Recently, a story had been circulating among Gardeners like a ghost tale.
“What do you think of that story?”
“Which one?”
“The Garden shaped like a person.”
In truth, it was not merely a ghost tale. Of course, it was every bit as absurd and bizarre as one of the commonplace novels circulating throughout the world. Nevertheless, they knew the incident had actually occurred.
The man looked fed up.
“…Was it really true? No, it isn’t that I thought it was a lie, but….”
“Stories circulating among us are never entirely baseless rumors.”
“I did think as much, but the story was so preposterous that… Well, perhaps I did not think deeply about it because it did not feel real.”
“I believe I understand how you feel.”
The woman smiled faintly.
“A Garden that looks like a person….”
It was frightening.
“I don’t want to believe it either.”
“Then the other story must be true as well. I believe I heard that this Garden was visiting Gardeners and creating families for them… Is that correct?”
“From what I have heard from several people, that appears to be true too. Well, it has not happened in my Garden yet. Perhaps it never will.”
The woman shrugged.
“Apparently, not every Gardener is granted such a miracle.”
“I cannot even begin to imagine what rules govern that Garden….”
“There must be things one can sense only after seeing it in person.”
“Judging by the fact that the story is merely drifting around like a ghost tale, the being must be quite capricious.”
“There is still something the recipients have in common—the Gardeners who were given families.”
“And what is that?”
The woman answered the…