Halpern Sub (Epilogue)

The Prekkendile was once in charge of everything. It held existence between the palms of its scaly hands. Reality and Not-Reality were together as one, shifting between the Prekkendile's claws. The Prekkendile watched them shift, looking down upon the humans as they were visited by their hopes and dreams; their nightmares and self-wrought demons.1

This went on for a long time, and the Prekkendile saw many things. It saw the demons throttle their creators, and the dreams destroyed by the very ones that had brought them to be.2

The Prekkendile decided to separate its creations in order to preserve them. It kept Not-Reality high above itself in its left hand, and kept Reality firm beneath its right foot. 3

But the Prekkendile soon realised that it had enjoyed the shifting mass of Reality and Not-Reality that it had held in its hands. The turmoil had entertained it, and the Prekkendile loved nothing more than to be entertained. 4

The Prekkendile took a small amount of Reality and Not-Reality and put them back together to form another shifting mass. There, all that could happen would, and everything that could be was. 5

The Prekkendile called this shifting mass Halpern, and held it over its cool heart.6