"It's been some time. I'll be thirty soon enough. Father never knew how to manage without you. I was strong, though. I'll be married soon, mother. I found your notes in the trunk in the attic, with some of our family's old things, and I knew I needed to impress Faye. She wanted to see that I had ambition, and I showed her. We have thousands of dolls out there- seven models, though you're unique."

She pauses the conversation to declare that one of the remaining patterns represents a question mark.

"(sad)(pride)(happy)Congratulations. I did not hide my notes well. (science) Do the dolls not all wish to die, then?"

"I usually send them out without talking to them much myself, just enough to explain their situation. I've only spoken in-depth with you and Jasper."

"It could be valuable to check, not everyone would think of or understand a code. (curious)The doll I raised was named Jasper. Who is this one?"

"The same one. I thought it would be the proof-of-concept, in case only certain dead could be raised, I thought I might as well use one that had been successful."

"I did not include a warning in my notes when I hid them. It should work on any dead person, does it? Have there been any cases of the material from the possessions of the dead not having enough material to bring them back?"

"No problems so far. The wealthy and the melancholy want their dead back, and it seems to work just fine as long as the remains aren't mixed with anything else human. Plant and mineral matter doesn't pose the slightest risk, and fragments are fine."

"Good. Has any progress been made on speech? I thought dolls would speak."

"We can include improved features in the next model. Allowing them to speak proved harder than I anticipated."

"With a copy of the design you are using, I should be able to modify it to let them speak, or at least write."

"If I had half the scientific mind you did- I did my best to replicate your results, but I know where my strengths lie. The business is flourishing, but letting them speak will certainly be a nice extra. I'll have it brought to you in a moment."

She nods, but does not say anything.

He lapses into silence, twiddling his thumbs.

And in a moment, in comes the design. The woman holding it places it on the table. 

"Annabelle? I hope our Edgar introduced me. He can be so forgetful sometimes."

"(yes) Hello. Are you his fiance Fay(happy)?"

Edgar translates this for her. What a helpful young man.

"I am his fiancée, and we're very happy. Can I do anything for you?"

She leans to look at the plans, stopping just before she would overbalance and fall.

"(happy)(pride). (science) will study plans and think about how to let dolls speak. Later may need help with experiments or books, now nothing."

"Faye and I will return later, then. Enjoy, mother."

"(yes) (love)"

The plans for the inner components of the dolls are almost exactly as she remembers them, but the bodies have changed, and the connections to it may have as well.

There have been a few changes.

Here, there are somewhat fewer components concentrated, to adjust the weight of that area, and here, they are distributed differently to promote flexibility...

That explains why she can move more easily than Jasper seemed to.

She thinks of experiments to try for different designs to allow a doll to press letters onto a page instead of controlling a radio until she is interrupted.

He doesn't interrupt her. She'll come up with something brilliant, and their business will be more successful than ever.

Instead, he talks to his wife.

"Thank you for comporting yourself so well, Faye. I'm glad you're learning to be comfortable here." 

"It's a very beautiful prison, Edgar. I'm glad I met your mother. May I go?"

"I had hoped we were past this. You've always been such an old soul. Wise beyond your years."

"You always were fond of pedestals. For your mother, for me, for yourself...I think I'm going to retire to my room."

And she does.