“So, you want to go to Cleveland, do you?” observed Max.

     There was silence around the table for a few moments, then Adital revealed, “Well, Pop wants to go to Cleveland because he lives there, but Stephen and I would like to go to Piscary because that is where all our adventures began.”

     “Piscary?  Is that in New York?  I can’t be driving all around the East Coast, carting you guys around.  I can drop you at the bus station, or maybe there is a train that goes there.  Do you want to spend the night, and we can get a fresh start in the morning,” grumbled Max?

     Dorothy whispered kindly, “Max, don’t be so cranky.  These folks look like regular people and deserve better than that.”

     Max sighed loudly and said, “it’s been a long day after a very long week. It seems Piscary is not on Earth.” He took another cookie from the plate and walked over to the television screen that hung from the kitchen wall and touched it. A picture of the night sky flashed into view. “Now,” he said, “tell me about your star and what your night sky looks like. We’ve got to figure out where you came from if we’re going to get you back.”

     Stephen spoke up at this point, “It doesn’t seem that there is technology on Earth to travel to our planet.  Our sun, which you call Gliese 581, is approximately ten of your light-years away. Earth scientists are aware of our world and have even sent messages to us a while back. It is Piscary’s position not to contact other civilizations with a history of violence and war. I have no idea how you could transport us back.”

     Max signed again and admitted, “My friends, this is a top-secret government transportation hub.” Bernice giggled.  Max adjusted his hand-held remote, and Gliese 581 appeared on the screen. “You should be on planet four, which is most Earth-like.”

     Stephen and Adital sat with their mouths half-open, and Pop exclaimed, “This cabin is a government facility?”

     “Sure,” said Max, “we’re agents of the Interstellar Federation.”

     There was silence in the room for a short while. “It seems we’ve come full circle,” muttered Pop.

     Or have we thought Adital? All this is so confusing. Stephen thought Max and Bernice were possibly caretakers sent to watch over distressed humans.  But Max said he is an agent of the Interstellar Federation, and no angel has ever claimed that.  I feel that my friends are mistaken, and we are in the hands of alien beings who are otherworldly but benevolent. Could that be true about all aliens?

     Max announced that he would drive Pop to Cleveland and be back in about an hour. “As soon as I get back, I’ll get you two to Gliese 581. You must tell me more about where exactly you want to be when I get back.

     Max and Pop hurried off to the barn and presently drove down the driveway.  Stephen helped clear the table and then dried the dishes as Bernice washed.  Adital stared at Gliese 581 on the TV until Bernice changed the channel to watch the Cleveland news. “Ms. Bernice, I have a question,” inquired Adital.

     “Oh, Adital. please call me Bernie,” she said. “What’s troubling you?”

     “My question is, who are you and Max and what is this Interstellar Federation? Why did you and Max invite us to supper like we were family?  I mean, you didn’t know who we were and where we came from.  All you heard was Pop’s crazy story about being transported here from some overgrown weed field.  I don’t get it!  Why all that kindness for strangers?

     “Poor Adital, you have so many questions, and I bet I can clear some of them up for you.  To begin, the whole universe is bound together by consciousness. This unifying element permeates all things, allows the stars and planets to stay in their orbits, and gives everything the ability to react to each other. This force permits everything to be aware and then influence each other.  Simply put, all this boils down to two forms of influence:  positive and negative. There is more positive energy than any different kind, which makes the universe a good place. But be aware, there is  negative energy, which works against positive energy.  Stay tuned to the positive. Know that we are a positive force and that goodwill always prevails in the end.

     At that point, there was the sound of a car driving past the house toward the barn.  Max had returned from his trip to Cleveland.  Bernie packaged the remaining cookies and gave them to Adital in anticipation of his journey to Piscary.  Max came tromping into the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee, and sat in his chair at the head of the table.

     “Remind me never to drive into Cleveland again,” he griped. “This planet’s primitive transportation and lamebrained drivers means that you take your life in your hands every time you venture out of the front door.  However, before I can get comfortable, I must send you two back to Piscary, which will be a lot easier than fighting those empty-headed motorists.  Get your gear together, stand next to one another in front of the television, and away you go!”

     Adital and Stephen found their knapsacks and followed Max’s directions.  Bernie smiled and waved to the soon-to-be travelers, Max made adjustments to the TV remote, wished them a safe journey, and Adital and Stephen disappeared without a sound.  Instantly, they were transported through inter-dimensional time and space to the familiar path in the Piscary forest.  Adital stood, blinking, trying to adjust to the change that had come over them.

     “Goodness gracious, it’s like we never left. Was all that a dream,” stammered Adital?

     “No,” replied Stephen, “I remember everything, and robots don’t dream.  I have a feeling that my tutor may have trouble believing much of this. Shall we keep looking for Oxford or keep going to Packard City?”

     What seemed like an answer to Stephen’s question came the sound of someone shouting from the woods.  Adital and Stephen faced the outcry and began hollering in reply.

     “Shall we venture into the forest and try to find whoever is shouting,” blurted out Adital?

     “Do you want to start all those adventures again,” said Stephen?

     Just then, Oxford came crashing through the underbrush.

     “Help! I’m in trouble,” cried a confused and frightened Oxford!  There are hundreds of trees chasing me! You’ve got to save me! “After everything that had happened to Adital and Stephen, they looked at one another, shrugged, then watched the forest for Oxford’s terror.

