The Ultimate Answer to Kings: Here's the last Claire update...

They say that Louis XIV had the inscription Ultima Ratio Regum cast into all the cannon of the French Army. It means "The Ultimate Argument of Kings," and that always struck me as one of the most honest and up-front things any ruler or would-be ruler ever said. "We can dress it up prettier than this, but when it comes down to the unvarnished truth this is what it's about: You'll do as I say or I'll send my goons to kill you."

I thought about that for a long time. If there's an ultimate argument, it seems only logical that there must be an ultimate answer. For years I thought the ultimate answer must be the bullets in my rifle, but it never seemed quite right. I've got bullets - he's got frigging Cannon Balls. I mean, if there were three hundred million rifles throwing bullets at him, then maybe. But we all know that's not going to happen. So if there's an ultimate answer to his ultimate argument, it sure as hell ain't bullets.

It finally came to me - and that's when I left the city, abandoned a goodly percentage of my goods, and gave all that was behind me a good, stiff Randian Shrug.

The ultimate answer to kings is not a bullet, but a belly laugh.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Here's the last Claire update...

Claire has arrived at her destination safely and with no further trouble. She went through the closing ritual and is sleeping in her own house tonight. All's well.

2 comments:

suek said...: See?? All that worry for nothing!

Glad to hear the good ending. Now you can worry about something else!; August 17, 2010 at 11:54 AM
MamaLiberty said...: Thanks for letting us know, Joel. I guess I can let the prayer wheel slow down a bit now.; August 17, 2010 at 1:51 PM

The Ultimate Answer to Kings

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Monday, August 16, 2010

Here's the last Claire update...

2 comments:

Why the hell did you scroll all the way down here?