Ok, I think I experienced your hypothetical situation in a dream once, Carol, and at the risk of sounding like a Crisco commercial I'd like to share it with you ...

In the dream I was resting in a beautiful white stone room with white draperies, looking out the window. There was a booth outside, with a very very VERY tall man (or Being) in a white robe behind it. In front of the booth there was a long lineup of much smaller men, also dressed in white robes.

The first one stepped up to the booth, and suddenly I could hear the most godawful sounds of a beating ... the thuds and cracks of boots and fists pounding into flesh. But no one was moving - not even the Tall one behind the booth. Yet the one who'd stepped up to booth was crumpling to the ground as if his body was being broken by invisible thugs - first his feet, then legs, then up his body. Finally he was completely prostrate on the ground, nothing left unbroken but his head ... and as I watched in horror the Tall One stepped out from behind the booth and stood over him. As the final crushing blows fell I had to turn my eyes away and cover my face ... and I woke up.

Yukky dream, huh? I DO hope it's not like that .... :-(

daylia