The Universe Builders: Bernie and the Putty

by Steve LeBel

  I didn’t expect Him to have emotional reactions either. He was really upset after the meeting with Zardok, and it caused my books to fall off their shelves. He didn’t even know He’d done it. Can you imagine what would happen if there are lots of gods someplace, and they ever got in a fight about something? It could tear the world apart.

  I can’t shake the idea He’s hiding something. He seems sincere about wanting to help us, but when He got upset, His voice changed, and He sounded like one of us. That makes me wonder if His deep echoing voice is real. And if He’s changing the way He sounds, then what else is He changing? If He wants to look like us, why didn’t he make the color of His skin and His hair the same as ours? I understand him being bigger. To do what He does, He’s undoubtedly a lot bigger than He seems. If anything, He’s probably making Himself smaller than He really is, just so He can fit in our buildings.

  Oh, Lord Bernie. What a mystery you are…

  Alcandor Tells Gondal

  Alcandor had no choice. He had to tell Leader Gondal about the Great Protector. And he had to do it soon.

  The failed discussions with Zardok could not be ignored. Zardok was undoubtedly already making plans to discredit them both. That was insanity, of course. The Protector was the only thing capable of saving their world. Alcandor could not allow Zardok to discredit the Protector. The only remaining hope lay with Gondal and the Senate.

  That’s why he asked Gondal for a private meeting.

  * * *

  In his Senate Building office, Gondal waited for Alcandor to arrive. As Alcandor entered, he stood and greeted his visitor.

  “Welcome, Alcandor. I hope you have some good news,” Gondal said pointing to a seat.

  Alcandor paused to brush fallen masonry off the chair. He looked up, saw a crack in the ceiling, judged no collapse to be imminent, and sat down. They had known each other more years than either could remember.

  “I found Him,” said Alcandor simply and calmly.

  Gondal looked at his friend. Over the years, Alcandor had accomplished impossible things and made startling discoveries, but this was, without doubt, the most astonishing discovery in the history of the world. Gondal had prayed to the Sun that Alcandor would be successful, but he’d prepared himself for failure.

  “What’s He like?” Gondal asked with an equally calm voice that revealed none of the excitement he felt inside.

  “He looks like us, except He’s much bigger. When I first saw Him, He hovered in front of me surrounded by a golden shimmer. The only thing different about Him is His pale skin and gray hair and beard. He has an echo in His voice as if He’s speaking in a tunnel.”

  “So much like us…” said Gondal. “How is it possible?”

  “Actually, I think He can change the way He appears.”

  “Really? What makes you think so?”

  “When He gets upset, His voice changes and His shimmer does, too.”

  “Upset? What happened to make him upset?”

  “We met with Speaker Zardok. The meeting did not go well.”

  Gondal shook his head as worry lines appeared on his forehead. “Maybe you should tell me what happened.”

  “The Protector appeared in my office four days ago. I looked up, and there He was, floating cross-legged in the air, three feet above the floor. He wanted to know why I was trying to contact Him. I started to tell Him what was happening here, but He seemed to know already. He said a great evil has discovered our world. He said He would try to prevent it from doing further harm, and then He left.

  “Two days later, He appeared again. He said the evil was too strong, and He couldn’t protect us. He said He made a new world for us, one where the evil couldn’t find—”

  “What? He made a world? How is this possible?” Gondal interrupted, unable to hold back his disbelief.

  “I had the same reaction,” said Alcandor with a smile. “I asked Him about it, and His answers were so unbelievable I hesitate to repeat them. You’d believe them less than I did.”

  “Try me. What did He say?”

  “He said the new world is just like ours.”

  “Is it far away?”

  “I think so. He said He made a new Sun for the new world, too.” Alcandor waited for Gondal’s reaction.

  Gondal’s mouth fell open. “He claims to have created a Sun?”

  “Yes. And He didn’t think it a ‘big deal’ because He said ‘your system is pretty simple’, whatever that means.”

  “Alcandor, this is not easy to believe. The Great Protector claims to be able to create a Sun? What did He say about our Sun?”

  “Actually, He didn’t say anything about our Sun. But there is more to tell about our meeting with Zardok.”

  “Why didn’t you come to me first?”

  “I told the Protector the only way our people would leave this world is if both the Temple and the Senate recommended it. We decided it would be easier if we could convince Zardok first. But it didn’t go well.”

  “What happened?”

  “Zardok is a stubborn man. He refused to accept the idea the Sun needs any help. When the Protector told him He had created another world for us, with a different Sun, it was too much. He accused the Protector of being a deceiver and a blasphemer, and he kicked us out.”

  “Oh, my. What did the Protector do?”

  “He became very angry. I feared He would give up on us, but He still wants to help.”

  Gondal thought for a while. “If the Temple opposes the Protector’s plan, I don’t think the Senate can convince the people. Some, maybe, but I doubt we could get even half to leave our world. Is He sure this is the only way?”

  “He said the evil is so strong that He cannot prevail. That’s why He wants us to go to a place where the evil can’t find us.”

  “Do you have any idea of how powerful He really is? Can he truly help with these problems?”

