Time Is A Puzzle

On Wednesday morning, David Hume eats his breakfast in front of the television.

Not his normal procedure.

On the screen, a cartoon in which a girl with green teeth and bad breath is cajoled into seeing the dentist.

Butterfly and Fish are meant to be putting their clothes on.

But, eyes glued to the television, they are still slowly munching jam toast.

......

Eight thirty. David, Katherine and Fish walk with Butterfly to school.

On the way they walk under a tree sparsely hung with acorns.

Acorns, says David to Fish. Would you like one?

Yes. Fish would like more than one.

David picks several acorns.

Katherine snaps off four acorns for Butterfly.

Butterfly is entranced by the acorns. Can you eat them?

No, says Katherine. Not unless you are starving. Squirrels eat them.

Butterfly shoves the acorns into her pocket. Two for herself and two for her best friend Citronella.

.......

Later. At home.

On the stairs again. David and Fish launching parachutes.

Get them! says Fish. Get mine first!

This time Katherine is picking them up, and handing them up to the droppers.

This does not save any time whatsoever.

......

Lunch time. Katherine has opened a tin of Big Red Tomato Soup.

David's phone rings. It's Vello.

Vello: How's it going?

David: Oh, you know....

Vello: No, I don't know. Belle et Bonne was fully grown when I adopted her.

David: Ahem. Let's not.....

Vello: Can you do me a favour?

David: No! Acorns are nuts.

Vello: I beg your pardon?

David: Fish just put his acorns in water.

Vello: He must think that they're seeds.

David: Yes, he must.

Vello: How delightful to shape a young mind.

David: What's the favour?

Vello: Could you cut short your visit? I'm thinking of putting on a Fringe show.

David: Would love to, old chap but I can't. Katherine would simply explode. I'll be home by next Monday. Meanwhile I've got family duties.

Vello: Ha ha. How do you endure it?

David: I think philosophical thoughts. For example, I'm beginning to think the Newtonian view of time is the wrong one. Time is not a fundamental structure of the universe independent of events.

Vello: So you subscribe now to Leibniz and Kant?

David: In that time is not measurable? I think so. Yes, yes, all right, a puzzle....

Vello: Indeed. Time is a puzzle.

David: No, I'm talking to Fish. We're about to start doing a puzzle.