Background
Filed history
The Complaint Box entered Bureau inventory without a purchase order, maker’s mark, or delivery record. One morning it was simply waiting beside intake with three signed complaints inside and a clerk’s glove between its teeth.
Its black lacquer shell contains more space than its dimensions permit. Submitted complaints are sorted by urgency, sincerity, and flavor. False statements trigger the truth bell. Repetitive complaints are returned damp. Attempts to open the rear panel have resulted in reassignment.
Bramble is its official keeper, which means he oils its hinges, disputes its classifications, and pretends not to save the better paper scraps for it. The Box bites Nelly’s boots more often than anyone else’s. Whether this indicates hostility, affection, or professional confidence remains unclassified.