Paradox and Tempest Grim pulled up to the ocean side property in an old flatbed that had served Grim Gardens Greenhouse for nigh on half a century. "Not as creepy as I thought it'd be," remarked the younger of the two.

"Creepy?" asked Tempest, cutting off the engine. "What made ya think it'd be creepy?"

The pair of them slid out of the cab of the truck and stood admiring the wide spacious windows and towering walls. A wrap around balcony spiraled around the second floor from what Paradox guessed was the master bedroom. She checked the service order with a moue of her lips. "The fact it says here the door's unlocked. Who keeps their doors unlocked in this town?"

Tempest scoffed, wandering back to the end of the trailer to let down the tailgate. He didn't share the same paranoia his little sister did. "It's out in the middle of nowhere, Para. Who's gonna break into a joint like this way out here?" He slid out the ramp.

"I don't like it," said Paradox. She stuffed the work order in her overalls and walked down to the end of the ramp to start helping her brother unload.

"What's not to like, sis? Really. This place can't be all that suspicious as you think. I mean... Look at our work order."

Paradox Grim looked at the load in the back of the truck. Maybe that's what she didn't like about the whole thing. Who lives out in the middle of nowhere, by the ocean, and orders eight sapling potted dogwood trees? One of which was decidedly different from the other seven. The oddest part about the order was: "Who names trees stuff like..." She checked one of the tags. "...Wrath. Really. Who names trees after the seven deadly sins?"

"All right," Tempest said. "I'll give you that. It is a little weird. But this is Rhy'Din. What isn't weird in this town?"

"I just don't like it," persisted Paradox.

Tempest had nothing further to say on the matter. He just wanted to get this job done and get back to the Greenhouse. There were other orders to fill and deliver today. There was no point worrying over something as silly as naming seven dogwood trees after the seven deadly sins. Maybe these people just had a sick sense of humor.

Just as the work order stated, they found the front door unlocked. Tempest let out a low whistle of awe when they pulled the first dolly loaded with a tree inside. It was a spacious house, that was for sure. Nothing seemed too particularly suspicious about it, though. Except perhaps that fat cat that watched them as if they were doing something incredibly, terribly wrong. Paradox charmed the cat with a few soothing words and cooing terms of endearment, so the animal left them well enough alone while they set up.

As per their instructions, the siblings moved the furniture to the sides of the living room and arranged seven of the eight dogwood saplings in a circle in the center of the room. Each sapling was in a large pot that was still a bit too large to move by hand, but small enough to fit in the living room fairly easily. With a ceiling that high, one of these trees would take a few years to grow big enough to fill the room.

Each sapling had a tag tied loosely around one of its little branches: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth. That being the major part about this delivery that Paradox thought was so weird and unnerving.

Once they had all seven of the saplings arranged in their circle, they moved Pride out of the way a moment and went back for the eigth package. "This is the one that doesn't make any sense at all," remarked Paradox.

"Why's that?" asked Tempest, loading the heavier parcel up onto the dolly.

"Well, there's those ones inside that're gonna grow and have to be moved out once the weather warms up. Planted. Gosh I hope they plant them, whoever they are. But this one? What does it mean?"

The last tree, number eight, was like the others a dogwood tree. A bit larger than the other seven, but still a sapling in comparison. However, this particular potted plant had been preserved, forever petrified in bronze. Normally, nature lovers like the family business of Grim Gardens would have frowned upon such a display, but the client had paid so generously for it that even a company of elves and half-elves wasn't going to argue. The engraving on this work of art read: Tohias.

"I don't get paid to ask questions, sis," said Tempest. "I just get paid to drop off deliveries."

"That's 'cause you're the black sheep who was born without a green thumb."

Tempest frowned at his sister but didn't say anything further. Together, the two of them carted the bronzed dogwood into the center of the living circle and then slid Pride back into its place. "Well, that takes care of that," said the brother, dusting off his hands. "Onto the next job."

Paradox stood back a moment longer to admire, or puzzle over, their handiwork. "I just don't get some people," she said, shaking her head.

"I stopped trying to figure people out in this town ages ago, sis. C'mon. Let's get going."

Sighing, the sister turned and took a step. "Oh! Wait. Almost forgot this bit." Paradox Grim took an envelope out of her overalls, slid between the circle of living saplings, and propped the card up against the base of the bronzed tree. "Okay done. Let's go."

Leaving the house the way they had found it, with the exception of the rearrangements they had been paid to make, Paradox and Tempest Grin walked out the front and didn't bother locking the door. Getting back into the truck, after sliding up the ramp and closing up the tailgate, they drove away without any further thoughts on the matter. Tempest was right, they had other orders to fill, and it really wasn't worth the trouble wondering over.