so here’s what i know (dad goes on)
what i was allowed to know
i know that the seven knowers for the first time in a long long time gathered in the same spacetime
to start a game
they play among themselves
sëbus, are you listening? don’t jump for a bit it’s important
it’s about you
their game is: a game of happiness
happiness for the sentients of the universe whoever creates more happiness, wins
they have played this game before and now they start again
so right now, sëbus
sëbus!
the game is starting
yes you know why now? because they found who they will be making happy
they always choose someone
why choose, good question
why not just make everyone happy, right? once and done why do we even suffer still? when we have our knowers looking after us?
it turns out it doesn’t work that way
it’s like electric current remember? if you send a strong current through a thin wire, it will explode
same with happiness
humans, the way they are now, can’t take full happiness yet
so the knowers make sure we don’t ovehappy they hold us back they slow us down, like a bike going downhill
we are still a bike with helper wheels, see
(though we’re definitely making progress: we are happier than our ancestors were)
(or rather, since humans get used to everything, our ancestors would be happier in our place than vice versa)
but
there are always exceptions, zë gifted individuals those who are capable even now
and for their game, the knowers choose one of them
someone gifted
someone exceptionally capable of happiness
“and they give him! happiness!” sëbus screams as he jumps on the bed
dad smiles apologetically “they play with him —” he clarifies
mom hugs: “they play with him, he plays with them! right, zë?”
i understand they will take turns (dad continues) all seven
seven attempts all different of course that’s what makes it a game
each one will do their best the best they know
and from our viewpoint, they know everything about happiness they can do anything at all and they know everything about you
about you zë sëbus
they know, and they still start this game they compete they want to win
oh sëbus
how am i supposed to know! i have no idea
i don’t know who they played with the last time it was probably long ago
just as an idea, imagine: they will build whole amazing worlds each with cities, mountains, sea depths the worlds of happiness
and they make amazing creatures to live there creatures of happiness
buildings of happiness, books of happiness, songs of happiness everything
but it’s just the first thing that comes to my mind, zë nobody knows
but they are starting right now
that i have even less idea about, sorry zë
how they would make those worlds — i don’t know
well, yeah, could be virtual worlds of course
only, you know, i think they can make everything real they can do anything, remember
but the virtual worlds, of course, they know all about that too
yes
about minecraft too
yeah i think so why not you can ask them about wendy
sure zë you will see them
we never saw them but you will
i dunno about the worlds, but you will see the knowers they will meet you they come out to meet who they chose
who they want to make happy in seven different ways
of course it’s you, sëbus of course
you are exceptionally capable of happiness
“i am exceptionally capable of happiness” sëbus repeats when his parents have left
he digs into the blanket and starts thinking
capable of happiness is not the same as happy, dad explained if you’re absolutely happy, you can’t be made happier
but an absolutely unhappy one won’t do either what if he’s just not capable what if he can only be made happier just a little tiny bit
and me (sëbus thinks) i can be not just a little tiny bit
i can be made a big huge lot happier
it didn’t feel wrong to him
all in all, sëbus knew happiness
he was the first captain he wasn’t scared of anything ever he had almost everything he wished to have
he could happiness he did happiness his dad read to him every night before sleep
he just wasn’t happy right now because of wendy
and yet: he was pleased someone out there, all-knowing and all-capable (ommi… whatever), chose him
nothing started yet, but sëbus already felt a little happier
so if they can do anything at all (sëbus is falling asleep)
i’ll just tell them then
i’ll ask them
about wendy
or i’ll just tell them to —
(sëbus is asleep)
Chapter 5: A Game Of Happiness
so here’s what i know (dad goes on)
what i was allowed to know
i know that the seven knowers
for the first time in a long long time
gathered in the same spacetime
to start
a game
they play among themselves
sëbus, are you listening? don’t jump for a bit
it’s important
it’s about you
their game is: a game of happiness
happiness for the sentients of the universe
whoever creates more happiness, wins
they have played this game before
and now they start again
so
right now, sëbus
sëbus!
the game is starting
yes
you know why now?
because they found who they will be making happy
they always choose someone
why choose, good question
why not just make everyone happy, right?
once and done
why do we even suffer still? when we have our knowers looking after us?
it turns out it doesn’t work that way
it’s like electric current
remember?
if you send a strong current through a thin wire, it will explode
same with happiness
humans, the way they are now, can’t take full happiness yet
so the knowers make sure we don’t ovehappy
they hold us back
they slow us down, like a bike going downhill
we are still a bike with helper wheels, see
(though we’re definitely making progress: we are happier than our ancestors were)
(or rather, since humans get used to everything, our ancestors would be happier in our place than vice versa)
but
there are always exceptions, zë
gifted individuals
those who are capable even now
and for their game, the knowers choose one of them
someone gifted
someone exceptionally capable of happiness
“and they give him! happiness!” sëbus screams as he jumps on the bed
dad smiles apologetically
“they play with him —” he clarifies
mom hugs: “they play with him, he plays with them! right, zë?”
i understand they will take turns (dad continues)
all seven
seven attempts
all different of course
that’s what makes it a game
each one will do their best the best they know
and from our viewpoint, they know everything about happiness
they can do anything at all
and they know everything about you
about you zë sëbus
they know, and they still start this game
they compete
they want to win
oh sëbus
how am i supposed to know!
i have no idea
i don’t know who they played with the last time
it was probably long ago
just as an idea, imagine: they will build whole amazing worlds
each with cities, mountains, sea depths
the worlds of happiness
and they make amazing creatures to live there
creatures of happiness
buildings of happiness, books of happiness, songs of happiness
everything
but it’s just the first thing that comes to my mind, zë
nobody knows
but they are starting right now
that i have even less idea about, sorry zë
how they would make those worlds —
i don’t know
well, yeah, could be virtual worlds
of course
only, you know, i think they can make everything real
they can do anything, remember
but the virtual worlds, of course, they know all about that too
yes
about minecraft too
yeah i think so why not
you can ask them
about wendy
sure zë
you will see them
we never saw them but you will
i dunno about the worlds, but you will see the knowers
they will meet you
they come out to meet who they chose
who they want to make happy
in seven different ways
yes
of course it’s you, sëbus
of course
you are exceptionally capable of happiness
“i am exceptionally capable of happiness” sëbus repeats when his parents have left
he digs into the blanket and starts thinking
capable of happiness is not the same as happy, dad explained
if you’re absolutely happy, you can’t be made happier
but an absolutely unhappy one won’t do either
what if he’s just not capable
what if he can only be made happier just a little tiny bit
and me (sëbus thinks)
i can be
not just a little tiny bit
i can be made a big huge lot happier
it didn’t feel wrong to him
all in all, sëbus knew happiness
he was the first captain
he wasn’t scared of anything ever
he had almost everything he wished to have
he could happiness
he did happiness
his dad read to him every night before sleep
he just wasn’t happy right now
because of wendy
and yet: he was pleased
someone out there, all-knowing and all-capable (ommi… whatever), chose him
nothing started yet, but sëbus already felt a little happier
so if they can do anything at all (sëbus is falling asleep)
i’ll just tell them then
i’ll ask them
about wendy
or i’ll just tell them to —
(sëbus is asleep)