it's the time of the year when I quote to you guys from this book again

[levity]

‘All right,’ said Susan. ‘I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable.’

REALLY? AS IF IT WERE SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

‘Tooth Fairies? Hogfathers? Little-’

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

‘So we can believe the big ones?’

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT KIND OF THING.

‘They're not the same at all!’

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET- Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME... SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

‘Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point-’

MY POINT EXACTLY.

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Not real birthday, of course not real birthday, everyone knows that part of the deal. I'll say Felicidades, crack anyway. Merry Christmas to you if you celebrate it. If not, then I hope you have a wonderful day.