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In the Holding Cell

1bt13

00:00 / 04:04

MOCK TRIAL

One day, the Fool was arrested during a peaceful protest. As he was languishing in the holding cell, the guard informed him that he was about to be escorted into the courtroom for his hearing. "Give me a moment to freshen up," the Fool replied. "I've always got to look my best, you know. Success depends ninety-five percent on appearances, as my Dad used to say."

On the Witness Stand

Soon the guard escorted the Fool to the witness stand. The Fool swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

The Prosecutor

The prosecutor angrily pointed his finger at the Fool. "We live now in a wonderful time, a wonderful new world order, and under our new laws, you are being tried as a radical leftist heretic because of your blog and your political actions. Do you understand the charges?"

Amused Public

The Fool replied, "Yes, of course, I am currently the leader of a new movement that I have dubbed 'Verminism.' You can call me 'V' for short, or if you prefer 'F' for 'Fool' though I suppose 'F' could stand for several other things."
Some of the people observing from the public benches appeared slightly amused.

Followers of V?

The Fool continued, "I am, of course, the only official member of the movement so far." Several people put on masks--as if they were followers of 'V' but wished to remain anonymous.

Reciting the Lord's Prayer

Suddenly a man in the courtroom started reciting the Lord's Prayer.
"Remove that man from the courtroom immediately," the judge blurted out.
As the man was being dragged from the courtroom, he emphasized the end of the prayer, "For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever." The judge did not look amused.

Tree of Life

“If I may, your honor,” the Fool continued. “That man has a point. You have labeled me a heretic, but I am a Christian, and Christianity has roots deep in Jewish mysticism. You may recall that Christianity evolved from Judaism. Jesus was a Jew, for God’s sake. The end of the Lord’s Prayer references three Emanations, or Sephiroth, of the Tree of Life, the mystical glyph, or composite symbol, of the Kabbalah. Therefore, as evidenced by the end of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus knew the Kabbalah, which nowadays for many in the West is known as the Qabalah, Q-a-b-a-l-a-h. What many don’t realize, however, is that the Tree of Life continues to evolve like the rest of creation. The modern Qabalah is more inclusive and recognizes that all authentic spiritual traditions throughout history have created Gods and Goddesses that symbolically represent the subtle dimensions of One Universal Consciousness. If you understand that simple concept, you know why this trial is simply an obvious example of persecution. Those in power now want to dominate every aspect of our lives, especially the spiritual dimensions of our lives.”

Three of Pentacles

The prosecutor angrily approached the Fool once again. "Why are you so interested in this heretical 'Qabalah.' You must realize that it is now against the law."
"I wish to create an inner cathedral through my abilities to see into the spiritual dimension, my intellectual abilities, and my imaginative and creative abilities so that I can experience and honor and praise all of the dimensions of Universal Consciousness."
"Blasphemy!" the prosecutor shouted.
The Fool made a farting noise. "You must be a priest as well as a prosecutor!" the Fool exclaimed.

Bailiff

Some people howled with laughter.
The judge brought down his gavel and shouted, "Order, order in the court!" but some people continued snickering. The judge yelled, "Bailiff, clear the courtroom!" The bailiff, who had seemed like he was about to fall asleep, escorted all the members of the public from the room.

Jury

By the time the bailiff finally cleared the courtroom, most of the jury members seemed to have fallen asleep.

King Rentier

The prosecutor once again approached the witness stand and angrily pointed his finger at the Fool. "You are also accused of being a radical leftist!" the prosecutor shouted. "What do you have to say in your defense?"
The Fool smiled and continued, “Most of the Oligarchs and Corporate CEO’s who own the political system are rentiers. They set up toll booths wherever they can and collect fees and rents and force people deeply into debt. On top of that, the corporatists gouge everyone with inflation. They don’t do much of anything that truly helps the people of this realm. Instead, like vampires, they suck us dry. They rip us off and exhaust workers and resources even as we are all still reeling from a pandemic. They are heartless kings in a class of their own--but without any real class.”

Hospital Room during Pandemic

The Fool continued, "For instance, some people in the for-profit health care industry made a killing during the pandemic. Instead of testing, contact tracing, and quarantining to contain the pandemic, which health care systems in other countries have done rather effectively, our government let the pandemic rage, so we all got to watch as over a million people died a horrible death."

Military Firing on Protesters

The Fool couldn’t seem to stop himself. “I may be a radical leftist, as you put it, but I am simply trying to protect people and the natural world because I know the underlying unity of all creation. We are all divine expressions of One Universal Consciousness. Look, our dear leader wants to use the military to deport millions of immigrants and put a stop to all protests. I know many immigrants who are devout Christians. Some are very kind people. We are all immigrants or descendants of immigrants, except for the few Native Americans who somehow managed to survive the genocide that swept across North America for several hundred years.”
The judge angrily shook his finger at the Fool. "You are coming dangerously close to contempt of court!" he shouted.

