There is an ancient mystery that has recently penetrated deep into the hearts of the international petite bourgeoisie: the Nazca Lines in Peru. There is no illustrated magazine or television station that has not titillated the universal simpletons blessed with some university training by displaying the gargantuan figures that undoubtedly cannot be perceived from the ground. But what was their purpose then? Of course, the Nazca Culture (circa 300 B.C. to 700 A.D.) is implicitly considered of no importance as it would only spoil the mystery, and perhaps the profits of the Peruvian branch of international tourism, to dabble into history or anthropology. The argument is thus reduced to a scholastic syllogism: if these formidable figures cannot be seen from the ground, then there must have existed flying machines of some kind. Why would anyone go through so much trouble otherwise? The petite bourgeoisie thus projects itself backward in time. An intelligence of extraterrestrial origin is invoked in order to provide a plausible solution to this puzzle, as well as a sublime cocktail pastime for the rationalistically minded consumers of mystery. In fact, there is no puzzle here. The Nazca Lines can be perceived quite easily by gods. The Nazca knew this. That is why they had constructed their flat monuments with such care and precision, for their gods did not tolerate any sloppiness. And sloppiness is nowadays the trademark of the happy consumers and their colorful merchandise. Their gods are dead. Their extraterrestrial hopes are their just punishment—the religious semblance in the garb of instrumental reason.