"Ah... that can be tricky. There's no central government, so 'ownership' of real estate mostly comes down to who can convince people that someplace is in fact theirs and then defend that claim. If there's no fences or signs or anything, you're probably fine? And if someone complains later, you can either try to argue their claim down or move on. Buildings are more easily identified as owned or not, but open spaces, people generally share those or fence them off. Just don't go wrecking the parklands, okay?"

It's all very complicated sometimes, for people who have to overcome certain ideas about ownership. But it's simple once the idea that wild places are for everyone is accepted.

"Thank you. I'm not sure what kind of animal he'd like," she admits, "but I know he prefers tactile things, so that's probably going to be what decides it for me. That and if it's a good fit for his office." She'll start with the smaller pieces; something that would fit on a desk would be ideal for Matt's very plain office.