THE SPOILERS YET TO BE SPOILERS
WHEN IS THE NEXT CHAPTER?
GAAFATAA — THE QUESTIONER
A reader raised his hand.
"I have a simple question."
I looked at him.
"Is there such a thing?"
He sighed.
"When is the next chapter of SAFSAN STORY coming?"
...
Another reader immediately raised her hand.
"Yes."
Another.
"Finally."
Another.
"No Origin."
Another.
"No Reality Door."
Another.
"No Pen."
Another.
"No ?????."
Someone from the back shouted:
"JUST GIVE US A DATE."
...
I looked around the room.
"Why?"
The first reader stared at me.
"Because we want to read it."
"Is that the only reason?"
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"...Yes."
I waited.
He sighed.
"Okay, fine.
We want to know what happens in BAAČ."
...
Another reader raised his hand.
"What happens after Safsan enters the mist?"
...
Another.
"What is waiting for him?"
...
Another.
"Why is the Continent of Burden so peaceful?"
...
Another.
"What happened while Safsan was unconscious?"
...
Another.
"What happens next?"
...
I looked around.
"So your question isn't really when?"
They all shouted:
"YES IT IS."
...
Fair.
A writer raised her hand.
"Just answer them."
I looked at her.
"Why should I?"
"Because not every question needs to become a mystery."
...
I paused.
Good.
She continued.
"Sometimes readers ask a simple question because they want a simple answer."
"What happens if I turn everything into a puzzle?"
"They'll get tired."
"What happens if I never answer anything?"
"They'll stop trusting the questions."
"What happens if I answer this one?"
She smiled.
"They'll know when to come back."
...
I looked at the readers.
They waited.
"So..."
I said.
"When is the next chapter?"
"YES."
...
I thought for a moment.
Then asked:
"If you knew that seven days would not pass
before SAFSAN STORY returned...
would you still call the wait long?"
...
Silence.
A reader frowned.
"Wait."
Another looked at him.
"What?"
...
The first reader started counting.
...
Then looked at me.
"Did you just answer us?"
I asked:
"Did I?"
...
Another reader stood.
"You said seven days wouldn't pass."
"Did I?"
"YES."
"And what did I ask?"
He repeated it slowly.
"If we knew that seven days would not pass
before Safsan Story returned..."
...
His eyes widened.
Another reader understood.
"Next week."
...
I looked at her.
"Is that your answer?"
She smiled.
"That's YOUR answer."
"Was it?"
...
The room erupted.
"HE ACTUALLY TOLD US."
"NEXT WEEK."
"THAT WASN'T EVEN A QUESTION."
"IT LITERALLY WAS."
...
A writer started laughing.
"That's horrible."
I looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because the answer was inside the question."
...
The room went quiet again.
I asked:
"Where have you heard that idea before?"
...
Nobody laughed this time.
THE ANSWER BEFORE THE QUESTION.
...
A reader pointed at me.
"No."
...
I said nothing.
"You did not just turn the release date
into a Spoiler Yet to Be a Spoiler."
I asked:
"When did I give you a release date?"
...
"You didn't."
"Then what do you know?"
...
He smiled.
"The next chapter of SAFSAN STORY
is coming next week."
I tilted my head.
"Is it?"
"YOU JUST—"
...
Scratch.
...
Everyone froze.
The Pen.
One sound.
Then another.
Scratch.
...
Words appeared.
SAFSAN STORY
NEXT CHAPTER
?????
And beneath them...
one final question.
IF THE ANSWER IS NEXT WEEK...
WHY ARE YOU STILL ASKING WHEN?
...
Silence.
Then chaos.
"THERE."
"THAT'S LITERALLY THE ANSWER."
"THE PEN SAID IT."
"NEXT WEEK."
...
I looked toward the words.
Then back at them.
"You wanted to know when."
...
"You asked THE QUESTIONER for an answer."
...
"So you received one
in the only form you should have expected."
...
A question.
...
The exact day?
?????
The exact time?
?????
What happens in the chapter?
?????
What waits beyond the mist?
?????
But when does SAFSAN STORY continue?
...
Do you really need me
to answer a question
that already contains
NEXT WEEK?
...
THE ANSWER WAS NEVER HIDDEN.
THE QUESTION WAS.
...
See you...
...
Actually.
Why should I say it?
You already know when.
— GAAFATAA
THE QUESTIONER