The look he gave her now was so intense,
she wondered if her nose had multiplied.
She thought she really ought to take offense,
but Ciral said “Go on,” and she complied.
“Well, don’t you see? Our god created us,
while they invented theirs to fill a need.
The carriers with faith produced more, thus
their deity’s success was guaranteed.”
“I almost have it.” She could hear the strain
and see the signs of struggle in his face.
His lips were in a laugh; his eyes showed pain.
Of all emotions he’d at least a trace.
“I’ll twist your answer, Esther, so it fits
the question after which it would belong.
You cannot ask that question with your wits
kept weak by what they need to keep them strong.
You’ve inadvertently produced a gem.
You’ve written what you don’t know how to spell.
By telling how you’re different from them,
you’ve drawn a most important parallel.”
“I hope you aren’t attempting to impress
me with your little riddles,” said the girl.
“If so, I’m sure you won’t have much success
until you learn to talk without that curl.”
©2011 Louis A. Merrimac
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
In the Next Life, Canto III, stanzas 335-338
“They think we’re God!” he shouted. “Holy cow!
I’ve gone from punching bag to Heaven’s king!
There’s no way anyone can stop us now.
Let’s give those orders and start conquering!
“Hey, wait a minute: Did you not deny
these things have human ethics? Who’s this One?
Does not religion indicate a tie?
This daughter—is she like Jehovah’s son?”
“That’s blasphemy! If you persist, you’ll roast!
And even if your faith is not in Christ,
I’ll thank you to respect that of your host.
Your talk is rude, no matter how it’s sliced.
“Now here’s your answer: Yes, they have a god.
They made one up to help them standardize
their pattern of response. They need a prod
to reinforce good habits, you realize.”
©2011 Louis A. Merrimac
I’ve gone from punching bag to Heaven’s king!
There’s no way anyone can stop us now.
Let’s give those orders and start conquering!
“Hey, wait a minute: Did you not deny
these things have human ethics? Who’s this One?
Does not religion indicate a tie?
This daughter—is she like Jehovah’s son?”
“That’s blasphemy! If you persist, you’ll roast!
And even if your faith is not in Christ,
I’ll thank you to respect that of your host.
Your talk is rude, no matter how it’s sliced.
“Now here’s your answer: Yes, they have a god.
They made one up to help them standardize
their pattern of response. They need a prod
to reinforce good habits, you realize.”
©2011 Louis A. Merrimac
Friday, July 22, 2011
In the Next Life, Canto III, stanzas 331-334
“Your brutes are still behind us,” he observed,
“and signaling to others we’ll soon meet.
You see them up there where the road is curved?
Can you interpret them, but stay discrete?”
Desiring not to validate his fear,
but certain that their motives were benign,
she flipped a switch to make a screen appear
that showed their talk in alphabetic sign.
“One’s daughter, please acknowledge,” they both read,
their voices slow and quiet as in prayer.
Then he deferred to her, and Esther said,
“Give us instructions, that we may prepare.
“Though we be mortals, who when dead
stay dead, and you are risen, all aware,
we worship you and humbly think our stead
entitles us to some small data share.”
Esther said: Reading the translation of the communications from the other carriers.
©2011 Louis A. Merrimac
“and signaling to others we’ll soon meet.
You see them up there where the road is curved?
Can you interpret them, but stay discrete?”
Desiring not to validate his fear,
but certain that their motives were benign,
she flipped a switch to make a screen appear
that showed their talk in alphabetic sign.
“One’s daughter, please acknowledge,” they both read,
their voices slow and quiet as in prayer.
Then he deferred to her, and Esther said,
“Give us instructions, that we may prepare.
“Though we be mortals, who when dead
stay dead, and you are risen, all aware,
we worship you and humbly think our stead
entitles us to some small data share.”
Esther said: Reading the translation of the communications from the other carriers.