  “I’m convinced His powers are formidable, but He does have limits. For example, He can’t force someone to do something or He would have made Zardok listen. I don’t think He can see the future, and I’m pretty sure He can’t change the past. He seems to have a code of conduct He follows or else He’d just pick us up and move us. And there are some other strange things I haven’t figured out yet.”

  “Strange things? Like what?”

  “Well, when we got back from meeting with Zardok, the Protector was upset. His voice sounded different, and He had a problem controlling some of His powers. The books on my shelves started jumping all over until He noticed and stopped them.”

  “What do you make of that?”

  “Honestly, it’s like when I used to teach in school. You know how when the children didn’t get their way, they sometimes have tantrums? Almost like that.”

  “I sure hope that isn’t what’s going on. We have deadly problems, and we need adult solutions.”

  Still Best Buds

  “I’m sorry,” said Lenny.

  “I’m sorry, too,” said Bernie.

  “You’re my best friend, Bernie. I don’t want to lose you. But if you blow your universe project, you won’t be able to work here. I don’t understand what you’re trying to do.”

  “I’m not sure I do either,” Bernie admitted. “I’m spending all my time worrying about what Billy’s going to do next. Even when he’s not doing something, I’m afraid to add more life, because he’ll just kill it. Now that I’ve met these people, I can’t let anything happen to them. Honestly, I don’t know what to do.”

  Bernie looked at his friend, expecting to be told to blink out anything that got in his way. Then he heard Sissy’s soft clucking. Whatever Lenny had been about to say was apparently forgotten.

  “It sounds like Sissy has an opinion on this.” Bernie didn’t try to hide his smile.

  “I’m finding she has opinions on a lot of things. She spent last night telling me most of them. I think I was better off when I didn’t know she could talk,” he said with a grin.

  Sissy must h
ave understood the joke because she made a purring sound.

  “Hello, guys,” said Suzie. “I wasn’t sure I would see you together after your argument yesterday. I’m glad you patched things up.”

  “That’s what best friends do,” said Bernie.

  We Must Agree

  “Why must you be so stubborn?” Alcandor shouted.

  “Why must you always question everything?” Zardok shouted back.

  “Gentlemen, please. We aren’t going to solve anything this way. We have to work together. The people are depending on us,” Gondal pleaded once again. He shook his head at the two men as he sat back wearily in his chair. It felt as if they had been locked in the same battle since the beginning of time. And maybe they had…

  * * *

  The Lords were a small group of men and women, originally numbering 152. These three had always been at the forefront of events that moved their world.

  Zardok had led them out from the time of darkness, the time that no lord could remember. He led them to an understanding of the Sun and His ways. Zardok’s dedication and commitment led to the creation of temples throughout the land. His strength and charisma easily attracted men and women to the new priesthood where they devoted their lives to the service of the Sun.

  Gondal’s earliest memories were of helping Zardok bring the message of the Great Sun to the people, but as the world became more complex, their paths diverged. Zardok never wavered from his commitment to the Sun, but Gondal left the priesthood to serve the world of men. Yes, the people needed spiritual guidance, but they also needed a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. Each man knew the other was essential. Neither wanted the path the other had chosen.

  Both men knew Alcandor well. He had helped them both often enough as they faced different challenges over the years. It was impossible not to respect Alcandor’s problem solving skills. His gift for creative and independent thought could be counted on for new insights into any problem. Gondal knew, as an administrator, to do his job well, it was essential to surround himself with people like Alcandor.

  Zardok, on the other hand, had not sought out Alcandor’s help for a very long time. Alcandor’s ability to find solutions where others failed stemmed from his unsettling propensity to challenge even the most basic of assumptions—including assumptions about the Sun—which angered Zardok. While Zardok might concede Alcandor was often correct, he believed challenging important doctrine was upsetting to the people. Better to avoid such things.

  And then there was Vianna. It was no secret both Zardok and Alcandor had fallen in love with her. Her beauty was very real, but her charm and her wit were what made her unique. Neither of the men had ever married. So great were their obsessions with their work, no one had ever been able to divert them long enough to get them interested. But Vianna was different.

  When Alcandor met her, she was the newly appointed minister of science. Alcandor had petitioned the Senate for resources for a great expedition beyond the land and across the ocean to search for the Sun’s resting place. The idea was not popular with the Temple, although the Senate was eager for the undertaking. Vianna became the diplomat shuttling between the Temple, the Senate, and Alcandor.

  Vianna mediated months of debate between Zardok and Alcandor. During this process, both men fell in love with her, wooed her, and wanted her hand in marriage. It has been said Zardok, to win her love, gave up his objections to the expedition. It wasn’t long afterward, Vianna accepted Zardok’s proposal, and they were married. But Zardok’s joy was to be short-lived.

  And Alcandor was to be disappointed yet again. The Senate refused to let him lead or even accompany the expedition.

  Gondal himself had said, “You’re too valuable to us, Lord Alcandor. We cannot let you take this risk.”

