"Is this a successful trout run? Well, you tell me!" The man grabbed the nearest fishing line and pulled it out of the water, revealing an enormous fish on the hook. The invisible audience murmured with delight and clapped lightly.
The pond was in one corner of a field edged on three sides by trees. It was a peaceful plot of land, complete with a small farm house. The pond itself was barely 6 feet across and 4 feet deep and had crystal clear water. There was a small dock on one side of the rectangular pond and several people stood holding lines, fishing peacefully. On the opposite side of the dock there was an underwater tunnel. Jack saw that there was a gentle current flowing into the pipe, which he took as evidence that the pond was merely surface access to an underwater stream.
One of the fishing women turned to Jack and said, "Now, this guy can show you how to start a successful business." The man she indicated smiled at Jack. He was stout and friendly looking.
"I'm a gnomic," the man declared.
Jack was momentarily confused before he was able to unravel the sentence. He wasn't used to people saying the word "gnomic" aloud. "Ah, a gnomic," said Jack. "Like Obi-Wan."
"Yup," said the man happily.
Jack began digging around the edges of the pond, expanding its size. The man joined him as he explained about his business. After a while, Jack realized he might have dug up too much soil.
"Um, I can un-dig this, if you want," said Jack in apology. The man seemed unconcerned.
