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Can you see them? There, just a little ahead and to your right. They are partly hidden by the mists of time so you must look close, but if you do that you will see a primitive man crouched at the mouth of a cave with his woman and their young son. They are anxiously looking out across this valley as it was 20,000 years ago, and at that time the valley was darkened by a thunderstorm. They are terribly upset. Twice in the past the man has experienced this; the woman and the child, never. Let us pause and watch them for a while. It should be most interesting to witness their reactions to this work of nature that we take for granted today. Look first at the man. I will explain what is going through his mind as he looks at something neither he nor his family can understand.
This had come on so suddenly, he is thinking. Only a short time ago the great fire that moves across the sky was looking down on them, and all was peaceful then. Now great chunks of cold, hardened water fell upon the earth and the dark fabric of this new sky was being torn by occasional streaks of blinding light. Even worse, each streak was followed by the growling, threatening voice of whoever sent the light.
Are we being punished? the man wonders. If so, by whom and for what? Or is this only a warning? If it is, why is the message so unclear? Seeing nothing that makes sense, he looks into his mind for answers. There are none, so his feelings of impotence grow and his anxiety turns to fear. Desperately he fights back. Struggling against his emotions he tries hard to contain them. For his family's sake he must not show concern, the man tells himself as he looks at the woman and the boy.
The woman, her eyes wide with terror, clutches the boy with one arm and clings to the man with the other. Occasionally she glances at him, hoping against hope that he will explain what is happening and assure her that they face no danger. The man can't do that.
Look! See how the man reaches out to comfort the woman and the boy as a bolt of lightning strikes that nearby tree. And witness the terror that fills them as flames blossom on the tree where the lightning struck it. The man cringes inwardly and leads the others deeper into the cave. There they cower in the darkness, each silently hoping that whoever cast those bolts will soon move on. He will, the man nervously tells himself. Eventually. At least that's the way it happened in the past. The other two horrors he had seen were equally frightening, but afterward the sky had brightened and the great fireball reappeared. Will that happen this time too? He isn't sure, and the uncertainty nags at him. But he keeps his silence. It will do no good to share his thoughts with her. Pulling the woman and their son closer, he hugs them both. And they wait.
Look, now the storm is subsiding and the sun is coming out again. As it does, the man bolsters his courage and creeps to the mouth of the cave. Cautiously he looks outside and, seeing nothing unusual, he slowly leaves the cave and walks toward the fallen tree. As he draws near and smells the burning wood he realizes that whatever struck this giant plant was very powerful indeed. He considers that. Surely that light could make him very powerful, too, if only he could reach into the sky and seize it. For a moment he imagines he can do that. It is a pleasant thought. Allowing himself an even wilder flight of fancy, he dreams he can create the streaks of light at will. Quickly he realizes what that could mean. Why, with such powers he could warm and light his cave. Had the bright flash not set this tree ablaze? The light, if only he could own it, would start his fires too. Oh, what comfort that would bring when the winds blew cold and the great fireball dropped behind the distant hill.
Abruptly he stiffens and clears his mind. This is not the time for fantasy, he is telling himself. Besides, it is an impossible dream. He could never catch the light. He doesn't understand it; doesn't know what it is. Therefore he could never capture and control it. Forever it will elude him, he thinks; forever it will belong only to the darkened skies and the howling wind. He shakes his head in sadness and regret.
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