Wisdom at the rivers' crossing

"Once upon a time," said Zhuangzi, "I dreamed that I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Zhuangzi.

"Soon I awoke, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming that I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming that I am a man."

[Once this little bit of ancient wisdom finishes showing on the right side of the page, the left slowly fills with a delicate painting of a man asleep under a tree, a butterfly perched on his head.]

A thousand pardons for my absence these past few days, Amurui-qiánbeì, and to any other that I may have unwittingly caused concern to. I have not been entirely well, but am recovered, and shall promptly return to my work.

[Just not going to mention the whole overwork thing. Enough people are getting on his case on that already.]

As for the hourglasses, I will say only this: it is doubtful that a force able to generate such a mark, may be confused or diverted from its purpose by the mere removal of that same mark. And I suspect that you shall be very disappointed if, come the end to the waiting, all others marked will receive some heavenly boon while you will have died of self-inflicted neck wounds.

Patience is a virtue.

-- 火