     This came quite soon.  At first, it was subtle. The trees began swaying as if there was a thunderstorm fast approaching. Branches stirred, swinging gently, then more furiously, and leaves began to fall.   There was a low moaning as the branches rubbed against one another, almost as if they were singing a mournful dirge.   Faces appeared; oaks became resolute and vigorous men with long beards, silver birches transformed into delicate, graceful girls.  The willow trees became elegant women with long, beautiful hair who sang and laughed at the grizzled, old-fangled oaks. Oxford began to whimper.

     The trees began to move, slowly as if they were waist-deep in water, advancing from the forest onto the path where Stephen, Adital, and Oxford stood.  Stephen turned to Adital and exclaimed, “Grab Oxford, we need to be far away from here as quickly as possible!”

     They turned and trotted down the trail, trying to stay ahead of the moving forest that had become a sea of strange giants with long arms and bushy haircuts. At first, they seemed to be gaining on the wooden army, but the trees gathered together on the path and quickened their forward pace.   Stephen and Adital linked arms with Oxford and broke out in a desperate run. Even at this increased rate of speed, the trees were closing the distance between them.

     “What will they do if they catch us,” gasped Oxford?

     “That is something we may find out shortly,” panted Adital.

     More trees transformed into leafy giants slid onto the path and moved steadily toward the frantic fugitives.

     “We’re trapped,” cried Adital!  They stopped and stood facing their tormentors. “This is a terrible way to end our adventures,” said Stephen, sadly.

     The trees gathered around, and a weather-beaten oak spoke.

     “Greetings, travelers!  I am Elowin, The Patriarch of the forest.  I have a sad story I wish to share with you and seek a favor.  Please come with me, and my fellow trees, to our meeting glen to have a council. We need help. Will you please help us?

     Adital grinned at his companions briefly and replied, “of course, we will be happy to help you in any way that we can.

     “Not that we have much choice,” complained a breathless Oxford, “I’ll go, but I don’t want to stay long.  My goodness, I’ve been delayed quite long enough by a pack of blood-thirsty trees.”

     “Oxford, be still,” hissed Adital. “You’re right. We have little choice in this matter, but it would be wise to do what our kidnappers say if we want to get out of this with our hides intact.

     Oxford continued mumbling under his breath as they followed Elowin and his entourage into the forest.  They came to a clearing, and his disciples gathered around the perimeter.  Elowin stood in the center, and his hostages sat in front of him.

     Elowin began. “Long ago, there was a magical tree that grew in this forest.  One day, a father took his son to the tree, gave him a seed, and they returned home. The father told his son to open the seed and tell him what he found inside.  The boy did so and said that there was nothing. The father explained that much of life and greatness could come from something that seems, at first, to be so insignificant.

     From very little can come great good.  The boy grew into a man and married a lovely young lady, who gave birth to a sparkling and happy little girl. Life was difficult for them, and in the process, they gradually lost all of their possessions.  Soon, all they had was their car and the change they found in the bottom of his wife’s purse.  It became apparent that there was no sense living their lives the way they were and decided there had to be a change.  But what?

     It was their little girl’s first birthday.  The man’s wife insisted they get a treat for her, so they drove to a convenience store.  After counting their money, they realized that there wasn’t enough change to purchase anything.  They awkwardly stood in front of the store arguing what to do next when a man came up behind them and tapped the man on the shoulder. He told him not to look behind but to take the money he held in his outstretched hand.

     The man did so, bought his daughter’s birthday treat, and they drove away to a park and talked about what happened. They realized living the way they were wasn’t living.  The stranger’s generosity struck a deep note in both of them and renewed their commitment to life.

     Their luck changed after that.  First came jobs, then a house, and a renewed commitment to give other people the gifts they had received.  They had been saved from their destructive, lost lives by the stranger’s help.  They knew that his unselfish giving had given not only one but three lives a new future.

     “Do you understand what that means?” said Adital.

     “We don’t know,” said Elowin, “Can you explain this story to us?”

     There was silence for a short time, then Stephen began speaking. “The goal of life, be it human, android, plant or animal, is happiness.  The finest way to achieve happiness is not through getting but giving.  I will tell you things that will reveal this truth and give meaning to the story you told us.”

     Before we begin, we should ask, should there be a distinction between animals and plants?  Frankly, I don’t think so.  There is growing evidence that plants can see, feel and react with one another and us. Some believe all life possesses consciousness.

     Humans have an overwhelming desire to put life in order, to rank humans, androids, animals, and plants by their importance.  Since humans generated this survey, guess who became first on the list?  Trust me. It is not androids, animals, or plants.  This is false arrogance.

     Shall we consider plants more closely? I’m sure you and your fellow trees would agree that plants are intelligent.  Plants can take in information and make decisions. There is a South American vine that will adjust its leaves to match the leaves of the host plant as camouflage.  A clever scientist decided to test this ability and wound the vine around an artificial plant. Soon, the vine adjusted its leaves to match the fake plant. Was this vine able to see?  I can think of no other explanation.

     The story you told us speaks about the friendship of a man and his family. This relationship represents our world. The wealthy man has much, and the poor family has little.  What should be the reaction of those who have much to those who need much?   They should treat them with dignity and give of themselves. The rich man gave generously, and in the end, both were happy.”

     Ah, said the Patriarch, I understand, but what reward do I receive for following this philosophy?