When you led the People of the Trees to become the guardians of the world, your only desire was that they should be happy. And for thousands of years, they were, and so were you.

But suddenly they start advancing too fast. Remember, you're a being accustomed to treating a million years as if it were a day. The interval of time between the discovery of bronze and the launching of communications satellites seems like an instant to you.

You always intended for the People of the Trees to achieve the technology that they have; after all, the other races have achieved as much and more. However, you intended the process to be slow and gradual, so that their society could adapt to the changes. Instead they've become a race of children surrounded by toys that are much too powerful of them.

There are six billion of them. Your body, the earth, groans under their feet. You cry out, but they do not listen. The air grows hot and dirty. You scream, but they do not listen. Whole species are massacred, forests are burned away without thought, explosions wrack the surface. They are deaf to your pleas, your warnings, your threats.

And, worst of all, they are cruel to each other. You wanted them to be happy -- but they insist on taking happiness from one another.

So you've given up. You've called for an emergency Meeting to pass the custody of the earth to whoever will take it.

At this point, you can't simply change your mind. In order for the People of the Trees to continue their custody of the world, two things must happen:

• You must be convinced that the People of the Tree can still show the virtues that you value the most: to be responsible and responsive; to enjoy and give joy; to be happy and to share happiness. You will be offended at any offers of gifts or bribes, empty promises, or pleas for mercy. They didn't listen to you, so you're not willing to listen to them. Let them show that they are worthy of the earth.
• The representatives of the races at the Meeting must agree by majority vote to allow the People of the Trees to continue custody. But surely if you said that they were worthy, that would be enough to sway the vote... wouldn't it?