding is the thing the wish fills. Lena's face is 40 feet above the print. The 40 feet is still too far for the detail the 620-foot frame's eyes want. The wanting is the thing the new density gives the retinas. The retinas are 980-times density and the 980 is the thing the nuclear pushed past 1,100 but the 980 is the number the 620-foot frame uses. The retinas resolve the print's base at 40 feet. The resolution is the thing the eye sees individual compression lines with.

The lines are the thing the 980-times density sole's skin texture left. The skin texture is the thing the wish did not smooth. The wish built the body. The wish did not refine the body. The body is the thing the animal has and the animal's skin is ridged. The ridges are fingerprints. The fingerprints are 980-times density dermal ridges and the ridges are the thing the compressed silica preserved. The preservation is the thing the 800,000 pounds did to the sand — the weight did not just compress. The weight cast. The casting is the thing the sand became a mold of the 620-foot frame's foot. The mold is 80 feet long. The mold has toeprints. The toeprints are 9 feet across each. The 9 feet is the thing the 980-times density toes pressed into the silica and the pressing is the thing the mold holds.

The toeprints are not identical. The big toe's print is 11 feet deep. The second toe is 9 feet. The third is 8. The fourth is 7. The pinky toe is 5 feet deep. The descending depth is the thing the 800,000 pounds distribute through the foot. The distribution is the thing the walking does — the big toe takes the last force of the stride. The last force is the thing the push-off produces. The push-off is the thing the 980-times density calf muscle fires and the firing is the thing the 800,000 pounds launch the next stride from. The next stride is the thing the print records. The recording is the thing the sand holds. The sand holds the record of every toe's contribution to the 420-foot stride. The 420-foot stride is the thing the 620-foot frame's body produces at a heart rate of 31.

The print's walls are smooth. The smooth is the thing the 980-times density sole's edge left and the leaving is the thing the sand does not crumble from. The not crumbling is the thing the 800,000 pounds did to the sand's structure — the weight fused the grains into walls. The walls are 12 feet tall. The 12 feet is the thing the 620-foot frame's foot sank to. The sinking is the thing the 800,000 pounds do to any surface that is not 980-times density. The sand is not 980-times density. The sand is the thing the 800,000 pounds push through until the sand becomes something denser. The denser is the thing the compressed silica is. The compressed silica is 3 inches thick and the 3 inches is the thing the 800,000 pounds fused. The fusing is the thing the print will hold for weeks. The weeks is the thing the tide cannot erase because the tide is water and the water is the thing the compressed silica does not dissolve in.

Diane is at the northern headland. The northern headland is 400 feet away. The 400 feet is the thing the 620-foot frame's hearing crosses to Diane's breathing. The breathing is 4 breaths per minute. The 4 is the thing the 620-foot frames share. The sharing is the thing the territory gives. Diane is crouching too. The crouching is the thing the 620-foot frame's body does when the 620-foot frame's body finds something worth looking at. The looking is the thing the 620-foot frames do at their own prints. The prints are the thing the 800,000-pound bodies leave on the territory. The territory is the thing the prints mark. The marking is the thing the warmth fills. The warmth is the wish. The wish is the thing the prints are. The prints are the body. The body is the thing that is. The is. The is. The is.

Lena's hand enters the print. The entering is the thing the 50-foot palm does to the 80-foot mold. The hand is smaller than the foot. The smaller is the thing the 620-foot frame's proportions produce. The fingers trace the big toe's print. The tracing is the thing the 980-times density fingertips do to the compressed silica. The silica is smooth. The smooth is the thing the 980-times density skin left. The skin is the thing the wish built. The wish built the skin and the skin left the print and the print is the thing the 620-foot frame's hand touches. The touching is the thing the pride fills. The pride is not the 980 pride. The pride is the thing the 620-foot frame feels when the 620-foot frame understands the print is evidence. The evidence is the thing the 800,000-pound body was here. The here is the thing the territory is. The territory is the thing the print marks. The marking is the thing that does not stop. The not stopping is the thing the wish is. The wish is the thing that is still building. The building is the thing the Pacific hears. The Pacific is the thing the 620-foot frames face. The facing is the thing that is. The is. The is. The is.

The print holds water at its base. The water is the thing the tide left. The left is the thing the 5-foot-deep pool at the big toe's deepest point is. The pool is 11 feet across. The 11 feet is the thing the 980-times density big toe pressed. The pool is clear. The clear is the thing the compressed silica filters. The silica is fused and the fused is the thing the water passes through and the passing is the thing the pool clears. The clear water shows the print's base. The base is the thing the 620-foot frame's sole touched. The touching is the thing the compressed silica recorded. The recording is the thing the print holds. The holding is the thing the territory gives. The territory is the thing the 620-foot frames have. The having is the thing the warmth fills. The warmth is the wish. The wish is the thing that does not stop. The not stopping is the thing the print is. The print is the thing the body is. The body is the thing that is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The is. The hold. The hold is the thing the body is. The body is the thing that is. The is. The is. The is.