Epilogue

Poor Milton though—he never did get back to pinochle. First there was a bit of paperwork after the “battle.” Milton and the other premonitionists had to round up the troops from the Red Side, and separate those who were confused, conned into joining, or otherwise generally harmless (2,345,384,309,489 individuals) from those who were actually dangerous (Just 7 individuals. These 7

individuals were sentenced to life on Xelern). Then Milton was whisked around on a publicity tour of the Galaxy, and on that tour, Milton met Miltina (an “alien” premonitionist), and one thing led to another, and he really had no time for card games.

In his autobiography, “How I Single Handedly Won the Galaxy,” Milton wrote that “A life without pinochle has been somewhat of a struggle for me. Sometimes my hands ache for the cards, and I regret that card playing has fallen out of Galactic fashion.” However, later in the book, he notes that,

“I am happier now than I have ever been—I have learned to laugh at the idiosyncrasies of life, and I have learned to laugh at the pinochle title that was once so important to me.” The inside back flap of the book remarks that “Milton and Miltina are happily married and they currently live with Milton’s foster parents (and the foster parents’ three adult daughters, and one very aged platypus—all from planet Earth) in a condo on Haiha.”

In regards to planet Earth, however, in the aftermath of the “battle,” the Blue Side issued a policy of non-contact—meaning that no worlds that had not already been already introduced to the presence of alien species would ever be introduced to them. According to the new rulers of the Galaxy, this would prevent another powerful “evil” faction from arising in the Galaxy—although just how this was supposed to do that, no one could ever say. Milton and his immediate family were the only creatures from Earth who were even aware of other life forms in the Galaxy—the rest of the planet remained in the dark.

Consequently, humans were put on the list of “Creatures Not to be Contacted,” and so, in a little known reach of the Galaxy sits our blue and green Earth, alone, untouched, and completely oblivious.