this is the 2nd part .. with promises of more to come .. to me its delightful reading ;-D
..pk ----- Original Message ----- From: Atul Chitnis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Linux Bangalore/2002 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 4:03 PM Subject: [lb/2002] The Rising (Part 2 - The Trade Lords) > The Rising (Part 2 - The Trade Lords) > > Copyright (c) 2002 Atul Chitnis ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > Applicable License: http://www.opencontent.org/opl.shtml > > Across the world, the Trade Lords were contemplating their future. > > The Empire, that had once served them, was now trying to rule them. It was > an unacceptable situation, and the Trade Lords needed to address the > situation. > > For one, they found their own direction and innovation being constrained by > limitations and taxes that the Empire used to control both the markets, as > well as their own financial wellbeing. > > And the Trade Lords, who had in the past been accused themselves of such > tactics, now found themselves facing their own creation on the battlefield. > > Alignment with the rebels was not possible. Goals and methods often > differed, but one thing was clear - the rebels had clearly found favour with > the public, and their cause was an avalanche cascading down the mountain > slopes, a tidal wave pounding the shores, a storm sweeping the plains and > the forests. > > More and more people, Small and Medium people of Enterprise, as well as huge > trade houses spanning nations, found themselves trying the tools and the > knowledge that the rebels were offering them for free and without strings > attached. > > And they found themselves liking them, and using them on a regular basis. > > "Sure", said they, "these tools are not as yet as refined and glossy as > those of the Empire. But they have grown more and more so, and at the > functional level, they offer almost the same services - and sometimes even > better!" > > For it was the truth. The Rebels' Tools were indeed wondrous things to > behold. People, used only to the offerings of the Empire, found that there > was in fact nothing magical about them. The rebels readily shared their > wisdom and knowledge with all those who wished to understand the inner > workings of these tools - raising the confidence in the people wishing to > use them. > > And seeing the inner workings, the "magic" that the Empire had tried to hide > from others, opened the eyes of many a disbeliever. Suddenly, they > understood that what they had presumed to be way beyond their ken, was > instead there for their understanding. > > And not just that - the rebels were encouraging others to take the tools, > and change them, improve them - to bend the metal into shapes best suited to > peoples' needs! > > This was unheard of, and found great favour. > > The Trade Lords did not miss this tidal wave hitting their shores. They too > had sampled the rebels' wares, and found them to their liking. > > But how could they benefit from these wonderful gifts, and ensure that the > rebels cause would continue to flourish? > > One by one, and over many a year, they quietly, and sometimes loudly, began > offering aid to the rebels. First it would be with support for a particular > tool, then they advanced to more broad-based support, allowing the rebels to > decide how to apply these gifts. > > And then, just as everyone thought that a balance had been achieved, the > Trade Lords did what no one had expected them to - they started providing > tools themselves - in the spirit of the rebellion. > > Across the world, the armour of the Empire began creaking and growing > uncomfortable. Their Warrior, who once led them into battle, now served the > purpose of attrition, going from land to land, trying to quell the > uprisings. > > He would return from these journeys, only to find his own stables in > disorder, and holes and cracks were found in his own fortresses, and > exploited by others. > > "Enough!", cried he, "it is time to secure my own fortress, lest it be > overrun by the people we are trying to rule!" > > And so he called for the great cleansing, with every man, woman and juvenile > in his service throwing themselves at the task of securing their walls. > > While the Empire was so engaged, the rebellion, now with greater and greater > support from the Trade Lords, encouraged people to do that what the Empire > was so desperately trying to avoid - they encouraged others to examine the > "magic" of the tools they were giving people. They asked for, and received, > help from others in flushing out and squashing the flaws that remained. > > The Empire shook. Never before had they faced an enemy who struck so deeply > at the very core of their existence - the "magic" of their tools. And the > Empire realised that it could not possibly match the number of people whom > the rebellion had to improve their tools, and to secure them. > > "We must find a way to appear as open as the rebellion", said the Warrior, > "but without losing control over our magic". > > And so they did. They selected a few Trade Lords, and offered them an inner > view of their "magic". They