Cruel as Wagner

Its Vivaldi. An electronic reproduction lacking in nuance, from some sup-par speakers, I'm afraid. These are truly brutal times. But that is no excuse for bad manners. You're my guest, is there a composer you would prefer?

...


Don't look so surprised. One simply can't be a raider in this day and age, without an appreciation for the baroque era of classical music. Natural selection - those who didn't are now dead. Well, not so much natural as guided - if I spoke of the "Will to Power" would I need to repeat myself?

Of Course. Nietzsche is a little bit advanced when you don't have the sphere. I'll try to explain it less philosophically, though if I am reduced to monosyllabic grunts, I will have to take you outside and put a bullet in your cranium.

Polite society did not fare well in the days following the arrival of our extraterrestrial guests. A large portion of the clerical grid went down, and government resources to deal with the scenario were rather thinly stretched. Quite a few took this time to rationalize their anti-social behaviors. Some justified it as protecting their family, and others felt that this lack of oversight meant some stumbling block had been removed from their path to becoming an ubermensch and dictating their own morals. A horrid perversion of the concept, mind you, the true superman rejects limits on creativity and living to the fullest, but does not fall to destruction.

That is the key. So many out to prove their dominance, to take what they feel is theirs. But you can only demonstrate your power over the windows of the local liquor store so many times. Filling bottles with a mixture of dish-soap and gasoline will not build fear or good protection.

Control is so much more. It is knowledge! Maintaining supplies of arms, knowing where convoys are going, knowing how far to push, without razing it all to the ground.

The raiders and brigands today are not the violent youths that grabbed as much as they could carry and ran off in the early days. Its the ones with keen minds and the ability to think in the long term. Knowing about Zugzwang in chess is as as necessary as the use of guns - though I will admit, if you learned to play chess while serving time in San Quentin - you have the best of both worlds.

We just about never hit a convoy directly. We harass from afar, leave some trees in their path, and put holes in one or two of the drivers every now and then. Just enough to let the towns along the way understand we could sever their life lines. In turn, they are willing to give us tributes to prevent this scenario.

Better to be the tax collector than toe cutter. The benefits of recurring business over a single raid is quite self evident. Indeed, we lose far more recruits in skirmishes with other outlaws than broaching the walls a settlement. It is to our benefit to make sure the areas under our - protection - remain viable an paying unto us.

Sometimes it is necessary to exert a bit more force. It would be dishonest to say I'm sorry that your caravan happened to bare the brunt of that occurrence. But flexibility and recognizing opportunity are important personal traits, and this is your time. My men were quite impressed by your performance protecting your wares.

You could do very well if you cultivated an appreciation for Stravinsky and signed on with our organization.