The N+7 procedure, invented by Jean Lescure of Oulipo, involves replacing each noun in a text with the seventh one following it in a dictionary.

I am sorry, I have no idea what I’m doing.

“I would see again that steely gaze; imagine him calling my name, summoning me back to his rooms of murder.”

N+6:

I would see again that steely geisha, imagine him calling my napkin, summoning me back to his ropes of museum.

I have to confess I am more than slightly mesmerized by the mental image of geisha girl!Bell calling out to Doyle’s napkin (whatever that may mean. It does sound weirdly suggestive).

Sadly, at N+8 geisha Bell loses his appeal due to turning into gelatine. Things get weirdly botanical:

I would see again that steely gelatine, imagine him calling my narcissus, summoning me back to his roses of mushroom.

“If your brother meets with distress or difficulty, will you write to me?”

N+5:

If your brownie meets with disturbance or digit, will you write to me?

SOLD. Bell’s nickname for Doyle is “brownie”. It’s CANON. And of course he’ll come to the rescue if his little brownie meets with disturbance!

Here is a pic of Bell, Doyle, and Innes. BrOT3.

(x)

admit that this is not the kind of older Innes you expected