©2011 Louis A. Merrimac
Monday, July 18, 2011
In the Next Life, Canto III, stanzas 327-330
“My sister,” Ciral interjected, “chose
to be inactive over to be hurt.
From what you’ve said, an artificial rose
would smell the same as something grown in dirt.”
“Oh, yeah? Then fill your nostrils up with this:
Not all the carriers were self-inclined,
or not to the extent they’d be remiss
in making living space for humankind.
“And this is where the learning part comes in:
The parents brewed the tea the youngsters drank.
They’re of the group that thought it was a sin
to give self-interest a higher rank.
“There lies the difference: Their moral law
is ever-changing; ours is absolute.
Ours is the light of God that Moses saw,
while theirs is still the ethics of a brute.”
Inactive: I’m going with celibate on this one.
©2011 Louis A. Merrimac
to be inactive over to be hurt.
From what you’ve said, an artificial rose
would smell the same as something grown in dirt.”
“Oh, yeah? Then fill your nostrils up with this:
Not all the carriers were self-inclined,
or not to the extent they’d be remiss
in making living space for humankind.
“And this is where the learning part comes in:
The parents brewed the tea the youngsters drank.
They’re of the group that thought it was a sin
to give self-interest a higher rank.
“There lies the difference: Their moral law
is ever-changing; ours is absolute.
Ours is the light of God that Moses saw,
while theirs is still the ethics of a brute.”
Inactive: I’m going with celibate on this one.
©2011 Louis A. Merrimac
Monday, July 11, 2011
In the Next Life, Canto III, stanzas 320-326
They turned onto the road and Ciral frowned.
“We’re being followed by my customers.”
Until then Esther had not looked around,
as was the practice of the insiders.
“Unless we’re mating, we have no concern
with other tubes,” she said, but stopping short.
“Forgive me, Mr. C, for sounding stern.
I must remember you’re not of our sort.”
“So even if you think you are pursued
by enemy machines you won’t respond?
Are you aware that they think we intrude?
Of tubes with pound signs they aren’t very fond.”
“You obviously know not what they are,
or are not, rather, for they are not we.
Only we sinners take a grudge that far.
A robot does not have that tendency.
“You talk as though they have their own desires.
They can’t; they only want what they were told.
We’ve given them the basis in their wires.
There’s not much variation from the mold.
“They’re made to learn, and learning can impart
a change in outlook; that much I’ll concede.
The motives they were given at the start
adapt to meet each situation’s need.
“I’ll give you an example,” and she gave
a story that was old yet plausible.
She told of carriers that tried to save
themselves by playing tricks when they were full.
When they were full: See the early part of Canto II, especially the 56 and 541 narratives. When the carriers learned how reproduction was taking place and how dangerous it was to the participants, some of them tried various ruses to defeat it.
©2011 Louis A. Merrimac
“We’re being followed by my customers.”
Until then Esther had not looked around,
as was the practice of the insiders.
“Unless we’re mating, we have no concern
with other tubes,” she said, but stopping short.
“Forgive me, Mr. C, for sounding stern.
I must remember you’re not of our sort.”
“So even if you think you are pursued
by enemy machines you won’t respond?
Are you aware that they think we intrude?
Of tubes with pound signs they aren’t very fond.”
“You obviously know not what they are,
or are not, rather, for they are not we.
Only we sinners take a grudge that far.
A robot does not have that tendency.
“You talk as though they have their own desires.
They can’t; they only want what they were told.
We’ve given them the basis in their wires.
There’s not much variation from the mold.
“They’re made to learn, and learning can impart
a change in outlook; that much I’ll concede.
The motives they were given at the start
adapt to meet each situation’s need.
“I’ll give you an example,” and she gave
a story that was old yet plausible.
She told of carriers that tried to save
themselves by playing tricks when they were full.
When they were full: See the early part of Canto II, especially the 56 and 541 narratives. When the carriers learned how reproduction was taking place and how dangerous it was to the participants, some of them tried various ruses to defeat it.
©2011 Louis A. Merrimac
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