Episode One: The Bar a short cosmic comedy The Sun had been throwing the same neighborhood barbecue for four and a half billion years, and at this point everyone mostly came for the leftovers. ✦ ✦ ✦ The Spread Mercury arrived first, because Mercury arrived first to everything, vibrating slightly even when standing still. He circled the table twice before anyone else had shown up. Mercury: Is the food out? Is it out yet? I could've done this lap eighty-eight times by now. Venu