atlas he now had the command of God. With a 昀氀ick of his wrist, sharp black peaks jetted up from the fresh page, and inky blue rivers carved and twisted the paper into strange shapes unknown to him. There were forests more prosperous than any in this world and a gaping sea inviting allure and mystery. He shifted the geography of the landscape before his very eyes. His real pleasure, however, came from the cities he founded. Each had rich histories, elaborate dramas waiting to unfold, customs, traditions, and people. Gone were the days of reporting commodities, population densities, and trade. The page exploded into rich narratives of exotic animals, adventure, and magic. This world belonged to him, but because it was in the atlas, it was real. ■ ■ ■ One evening, after exhausting the pages in the book, the time came for the Cartographer to present The Atlas of the Known World to the king. He got up from his desk, tucked his masterpiece underneath his arm, and went to 昀椀nd His Majesty. The Cartographer wandered through the halls and, 昀椀nding the king peacefully eating lunch, felt quite embarrassed by interrupting him. “Excuse me, Your Majesty, but I have 昀椀nished the atlas you have requested.” “Oh! Yes! Give it here.” The Cartographer awkwardly handed him the book, and His Majesty lazily 昀氀ipped through a couple pages before handing it back. “Yes, that will do. I will have your payment delivered shortly.” “Would you like me to leave it here for you, sir, so you can have a look through it?” “No, you may 昀椀nd a shelf for it in the library. That will do.” The Cartographer was taken aback, but the king had promised a generous sum for completing the book, so he obeyed and paced back toward the library. Only when he stared blankly at the cleared shelf did the remorse start to creep in. There is dust everywhere, he thought. The entire PLAINS PARADOX ■ 96