three · iii · 3

three is the first shape. two points hold a line; three points hold a room. before three there is no inside.

three appears in the ritual by accident and then by habit: light the candle, set the cup, wait. the chime in the corridor sounds in threes around the hour you cannot place. groups of three organise the calendar nobody keeps.

odd numbers refuse to split. three of anything will always contain a leftover — a witness, a referee, a survivor. see also: two · four · marginalia.