by K. T. Chang

Once upon a time (some two and a half billion years ago) the Lord Governor of the Milky Way Galaxy was challenged by his eight year old son Tiny Tim to solve a riddle.

Allow me to take a moment to clarify the background setting of this story: after the Big Bang the speeding celestial masses gradually coalesced due to gravity forces into galaxies. But as the distances between these galaxies became measurable in billions of light years God decided that each galaxy should have its own Lord Governor to handle the affairs of the local congregation. My story then has to do with the local Lord in charge of our Milky Way Galaxy.

These Lord Governors reside in luxurious mansions built inside the black holes at the center of each galaxy. Unlike mortal humans, they do not age and die. Thus the Lord’s son Tiny Tim also never grows up. He is forever eight years old. Of course we know that – Charlie Brown and Calvin, they are boys forever.

One day the Lord gave his son a present; it was a bucket of cut diamonds. And he said onto him, These stones are hard and strong, they cannot be damaged or scratched; but they cannot resist fire, and you must not bring them near any fire.

But Tiny Tim had the natural curiosity of a little boy, and he placed the diamonds in a ceramic dish, and he built a fire underneath it. And behold! The diamonds caught fire and burned brightly for the longest time. And there remained only white ashes from the beautiful stones. ...

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