11.02.2005
Deja Vu
In the literal, not metaphorical sense.
You have examined the blacksmith to the best of your abilities. There is a hammer. There is an oily hole at the top of its head. There is a large compartment in its chest that fits the small keg-like contraption you found in the glass world. This object is engraved with a script similar to that on the chalice you found. The keg fits exactly without room for anything else.
...
The Oracle listens intensely to your 'prophecy'. He considers it for a minute, and says: "Well that's the difference, right there. You see, your statements are exactly that- statements, with certain truth values that can be assigned more or less depending on how vague the statements are and how far in the future they refer to." He swishes his can around, and, finding it empty, cracks another can.
"But a prophecy, see, uses poetic language. Certain phrases, such as 'a crack in the ice' can be taken literally, or taken metaphorically on a few different levels. Generally the way things work with prophecies is that they contain several poetic phrases which aren't clear until the final moment. Then, depending on the memory and wit of the interpreter, perhaps the final phrase of the prophecy can reveal how best to solve a final dilemma."
"Or, you could just go eat some fortune cookies. You know, if you wanted to hear things like 'You will be rick and old!' or something. One last thing about prophecies. Not everyone's a hero, you know? Most people don't get epics or biopics made about them. But you come to me, you get a prophecy, no matter how damn unimportant your life might be. Everyone's life seems pretty damn important to them; Grisbane just tries to give everyone a chance to be a hero in some small way."
You have examined the blacksmith to the best of your abilities. There is a hammer. There is an oily hole at the top of its head. There is a large compartment in its chest that fits the small keg-like contraption you found in the glass world. This object is engraved with a script similar to that on the chalice you found. The keg fits exactly without room for anything else.
...
The Oracle listens intensely to your 'prophecy'. He considers it for a minute, and says: "Well that's the difference, right there. You see, your statements are exactly that- statements, with certain truth values that can be assigned more or less depending on how vague the statements are and how far in the future they refer to." He swishes his can around, and, finding it empty, cracks another can.
"But a prophecy, see, uses poetic language. Certain phrases, such as 'a crack in the ice' can be taken literally, or taken metaphorically on a few different levels. Generally the way things work with prophecies is that they contain several poetic phrases which aren't clear until the final moment. Then, depending on the memory and wit of the interpreter, perhaps the final phrase of the prophecy can reveal how best to solve a final dilemma."
"Or, you could just go eat some fortune cookies. You know, if you wanted to hear things like 'You will be rick and old!' or something. One last thing about prophecies. Not everyone's a hero, you know? Most people don't get epics or biopics made about them. But you come to me, you get a prophecy, no matter how damn unimportant your life might be. Everyone's life seems pretty damn important to them; Grisbane just tries to give everyone a chance to be a hero in some small way."
