Wrestling With The Internal

Zen Gardens. Dubai Airport.

Sweezus rocks up, with Terence and Baby Pierre.

I see you've bought your first postcard says Gaius. Well done.

Sweezus shows Gaius the postcard of the Burj al Arab, world's fourth tallest building.

Cool, yeah?

Gaius is unimpressed.

Conspicuous consumption, he snorts.

I didn't pay for it, says Sweezus.

Edith, sitting nearby, still reading her bible, looks up and waves at Sweezus.

I was referring to the concept, says Gaius.

Kong Fu-Zi is brought out of his Neo-Confucian reverie by the word concept.

What concept is this? asks Kong Fu-Zi.

He is shown the postcard.

It looks like the sail of a ship, says Kong Fu-Zi. And that looks like a saucer. What is that for?

A helipad, says Sweezus. I guess it's a concept.

Hum, says Kong. I wonder if Master Xiong would think so.

Who is Master Xiong? asks Gaius.

First generation Neo-Confucianist, says Kong. The idea is, one should perceive objects of the world internally since what is internal is also ultimately external. I wrestle with this.

Philosophical claptrap, snorts Gaius.

Sweezus has his phone out, and is on Wiki.

Get this, says Sweezus. The Burj al Arab is thirty nine percent unoccupiable space.

You see! says Gaius. Waste and profligacy. What do you think, young Terence?

I used to live in a palace, says Terence. What do you think?

Does anyone want to know what I think? asks Baby Pierre.

I do, says Terence.

The opinion of a pebble cannot but be enlightening, says Kong.

Cannot but be, says Terence. What does that mean?

Must be, says Gaius.

Baby Pierre tries to think of something that cannot but be enlightening.

He is about to say something about his cousin Lavender, who is WAY more than thirty nine percent unoccupiable, but just then Edith stands up.

She has looked at her watch. Half an hour until boarding.

As she passes the fish pond, she catches Sweezus's eye. Taps her watch.

That woman. Still freakin' creepy.

And look, she's dropped one of her biblical ribbons, no doubt on purpose.