On the Deck of The Absolution

Beelzebub's seventh voyage to Earth

A number of days were spent preparing the brand new spaceship Absolution for the journey to Earth. It had to be outfitted with many newfangled devices related to computers, a technology originally invented by the Daemons that had by now spread from Earth to many other planets. Originally intended to manage bureaucratic affairs, computers quickly revealed exceedingly dangerous properties, and their use for anyone other than the technical classes was strictly forbidden everywhere but Earth itself… where it was already too late. The Daemons in charge of technical affairs on Earth were fascinated by the way that these machines ever further degraded the consciousness of Earth beings. Experiments regarding this matter were ongoing.

“Do tell me, Beelzebub,” Mr. Gurdjieff said one day during the preparations, "exactly what was it that caused you to start investigating the disappearance of the now Omni-Absent Smartenoughk from Earth’s atmosphere?”

“Ah, yes. Finally a good question from you," mused Beelzebub, otherwise preoccupied with the fatherboard of the Absolution. “It was Flaubert. He was racing about all over Purgatory asking people about why God told him the work of the soul is never done.”

“Yes,” agreed Mr. Gurdjieff. "I know all about that. He asked me the same question. I gave him some answer, I can't remember what, and sent him off. To see Ouspensky, I think, although I don’t think he ever found him. But what does that have to do with anything?”