Conditional Reality

Cucumber Sawbuck sat at the bottom of the mountain and offered maps to climbers to help them get to the top. Have you climbed to the top? asked the climbers. No, said Cucumber, but you should follow the path on my map. Is the glacier on your map? they asked. Is the wide crevasse near the peak on your map? Is the talus field? No, no, and no, said Cucumber. Why should we believe you? said the climbers. Cucumber leaned toward the mountain. The mountain bent closer to Cucumber and hugged him. Okay, said the climbers, we’ll take your map.