Page 8 - Big Idea

The Big Idea – Act 1

HALFWIT 2:
When he talks, we follow the passage of his mind
As it touches things we know from past exposure,
In long series we had not before considered;
And wherever he stops, there the road has ended.

HALFWIT 3:
So, let’s give it some thought: do we have it or not?
By ourselves, can we retrace the steps he just took?
At least we know our starting point—outside the cave,
And our destination—somewhere deep inside it.

HALFWIT 1: (slapped by HALFWIT 2 after first line)
The first thing to do is find out if we’re dreaming:
Ouch! Such a slap would surely have awakened me!
Unless, of course, the pain is part of the nightmare;
If that’s the case, none of this matters anyway.

HALFWIT 2:
On the other hand, even were we all asleep,
We wouldn’t just be standing around and talking.
I’m certain I’ll get very bored and very soon,
If we don’t figure out what the heck we should do!

HALFWIT 3:
Why don’t we reconstruct the sequence of events?
All we have to do is remember what happened,
(And quickly, before we have forgotten it all!)
Then, the next move to make will become obvious.

HALFWIT 1:
All right, but it’s not obvious where to begin:
Only life itself has a clear termination,
And memory is so spotty and selective,
That some sort of clue must first be provided us.

HALFWIT 2:
But in order to satisfy that requirement,
We must already know where we intend to end:
It is not enough just to know we need to act;
Like breathing, that need is almost always with us.
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