Four Worlds

“Who’s next?”

“Me, sir.”

“Good. You have all the forms?”

“Yes. All complete.”

“Okay. Let me see… Right, so it is not a machine or…?”

“No, no. Just some written work to protect.”

“Okay, I see. May I ask about the application of your work?”

“I am not sure I understand.”

“I mean, how would the layman use the ideas in your papers?”

“This is for science…”

“I see. To benefit mankind.”

“I think that may be too much to say at the moment.”

“But it is for science?”

“Yes. My own theory.”

“A theory?”

“Yes, for now, it is my own idea. But if my ideas are correct, it may change the way we look at the world.”

“Interesting… Could you explain yourself a little more?”

“Imagine yourself travelling on a beam of light…”

“Travelling…on light.”

“A beam, yes. Now, if you are travelling on such a beam, what would you see?”

“Just light?”

“Ah, but nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.”

“You know the speed of light?”

“Scientists have discovered that the exact speed is…”

“Yes, I see, I see. Interesting. So, the beam of light…”

“Yes, now, what would you see?”

“I…cannot even imagine.”

“My work tries to explain how light behaves in relation to speed, time and observation.”

“The relationship of light to all those things…”

“Yes, that’s it.”

“Do they relate?”

“If there is light, there has to be time for it to travel and…”

“Yes, yes. I think I see. A very complicated idea, but I can understand you somewhat. So, light and time…”

“And also energy.”

“Energy?”

“The speed of light can tell us about energy.”

“Another relationship?”

“Yes. Energy comes from the speed of light multiplied by mass…”

“I see. Interesting… Well, we will process your work and wish you the best with it.”

“Thank you. I expect there will be some comment on this one day.”

“Well, I think you know your work. It should be saved and perhaps used. By the way, don’t you already work here?”

***

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Why was that man outside?”

“What man?”

“You know, that man who was outside and he had his hat out like this and kept shaking it.”

“Oh… that man. That man was homeless.”

“Oh, he has no place for him?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So…he can’t go anywhere?”

“That’s right.”

“Ah…but, mom, why?

“Well, some people don’t always have the money for a nice place.”

“But, he had some money.”

“In his hat, yes. But not enough for his own place, right?”

“I guess not.”

“Okay.”

“But, he must have friends, like I do?”

“Some have friends…but he was alone, remember?”

“Yes, he was just there. No one else.”

“Well, there may be some other people with him. There were other people there who were homeless.”

“There were?”

“Yeah… I saw some on the other side of the street.”

“I didn’t see them.”

“Yes. A woman had a plastic thing for change she was shaking and she kept pointing at it.”

“Another person.”

“Yup. There were two of them.”

“They wanted it for food?”

“Maybe, but I smelled him. It was like alcohol.”

“So she wanted money like him, too.”

“Yes. Now, where’s my purse?”

“You put it in the car.”

“And I took it out.”

“No, remember? You said I should get the groceries out and opened the back for me.”

“Oh, damn. That’s right. I’ll just get it.”

“Yeah, but…”

“But…?”

“They were there before, right?”

“I think so. I saw him before.”

“Maybe they’re friends.”

“Yes…now, let me get to the car.”

“Okay, yeah…”

“You sure it’s in there?”

“I saw you put it on the other seat.”

“Right.”

“And you didn’t give them any.”

“Money?”

“Yes. None.”

“Well, what would they do with it?”

“I dunno. Food?”

“Well, they smelled.”

“He smelled.”

“Yes. And I couldn’t cross the street then.”

“Why, mom?”

“Because we had to go.”

“Yeah…”

“And that money wouldn’t really help. I saw them before.”

“Him, you said.”

“Yes, him…I have to get the purse.”

“It’s in the car.”

“I know. Thanks.”

“Thanks, mom.”

***

“Do you still love me?”

“Oh, do you have to ask?”

“Please…”

“Well, no more than I have to.”

“What?”

“Well, you see, this marriage has gone on for a long time, right?”

“And, what?”

“And, well, it is now something much more comfortable than just love and romance.”

“Comfortable?”

“Yes, like an old blanket, you see.”

“So, you don’t love me?”

“No more than…”

“Yes, yes, yes… I heard.”

“Good.”

“And there is no one else?”

“No one else what?”

“No one else that you are interested in?”

“Dear… As I just explained, this is what is now comfortable for me.”

“But why is it…?”

“And why would I make myself uncomfortable?”

“A new blanket, yes?”

“Yes, I don’t want that. Oh, dear. The time.”

“And I am the one who you think you will come back to if you decide to get uncomfortable?”

“Too late for a stop… What are you talking about?”

“If you did cheat, you would still be back here…?”

“Did I not say that there is nothing going on?”

“Yes, you did.”

“And that this is what I want?”

“Comfortable…”

“Very silly… Oh, and I better get going with things…”

“Another late night?”

“Another office night. You know that.”

“Of course. Just the cliché of it that bothers me.”

“What cliché is that?”

“Oh, the one about the office and the husband working late when he actually has someone else on the side.”

“Ah… That I did not think about.”

“So, back later than usual.”

“Perhaps… Call me on my cell to check on me.”

“Oh, I will. So much that we should still be talking about.”

“Ah… Another cliché.”

“And take care.”

“Always do. Will you?”

“What else can I do?”

“I will be back soon.”

“You have to be now.”

“Dear…”

“Yes, yes, I know… So much on my mind tonight.”

“A difficult thing that you are making harder…”

“Okay, go.”

“I shall. In two hours.”

“Or more.”

“Good night.”

“Good...to you, too.”

***

“Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

“Oh, dear…”

“ Well, you are the infamous doctor, right?”

“Look, old chap… Can't we just keep quiet about this?”

“Keep quiet?”

“Yes, please. I just feel silly about all this and want to keep my name out of the papers.”

“But, Dr. Livingstone, you are in all the newspapers. Everyone talks about you.”

“Really? Good Lord…”

“ Of course. Why do you think I’m here? Every reader who cares to follow your story wants to know about your predicament, your whereabouts?”

“Ah, that would include people who know me, I suspect?”

“Well, yes. If those people can read, hear and understand the stories.”

“A pity, then.”

“But, how could that be so?”

“Well, the situation I am in at the moment makes it rather awkward for me to have this kind of attention.”

“Well, you don’t have to leave, you know. As long as we know where you are…”

“Yes, yes, I understand. But you traveled all this way for a reason. You must have done so for more than just a brief ‘Hello’.”

“Ah, yes. May I be honest? The newspapers have offered significant rewards for your discovery. I was simply the first to obtain such contact with you…”

“Yes, the first… Well, I should introduce you the tribesmen…”

“Right. Let’s do that. This is Lake Tanganyika, is it not?”

“ Yes, the Nile does not run from here, though. Ah, they are ready. Would you like to meet them now?”

“Oh, of course. Let me just make some notes…”

“In just one moment. You should really see this ceremony. You will be treated with special accommodations.”

“Interesting. This will interest readers… Oh, is that a pith helmet?”

“Yes, we have quite a collection now. Let’s see the ceremony.”

“An awful lot of them. Where are the owners?”

“I see that the fire’s ready.”

“A lot of them unattended to... Dr Livingstone?”

“You will really enjoy this.”