Peace And Justice After Conflict

We're back. Where are you? says George Santayana.

At the beach, replies Vello. Come on down.

Um.. ah.. says George Santayana. All right then. We'll just get our towels.

Five minutes later he and José Ortega y Gasset join the beach party.

Their fingers are bandaged with dazzling white bandages.

They are not too pleased to see Arthur.

Sit down, says Vello, we were just discussing which is more important, peace, justice or rocket boots.

Ha ha, ever the comic, laughs George Santayana, sitting down without using his hands.

Do take care, says Maria Goyri. You mustn't get sand in your cuts. Would you and your friend like an orange?

Ramon knits his brows momentarily. She is being very free with her oranges. He hasn't had one.

Rocket boots, says Sweezus.

What? says George Santayana. This can't be a serious question?

I thought it was, says Sweezus, but I'm not a philosopher.

George bites into his orange. Eeuw! The skin tastes bitter. You might think he would know that.

Like to borrow my knife? says Arthur.

Thank you, says George Santayana. He takes the knife, peels his orange and offers the knife to José.

This is awesome, says Sweezus. We're the living example.

What on earth is he talking about? The living example.

What of? asks David. Oh, I know. Peace and justice.

Excellent, says Vello. There has been conflict, in some cases violent conflict. Yet here we are now sharing oranges.

May I point out you and I are not eating oranges, says Schopenhauer.

Nor I, says Ramon.

Maria Goyri hastily hands her husband an orange.

Nevertheless, says Vello, peace and justice are served by Arthur lending his knife for a peacable purpose, that is, the peeling of oranges. The very knife he used previously to cut the fingers of those doing the peeling. Well done Arthur.

Arthur thinks to himself: But it was an accident.

George and José drop their oranges into the sand saying Ouch! simultaneously.

You would laugh, if it wasn't so awful.

The juice has soaked through their bandages and got into the cuts on their fingers. Their clean white bandages have turned yellow.

Next minute, they'll rip off their bandages and run down to the water.

This will be good news for Arthur, who has been down two bandages ever since he lent them the ones that turned their cuts septic.

So justice is served. ( You might want to debate that ).