Lee was: the Incarnation !
Answered on: 9 Apr 2004
The Internet Oracle has pondered your question deeply. Your question was: > Oh Oracle Most Wise, > > Is it just me, or are there an awful lot of blank questions lately? >
And in response, thus spake the Oracle: } The Oracle receives yet another e-mail query and begins to read it. } "'Blank questions'? Zadoc!!!" } } Almost immediately, Zadoc appears, genuflecting. "Yes, most sagacious } master?" } } "What's this about incarnations getting blank questions?" } } "Ah, well, um. One of the other priests may have mentioned } something about that. I believe it had something to do with germ } warfare between annelids." } } "Germ warfare betw . . . ? Never mind, just get me one of the priests } who's actually allowed to touch the computers!" } } "Right away, your pansophicalness." } } Zadoc quickly departs while somehow simultaneously continuing to } genuflect. "I never should have let him borrow my thesaurus," mutters } the Oracle. } } Zadoc reappears with another priest in tow. The priest reverently } addresses the Oracle. "How may this lowly one serve you, o great } Oracle?" } } The Oracle repeats his earlier question: "What's this about } incarnations getting blank questions?" } } "Oh. Um, well . . . with the recent spate of e-mail worms and } viruses, we've, ah, encountered a few problems, most gracious and } forgiving one." } } "Continue," the Oracle says with a mixture of dread and warning. } } "Well, the queue started filling up with worm-generated e-mails, so we } had to set up filters to purge them. Only . . . we ran into a few } glitches. We, ah, kind of accidentally disposed of the bodies of } some legitimate question in the process. It was a very small } percentage, I assure you. It's all fixed and working fine now, most } magnanimous one," the priest concludes meekly. } } "I see," speaks the Oracle while glaring at the priest. There is a } long pause. Zadoc begins to cower and look for potential cover, which } is in short supply in the Oracle's chamber. } } "Very well," the Oracle says suddenly in a more relaxed manner. "Just } see that it doesn't happen again. You may go." } } The priest humbly, yet hastily departs. } } "Now let's see, where was I? Oh, yes, this question about blank } questions." The Oracle begins to type: "It's just you, supplicant." } He then hits send. } } "Appearance is everything, Zadoc. We mustn't let the supplicants } doubt my infallibility." } } "Indubitably, most apodictic master." } } "Zadoc?" } } "Yes, your polymath?" } } "Leave the forty-dollar words to me," says the Oracle as one hand } absently caresses the Staff of Zot. } } "Yes, perspicacious, er, smart one." } } You owe the Oracle a lock for his thesaurus. }
Notes: In retrospect, I should have done more research on Zadoc before attempting to make use of him. I hope this (slighly revised) version doesn't do him too badly.