. . .

The end

It's a time-honored place to start. Innumerable tales have started there. So here's an ending for you.

I flipped the round man the bird and walked away.

No, let's end the beginning, or begin the ending, a little farther back.

"You would be very wise to think about what I have told you."

I flipped the round man the bird and walked away.

That's good. A little drama, a hint of conflict, a dash of something disreputable. People plotting. Perhaps a murder? Maybe a protection racket? Your interest is undoubtedly piqued. Let's go a little further back, and place the middle where it is normally seen.

"The spontaneous disorganization of the universe is hardly a laughing matter, Jeremy."

"You make it sound so clinical. 'Spontaneous disorganization'. You might as well call a laser a 'thermal disaggragator'. Why don't you just say that it'll all blow up and be done with it?" The man was beginning to bore me.

"You don't believe me?"

"Some man comes up to me on the street, tells me that the universe was going to cease to be in the next few hours, and informs me also that 'diverse signs and portents' have led him to me as the one man who can stop the whole thing. What am I expected to think? Do you have any proof?"

"None. I can only impress upon you the - "

"Immense importance of your mission. You've said that before, too."

"Time is of the essence."

"Another good phrase. Look. Assuming for the sake of arguement that I did believe you. What would I be expected to do about it?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know."

"All I know is that you have the power to do something about this. Presumably, some situation will occur that will put you in the right place at the right time, and you'll know. The portents are never mistaken on these matters."

"You're serious, aren't you."

"Deathly."

"That's it. That does it. The nutcases are coming out of the woodwork today. I'm outta here."

Middling. You'll forgive me my little joke there. A little further again.

"Pardon me, are you Jeremy Saunders?" A fat little man stood there. He was dressed in a business suit, nicely tailored to him. As he was almost as wide as he was tall, the general effect, unfortunately, was that of a bowling ball. He had what seemed to be a perpetually somber look on his face.

"You scared the living daylights out of me. Who the hell are you?"

"My name is not important. I can only impress on you the immense importance of my mission."

"All right. Color me impressed. What mission?"

"I must prevent the spontaneous disorganization of the universe."

"The which?"

"The spontaneous disorganization of the universe."

"That's what I thought you said."

"We stand at a dark crossroads. Signs and portents have led me to you. You are the one who can prevent it from happening."

"Right."

"Then you believe me?" The round man looked almost cheery for a moment.

"Nope."

"You must listen to me. The entire universe is in peril. If you do not prevent those who move to destroy it, we are all assuredly doomed."

"This is beginning to sound like the plot of a bad movie."

"They seek to draw the universe back into the primal chaos from which it sprung. They worship the primal chaos, and they have found the way to bring it about. A simple reaction is all it takes. Once they get the final piece, they can do it. And it lies within your power to prevent it from happening."

I laughed.

And that's it. That's all.

You want something neat and tied up? All loose ends gone, everything settled firmly into place? We'll end where we start, then, and hope you're happy with that.