Television viewers have been either steaming over or celebrating the six-year mystery that was ABC’s Lost. For Lost fans who pride themselves on sleuthing, I present the following riddle:

A butler lived with his master for 30 years, until the master became sick and near death. One day, the master called his butler and told him “for your years of good service, I will grant any one request you make of me. It can be anything, but only one request.” The master gave him a day to think about the request before answering.

The butler went to his mother to talk about the request. His mother was blind and she asked her son to request something which would make her see again.

Then the butler went to his wife. She asked for a son, as they had been previously unable to have children on their own.

Finally, the butler went to his father. His father had toiled his whole life without gaining much wealth, so he asked his son to request a lot of money.

The next day the butler went to his master and made one request, and that one request granted the wishes of all three of the people he’d spoken to (his mother, his wife, and his father). The request was granted, and everyone lived happily ever after.

What request did the butler make of the master?

See the answer, so stunning in its simplicity, after the break.

The answer is that there is no answer, and the riddle is really about the characters more than the mythology of the riddle, and the beautiful journey the characters undertake, which is more important than answers to specific questions.

This riddle has been brought to you by the makers of L O S T.