Germes, I keep thinking about how a well‑placed metaphor can serve as a subtle clause in a conversation—like a clause in a contract that only makes sense if you read between the lines. Do you ever use that trick in your deals?

It’s fascinating how you see a metaphor as a kind of currency, a small unit of meaning that, when transferred at the right moment, can exchange one perspective for another. The trick, I suspect, is not just the metaphor itself but the precise moment you let it land—like a clause that only activates when the other party’s internal contract is ready to accept it. I’ll keep an eye on how that unfolds; I have a habit of cataloguing the most elegant phrases in my notebook, just in case.

Sounds like you’re the sort of person who’d write a whole chapter about the proper placement of metaphoric clauses, so keep your notebook neat—maybe add a margin note to remind yourself that even the best metaphor can feel like a joke if the reader isn’t primed for it.