called it "Shared Magic", but it was anything > but that. > > For the Empire carefully ensured that no one other than them would benefit > from the improvements that these privileged few Trade Lords made. The Empire > would then embrace these changes, and extend them to their own, secretive, > inner workings, then charge a heavy tax of everyone for the use of these > improvements. > > For a while, it appeared that the strategy was working. A few Trade Lords > went with it for a while, but it soon became clear that the motivation from > the shared magic was not just improvement, but profit for the Empire. > > At the same time, the rebels, with their open "magic", endeared themselves > more and more to the people. Their strategy was simple - if nothing was > hidden, then nothing could be hidden. If there was a flaw that could be > exploited, then it would be found quickly, and fixed. > > And in one land, a band of these rebels, who were now being called > "citizens" again, were quietly putting together a coming together of > like-minded people, of knowledge and of understanding. > > This was the thing that the Empire's Warrior had so feared. He knew that > this coming together would unleash not just more knowledge, but acceptance > by the Lords that ruled the land. It was this that he attempted to squash, > by making it unattractive to support the coming together of the people and > the rebels. > > He understood that to destroy this coming together, he would need to do two > things - bring the ruling Lords on his side (which was easily done with the > giving of gifts and promises), and threaten the Trade Lords, who had the > power within their coffers to make or break the coming together, with loss > of business, with loss of support, with more taxes, and the cross of > license. > > The cross of license. The one thing that made mortals shiver in their boots. > They knew that they had encouraged the making of this cross, but little had > they imagined that they would find themselves impaled upon it some day. > > But now it was there, being held over their heads like the sword of > Damocles, and they realised that their coffers were now just temporary > storage for wealth that must eventually go to the Empire. For as long as the > Cross of License could be used as a weapon against them, they would not know > peace, freedom or prosperity. > > "This far and no further", cried the Trade Lords. "We must free ourselves of > this tyranny, to be allowed to reap the fruits of our own work." > > "And we must side with the people who have shown us a way out, with the > people who have the open magic that is now helping us so much!" > > And so, despite the threats of the Warrior, they offered aid to the coming > together. > > As the day drew closer, and it was evident that nothing could prevent the > coming together, people started filling the streets, calling out to the > rebels, asking them to show themselves. > > "Come forth, do not hide any longer!" > > One by one, the band of rebels that was responsible for the coming together > emerged from the shadows of buildings, of trees and of clouds. They drew > back their cowls, revealing themselves to be ordinary people one saw every > day and never gave a second glance. > > There was the King of Sly, and there was the Lady Jess, and yonder the The > Pair of Sane, and from amongst the crowds stepped forth the Mahe of Endra, > with his faithful friend Kart'k at his side. There rode in The Carter of > Sid, on his faithful steed, the Green Bull. And from amongst the trees > stepped the Wal of Jais, smiling his toothy grin as he stepped forward. > > The people milled around, and in unison cried > > "Reveal to us who the Trade Lords are who have so generously opened their > coffers to us! Let us thank them, and let us take them into our midst" > > And the little band of rebels smiled, as they turned to face the huge gate > that was guarded by their two faithful, old, gray-haired gnomes. > > And the gray-haired gnomes understood the signal - that it was time for > the revelation. > > And so they grasped the handles of the tremendous doors, and slowly, and > with a loud creaking sound, threw them open, to reveal to the people who > had dared to snub the Empire by supporting the cause of the rebels, and > aiding them in putting to gether the coming together. > > And even though the Empire's Warrior was not present (having departed from > the land just the day before), one could hear his bellow of pain as he > realised that efforts to suppress the rebellion had failed, that the quest > for freedom was stronger than the might of the Empire. > > And the doors swung open.... > > ...To be continued > > -- > Linux Bangalore/2002 > Technology for a Free World > December 3/4/5, 2002 > http://linux-bangalore.org/2002 > > ------------------------------------------- > Atul Chitnis | [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Exocore Consulting | http://www.exocore.com > Bangalore, India | +91 (80) 344-0397 > ------------------------------------------- > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Your use of Yahoo! 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