magisternihil's 100-word story for April 20, 2026

magisternihil wrote the following micro-story on Hectalex on April 20, 2026. Each story on Hectalex is inspired by a daily visual prompt and must be exactly 100 words.

“There goes Saltpeter on one of his bizarre contraptions again. I cannot conceive of a good reason why a man needs to propel his own transport, but he persists.” Lord Roundbottom chortled as he pointed to the man riding the penny farthing. “Good lord, I believe he is actually showing off,” answered Lester St. John Fester-Williams Mountbacon IV, called Jinky by his friends for some undocumented reason. “What on earth makes you think that?” demanded Roundbottom. “He’s riding it backwards, and on stairs!” exclaimed Jinky. Roundbottom snorted. “How can you even tell? For all we know, he’s riding it sideways.”

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