'It's still firing too high,' Bertha observed. 'I think I need to adjust the rear sight.'
'I must say,' Norma said, 'I've not seen a stapler with sights before.'
'I suppose not, 'Bertha replied. 'I had to make them myself. Could you just put the safety back on for me?'
Norma helpfully pressed a little lever. 'Nor a safety catch,' she added.
'Seemed best to have one,' Bertha replied.
'And isn't it traditional that the staples fire downward rather than out the front?' Norma asked.
'Could be,' Bertha mooed, 'but that wasn't going to work for me.'
Norma drew in a heavy breath. 'You don't think you're over reacting?' she asked.
'He started it!' Bertha replied.
'Still,' Norma said.
'Still,' Bertha replied, '...he started it!'
'But does that have to mean?'
'Yes!'
'Couldn't you?'
'No!'
'But what if?'
'I'll live with it.'
And, not for the first time in her life, Norma found herself with something of a moral dilemma.
'Won't you find it difficult?' she asked.
Bertha paused and looked at Norma. 'I have thought about that,' she conceded. 'And you're right, it won't be easy. But then it occurred to me that if I tie him to a tree first he won't be able to move around so much.'
'Not,' Norma replied, 'what I meant!'
A rare and wide smile appeared on Bertha's face.
'I know! Now, I think we can move on to level two testing.'
'Which is?' Norma asked.
'Use of a proper target.' Bertha replied.
And Norma couldn't help wondering what that could possibly be.
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