16.. The Tagger Explains

"But," I said, "What does it MEAN?"

"You won't EVER GET IT!" The young tagger-crab said to me with a suitably surly expression. "It simply means---ME!"

"You?" I asked, "Why you?"

"Look Pops--I told you, you'd never get it--and you won't! Just LEAVE IT, Pops!"

"But no-one knows who makes these signs--and they are not in any readable language--how can anyone know YOU are the one making them? Is is some kind of advertising?"

"ADvertising? Look Grampa! I don't WANT anybody to KNOW who does it--it's a MYSTERY, see? I'm like a phantom! I'm EVERYWHERE but NO-0ne knows WHO I AM! SCAREY, huh?"

"So you want to scare people?"

"Yeah, but that's only PART of it! I also want everybody to understand WHO rules this neighborhood! I DO!!"

"But nobody knows who you are..."

"You're not totally dim, Pops. But you'll never get it! You are just too OLD!"

"Oh." I replied. This young crab was right about one thing--we could not communicate at all.

...