I had a dream the other night….
And I saw Christian riding in a train. His good friend Atheos was riding with him. They were leaving the city of Destruction (which was the capital of the country that share its name) and going to the country of Annihilation.
While they were passing the time in chitchat and observing the pleasant scenery outside their window, Christian spied some white rocks that, against a green lawn, rested together in such a way as that they seemed to form lines arranged in the shape of letters:
WELCOME TO
ANNIHILATION
“Well, this is new!” quoth Christian.
“Yes, indeed,” agreed Atheos. “Those rocks had not fallen there the last time we took this trip. I wonder if they fell off some train or cart, or if they are the fragments of some bright falling star that burned the sky. Mayhap they were pushed up from the ground by subterranean forces.”
Christian marveled greatly at this. He gestured back at the rocks, which now disappeared as they speedily continued hurtling on their way. “What do you mean? How can you wonder at all. Those rocks were placed there for the very purpose, plainly, of welcoming passengers like us to the great nation of Annihilation.”
Atheos laughed cheerfully. “Ah my friend,” he replied, “Once again you insist on a complicated explanation for simple things that require no such artifice. I saw no evidence of any grand designer laying out those rocks in a purposeful pattern for our benefit.”
And in my dream, Christian and Atheos conversed in earnestness about the white rocks on the green lawn and whether it as more reasonable to consider them the product of chance or to hold as plainly evident that they were arranged by some intelligence for a purpose. They disourse for quite some time, yet in my dream time sped up too fast for me to listen, and when time slowed to its natural pace, and audibility returned, they had evidently decided to cease their vain efforts, and turn their conversation, if not their minds, to more peaceful paths.
“Well,” said Christian, “in a valiant effort to change the subject, “when do you think we will cross the border and enter into Annihilation? Are we still in Destruction, or are have we left the territory of our homeland yet?”
Atheos started in surprise, and then laughed. “Surely you jest, Christian. You know when we crossed over to Annihilation as well as I do. Has that not been our point of controversy this last half hour? There can be no doubt in your mind, as there is none in mine, but that we traversed the border between the two realms a score of minutes and half again ago.”
Christian’s faced showed him utterly bewildered. “What mean ye, fair Atheos? How do you know that we have crossed?”
“Prithee stop pretending,” said Atheos, “Else I will die laughing.”
“Humor me or take me with utter seriousness,” replied Christian, “but tell me how you know.”
“To state the obvious, then,” said Atheos, “we both saw the rocks–the self-same rocks we have been arguing about. The told us we were entering Annihilation and were welcome to it. Did you not have eyes? Can you not read? The words from the pattern of the rocks were clear and unmistakable. How can you pretend us ignorant, that we have entered that great nation?”