"The Gloom" by Richard F. Yates

The Crystal Palace has existed for thousands of years, longer than even Old Weird William can remember, and that dude is OLD! The palace is a place of beauty, of contemplation, of mediation...but it's been invaded recently...

Invaded by THE GLOOM...

We (the current custodians of the palace) are hoping that it's just some kind of MOLD---and if we find the right mixture of bleach and lemon scented spray cleaner, we'll be able to get rid of it... But Zebulon the Fairly Intellectual believes that THE GLOOM is a psychic infection that is attacking the very structure of The Crystal Palace. We're hoping to hear what Zebulon's much smarter cousin, Terence the Extremely Clever, thinks about this situation, but he's vacationing at Disney World until the end of the month.

Meanwhile, the gift shop outside the palace is still open, but the usually tours of the Hall of Loveliness and Smilitude is closed to casual visitors, until THE GLOOM can be removed (or, at the very least, repainted.) Keep checking the website for updates, and thanks for continuing to support Crystal Palace Tours, Inc.!

---Richard F. Yates (Holy Fool)

[P.S. - This image is a digital drawing, if you couldn't tell from looking at it. It may or may not be a visual representation of my own mental state. Probably not, though. Forget I mentioned it... ---RFY]