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What About This . . .? 6.1.2017

By Wayne William Cipriano

Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, (O.G., V.C., B.M.F.) are camping.  They sit around the fire remembering some of their more perplexing cases and drinking a fine claret.  Before entering their tent to sleep, they raise a final glass and toast, in mock respect, their ever-present nemesis Professor Moriarty, and then retire for the night.

Well, after midnight, Holmes calls out to Dr. Watson and awakens him from a deep sleep.  Holmes instructs in his maddeningly pedantic manner, “Watson, open your eyes and tell me what you see!”

Watson responds sleepily, “Why Holmes, I see nothing but hundreds, no thousands of bright stars.”

“And what, my dear Watson, do you therefore conclude?”

Dr. Watson, wishing as always to impress Holmes with his perspica-city, thinks for a long moment and then replies, “I conclude that about each of those twinkling stars may revolve a planet or perhaps more than one.  And on each of those planets there may be life forms.  And some of those life forms may be intelligent.  And, therefore, these stars above us may shine on many civilizations, some even more advanced than our own, which may very well be looking down on us, thinking these very same thoughts.  Is that what you had in mind, Holmes?”

“No, Watson, you idiot, Professor Moriarty has stolen our tent!”