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Much time had passed. Fang's sordid affair with Bubbles was over, and Fang's disappearance had begun to fade in my memory. So you can imagine ... I was taken aback by a hurried phone call from Fang's faithful friend and agent-provocateur, Sam (the Dolphin) Wisefish -- his voice, urgent.
I had not seen Sam for sometime. On this day he only wanted to meet me at the Fishsonian Museum of Ancient Fisheology. On the phone, I tried to find out where he had been ... and more important, if he had heard anything about Fang, these past months.
Sam would have none of it. He told me to postpone my questions until we could meet at the Fishsonian. There he would tell all.
On the appointed day, we met at the Fishsonian where Sam told me the strangest story about Fang's new "Time Thesis" ... and this is the story I am about to tell you.
--
I already knew Fang had enough of politics within the Fishington Fishway, the Finlicans, the Finocrats, the hookers from the FIA (Fishing Intelligence Agency) -*all* had soured Fang's taste for public service.
Then an opportunity swam up - which Fang could not turn down.
His old professors, Horace Haddock and Langston Bass asked if Fang would come with them to Egypt to work, again, in the field of ancient fisheology, a field which Fang had studied as a promising fingerling at FIT, the Fish Institute of Technology.
Fang left as soon as could.
In the next few months, Sam received a few messages from Langston Bass. But even in these hastily scribbled letters, he could read the excitement which had pervaded Fang's "dig." He decided to join Fang and his party in Egypt while they worked to uncover a bold and startling new thesis about "time."
But that was then.
--
Today, as we walked into the Fishsonian, I could see that Sam was anxious to tell me about Fang's new idea.
When I asked what it was all about, Sam almost exploded with a flood of words.
"Fang thinks that you and I are pretty much like our ancient ancestors ... that is, they aren't any different than us."
Then he added as an after thought,
"I mean to say that he thinks there is no such thing as 'ancestors' .. in fact he says that the ancestor myth is all wrong. "
He continued,
"We .. hmmm .. they .. are pretty much alike even though they lived .. say .. hmmm ... 5000 years ago"
I hadn't expected such an abrupt outburst. I backed off.
"Well ... "
I said, not knowing how to respond.
"Wha-wait a minute .. I don't understand. What-are you trying to say?" I continued.
"Let me repeat," said Sam, "Fang says that we have the same capacity to think, to reason, to create as We did when our ancestors built the pyramids 5000 years ago ... no! ... probably much, much, earlier than only 5000 years!"
Sam's hands went up into the air wiggling the first two fingers on each hand to emphasize the, We.
I hate people who do this ... but said nothing.
Sam paused to see if I understood what he had been saying.
I didn't, of course.
"I'm *NOT* talking ... metaphor ... here!"
He almost shouted, a little peeved at my slowness to comprehend the implications of what he had been saying.
"Now I don't want to waste your time. I am serious, said Sam."
Sam was looking straight into my eyes.
"Oh! I can see you are still confused. "Maybe I'd better explain!" said Sam.
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