Night turned to day and day turned to night, time flowed on. Days past, weeks past, months past, and inevitably, years past as well. The two passengers continued their voyage upon the rickety old raft. The days became a cycle for the sapling, during the day the two would engage in conversation, and more often than not Enki would say something truly insightful that they would find extremely enlightening. There seemed to be no question that the man could not answer with ease, no concept he hadn’t already grasped. Time after time the sapling attempted to confound him to no avail. So, inevitably they stopped trying to match wits. The sapling eventually realized that the old man was a wealth of knowledge. He was an invaluable resource that could be used to gain a greater understanding of the intricacies of the world and the laws that governed it. After this change in thinking the conversations between the two changed from a battle of verbal spars and barbs to one of instruction and guidance. The more this went on the closer the two became, and the more their relationship began to resemble that of a master and his apprentice or a father and his child. The sapling came to understand that the silent nights, originally considered to be a form of punishment or retribution, were invaluable assets. The night became a time to dissect and analyze all the insights gained throughout the day and in doing so, turn those insights into more personalized understandings. The more times the sapling went through this process, the more complex and clear their thought process became, and as a result the more their observation and interpretation of the world began to change.

The river that had once seemed to be as ferocious and wild as a beast began to seem less daunting, and, not knowing whether it was dehydration or this change in perspective that drove the action, the sapling had slowly reached roots towards the river’s surface. The day the roots first contacted the water’s surface they felt an overwhelmingly biting chill. It was only through sheer force of will and perseverance that the sapling managed to extract and absorb tiny amounts of the water. When the water circulated throughout the sapling’s system there was only shock and astonishment. What was once believed to be a river of death had suddenly become an invaluable trove of treasure. In small amounts, the water was immensely beneficial to the sapling’s body. Of course, if too much was absorbed, the water would inevitably destroy the sapling from the inside out due to its more violent nature, but in minute quantities it was an absolute tonic. As time went on the sapling came to an even greater understanding of the river. During the hours between dusk and dawn, the water would become as docile as a slumbering behemoth, and could more easily be absorbed. However, at dawn, the behemoth would awaken, and any attempts to steal from it would be rebuffed with extreme prejudice. So, the sapling’s routine was amended. During the day the sapling would seek council from Enki, at dusk they would meditate over the day’s gains, and just before the first light of dawn, the sapling’s roots would reach for the river’s surface to absorb a minuscule amount of water.

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For seven years the two kept up this routine and over time it became apparent to the sapling that Enki was an unfathomable existence. Not only was his knowledge boundless, but his body seemed to be undying. For seven years the sapling had interacted with the old man, and while the sapling’s trunk and roots had grown hale and hardy, Enki appeared unchanged. Both of their bodies should have changed over time, but slowly it became apparent that only the sapling seemed affected by time’s flow. Over seven years the sapling had never seen Enki thirst, hunger, or tire. Every day at dawn, his eyes would open and he would resume his battles with the sapling’s unending curiosity and the river’s unending ebbs and flows. He seemed inhuman. There were never any signs of aging or exhaustion, and he never seemed to lose his patience with either combatant. Finally, the sapling’s curiosity took hold, and they said something that gave Enki pause.

“Enki, no, Father, how did you kill Abzu, the primeval sea? How did you create the great river? What destination do you intend to reach by floating upon its surface? And, most importantly, who, or rather, what are you?”