  Instead, the Senate appointed Vianna to lead the expedition. As minister of science, she was a logical choice. Both Zardok and Alcandor potested, but no one, not even Vianna, had listened. And so she left.

  Never to return.

  * * *

  “Gentlemen, please,” Gondal said yet again. “Can’t we agree on anything?”

  “Not if Alcandor keeps saying the Sun has no ability to help us. Without the Sun, we would not be here. Our Sun has kept us safe since the beginning. He needs to show some respect,” Zardok stormed.

  “All I’m saying is we need all the help we can get right now,” Alcandor persisted. “If the Protector can help, why would we refuse it?”

  “If your ‘Protector’s’ solution is to leave our Sun and our world and go to another place, that is reason enough to reject Him and His solution,” Zardok growled.

  “Did the Protector say this is the only solution?” Gondal asked.

  “No. He said this is the best solution, but He didn’t say it was the only one.”

  “Then let’s ask Him about other options,” Gondal said to Alcandor. “Perhaps He knows something we can all agree on.”

  “The Protector gave me a way to contact Him. I can ask Him to meet with us, but it won’t do any good if Zardok refuses to listen.”

  “He’s right, Zardok. You must control yourself. We need all the help we can get.”

  “I am willing to listen,” Zardok said reluctantly.

  Gondal knew this was the closest Zardok would come to an agreement. He could never admit the Sun was powerless. He looked at Zardok and then back to Alcandor.

  “Then I’ll contact the Protector and ask Him to meet with us.”

  They agreed to meet again in Gondal’s office in two days, subject, of course, to the availability of the Great Protector.

  Alcandor Learns More

  When Alcandor returned to his study, he thought again about the Great Protector—the god who wanted to be called Bernie. He needed to learn more about Him. If he knew more about Bernie’s powers, he might be able to suggest ways to avert these devastating calamities. Well, the first step was to contact Bernie. He braced himself for the otherworldly contact.

  Bernie said to pick up the rock and move it to the other side of the desk. The rock had been brought back by the second expedition from one of the volcanic islands they discovered as they searched for the Sun’s resting place. Alcandor had kept it in the sentimental belief Vianna might have found such a rock on her ill-fated first expedition.

  Alcandor had detected no change in the rock after Bernie had said it could be used to summon him. It looked the same as before. Just one of the mysteries he hoped to understand soon. He picked up the rock and moved it to the other side of his desk.

  No sooner had Alcandor moved the rock, when the room filled with a golden shimmer, and he felt the presence of the god. No one can ever truly prepare for such an experience, which is why Alcandor, in his surprise at the quickness of the Protector’s appearance, blurted out, “Yikes! Were you just sitting there, waiting for me to move this rock?”

  The Great Protector, hovering before him, began to laugh.

  * * *

  Bernie couldn’t stifle his laughter. It burst forth as it had not for many days. It felt good to laugh. It had been so long since he had seen the humor in anything. And when his laughter finally subsided, he noticed Alcandor’s expression of uncertainty.

  “Alcandor, I am sorry. I don’t mean to laugh at you, but it’s been a long time since I’ve laughed at anything.”

  “I’m glad I was able to lighten the gravity of our situation for you,” Alcandor said with some hesitation. “Perhaps you will tell me what you found so funny.”

  Bernie thought for a moment. This man was his only ally. What could it hurt to explain a little to him? Plus, Alcandor seemed pretty sharp. Maybe if he told him a little more, he could actually help.

  “I wasn’t waiting for you. I don’t have the luxury to wait for anything.”

  “But if you’re busy, how is it that the instant I summoned you, you were able to come so quickly?” asked Alcandor.

  Bernie smiled. What a sharp and inquisitive mind you have, Alcandor, he thoug
ht. Let’s see how well you handle more information.

  “I can move through time on your world. When I arrived on your world, it was less than one day after we last met. I came to your study and moved forward through time until I saw you move the rock. That’s when I appeared.”

  Alcandor was unable to suppress a gasp of astonishment. “But, Great Pro… err… Bernie, if you can move through time, why don’t you go into the past and prevent these awful things from happening?”

  “It doesn’t work that way.” Alcandor might just understand. “I can never go further back into the past than the time I entered your world. In this case, it was one day ago. Beyond that, I cannot go.”

  “If you moved ten days into the future before I moved the rock, then you would be able to go ten days back?”

  “Exactly.”

  “If you can go into the future, why don’t you go and discover the next problem we’ll face? Then you can come back and prevent it from happening.”

  Bernie smiled. “That’s excellent thinking, Alcandor, but there’s a problem with it. Think of the future as a tree with infinite branches. Every choice we make means one branch taken and another possible branch abandoned. In this way, there is really only one tree and only one branch because we have never taken the other branches. Yet if I come back with knowledge of the future and use that knowledge to take a new branch, then the tree has two branches. This has to be true because how else could I have learned of a different future?”

  “So if you have future knowledge, and we use it to take a different action, there is still a version of us who didn’t take the action that saved us?”

  “Precisely. We will have saved ourselves, but our other selves on the other branch will be doomed to suffer the mistake we avoided,” Bernie explained.