One far point of light amid some seventeen million others,
and He said:
'What is that?'
And St Michael answered:
'That is the Earth,' for he felt some pride in it.
'The Earth?' said the Padre Eterno, a little puzzled . . . 'The Earth?
...?... I do not remember very exactly . . .'
'Why,' answered St Michael, with as much reverence as his annoyance
could command, 'surely you must recollect the Earth and all the pother
there was in heaven when it was first suggested to create it, and all
about Lucifer - '
'Ah!' said the Padre Eterno, thinking twice, 'yes. It is attached to
Sirius, and - '
'No, no,' said St Michael, quite visibly put out. 'It is the Earth.
The Earth which has that changing moon and the thing called the sea.'
'Of course, of course,' answered the Padre Eterno quickly, 'I said
Sirius by a slip of the tongue. Dear me! So that is the Earth! Well,
well! It is years ago now ... Michael, what are those little things
swarming up and down all over it?'
'Those,' said St Michael, 'are Men.'
'Men?' said the Padre Eterno, 'Men ... I know the word as well as any
one, but somehow the connexion escapes me.
