A Sci-Fi/Fantasy short story excerpted from Jack Vance's Rhialto the Marvellous.
Story capsule:
A group of magicians in some far-off time and world receive a message: NOTHING THREATENS MORREION. They know Morreion, because in the distant past he was one of their associates. Thus, they are concerned by the message and discuss its meaning:
Herarch the harbinger held up a black-enameled forefinger: "My habit is to make each problem declare its obverse. The first message, `NOTHING THREATENS MORREION,' becomes `SOMETHING DOES NOT THREATEN MORREION;' and again, `NOTHING DOES THREATEN MORREION.'"
Their discussion, which borders on the relativist philosophical, leads them to believe there really is a threat to Morreion, which they resolve to investigate and act upon. It turns out there really is a "nothing", namely the edge of the Universe, and it is encroaching on Morreion's current location, which constitutes a real threat.
My impression (and yes, this is of course subjective): This story is weird, cynical, whimsical, zany and entertaining like most of Jack Vance's yarns. It's been about 20 years since I first read it, yet it sticks tenaciously in my mind.
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