A dream:

On the occasion of a wedding anniversary, an insanely rich father-in-law buys ‘for’ his son’s wife an insanely expensive gift. It is trailed in the media as a puzzle box. Deceptively simple, each twist puts five jewels in a different configuration, each time giving a ‘significant’ ‘symbol’ or ‘meaning’. The designer appears on talk-shows demonstrating it.

The night before a huge, exclusive gala to present the gift (I am not invited to the gala), it is revealed on TV that ‘solving’ the puzzle reveals five rings, each with a diamond. The first has two faces, then 10, 25, 50 and ∞. This last is so valuable that, at the gala, groups bid for the right to present it in a manner of their choosing. Artists, lawyers, Girl Guides &c submit sealed bids and presentations to the jury – which ostensibly includes the wife but the real power is the mother-in-law.

There is controversy when the lawyers accuse the South Sea islanders of using more than their allotted word count in the presentation (something to do with the alphabet and each islander having two letters so some must have spoken more than their allowance of x words per person). Accusations fly.

I am asked to the party to adjudicate (!) and find no evidence of foul play but do find that the mother-in-law favours presenting the diamond in various contexts: first, featured in a cello that plays a series of concerts; then, in a soufflé (somehow), which she is particularly looking forward to.

[At around this point, I woke up.]

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Other points from the dream:

• The diamond was to feature in an episode of The Simpsons
• I had met the wife as preparations for the party were in progress – she thought I had been invited
• I thank the father-in-law for the opportunity to join the party – he seems unaware that I was not originally invited
• Dirty coffee cups were an important clue in refuting claims of foul play