When he opened his eyes in the glare of a new day, the drowning pool had receded, exposing the flatlands of an ocean that was now only a memory. The eternity of one day had been superceded by another and another, a succession of infinities in the desert of our universe.

Moonlight and sunlight flickered as the earth spun like a top and he shifted his position slightly in the strobing stage light. Years dripped like tears down his stone features, trickling between the cracks of best intentions and thwarted plans. His ancient nose itched.

The Lovetrucker slowly turned to stone in the kiln of sky and sun. A sandstorm of cosmic dust billowed across the red hills, bearing down on him like an army of stars. He closed his eyes and sighed, waiting for the inevitable retribution of the tiny gods of time. To know what peace there is in repose and solitude, ask any sphinx.