Mother Mary?

"Why are you persecuting Christians?" a woman suddenly blurted out. "Why are you persecuting anyone who worships God in his or her own way? There are as many paths to God as the breaths of men and women!"

Irate Judge

"How did that woman get back in here?" the judge shouted. "Remove that woman immediately!"

Concentration Camp

The next day, the jury found the Fool guilty on all counts. They sent him to a concentration camp where guards starved the prisoners and worked them to death.

Escape to the Tarot Realm

In the middle of the night, before he got too weak, the Fool escaped the camp as guards fired at him, barely missing him. He eventually found a path in the forest and strolled in the moonlight back to the Tarot Realm.

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Memory Hole

2beat

00:00 / 03:54

MEMORY HOLE DIVINATION

Five of Cups: Mars in Scorpio, Mars in Power (Geburah)

As the Fool was escaping from the concentration camp, he encountered someone who looked like a clown climbing out of a hole next to the path.
"Welcome to the memory hole," the clown trumpeted. "This hole contains memories from personal experiences as well as memories from deep in the collective consciousness of humanity. Would you like to join me?"
"Uh, Naw. I don't think so," the Fool replied.
"The Tarot contains archetypes that stimulate personal and collective memories deep in our consciousness. Perhaps you would like a Tarot reading instead," the clown replied.
"What kind of spread would you be using," the Fool inquired.
"A four-card spread. The first three cards reveal the past, present, and future, and the fourth provides advice," the clown replied.
"Well, okay," the Fool replied. "I need to rest anyway."
The clown drew the Five of Cups from the Tarot deck. "Um, Five of Cups: Mars in Scorpio, Mars in Power. The Five of Cups is an archetype that can stimulate negative personal and collective memories."

The Tower: Mars

"Great! Just what I needed," the Fool muttered. Suddenly the Fool had a vision of lightning striking a tower and a couple falling from a window, and he described his vision to the Tarot reader.
The clown smiled. "What you have just described is the archetype associated with Mars," he stated. "Mars is a dominant influence in the Five of Cups, appearing in both the decan correspondence and the Tree of Life association." The clown pulled The Tower from the Tarot deck and showed it to the Fool. "The Tower represents Mars," the clown said. "The image is disturbing but reveals an important aspect of the Mars archetype. The lightning of Mars is jarring and unexpected but sheds light on unbalanced energies so that we can reestablish harmony. Mars is associated with the fifth Emanation known as Power. You might have noticed that many law enforcement officers wear a five-pointed star as a badge, revealing their allegiance to ideals of the fifth Emanation. Mars is a God of War, but he is always on the side fighting for a righteous cause. People can manifest the energy of Mars and use power to establish and maintain harmony. Unfortunately many people in their towers use power for their own ends and seriously harm others in the process."

Death: Scorpio

Suddenly the Fool had a vision of Death on a pale horse and described his vision to the clown.
The clown found the Tarot card known as Death and showed it to the Fool. "This Tarot card represents deep transformation. Three symbols associated with Scorpio represent the process of transformation. The scorpion represents our earthly nature. The snake is also close to the earth but sheds its skin, which suggests rebirth. The eagle is a magnificent creature who can soar high and see from the perspective of eternity. If you follow the association chain, you see that Mars can cause a transformation that results in a profound change that enables us to touch eternity by experiencing the dimensions of Universal Consciousness."

Poppies and Lupine near a River

Suddenly the Fool had a vision of lupine and poppies next to a river.

Dam

Then he had a vision of a dam on the river.

Dead River

Then he had a vision of the river dying in the valley below the dam, and he described his visions to the clown.
The clown responded, "I'm sure you have traveled many times over dead or dying rivers in the valley. Dams in the mountains have killed most of the rivers and wetlands in the valley, and the flowers and wildlife have all but disappeared. These visions reveal memories of the collective experience of people who have lived in the valley. Perhaps Mars is revealing to you how the political and economic systems in your realm have become unbalanced."

Native American Pounding Stone with Pestles

Then the Fool had a vision of a Native American pounding stone, and he told the clown about it. The clown frowned, "Ecocide and genocide go hand in hand. If people in power are capable of killing off a race of people to steal their land and resources, they are also capable of damaging and exhausting ecosystems until they collapse. The powerful too often, for their own benefit, completely exhaust both people and resources. Power too often manifests as greed, gluttony, tyranny, bigotry, hypocrisy, cruelty, and destructiveness. The rich and powerful too often manifest unbalanced energies harmful to society instead of manifesting the ideal energies of power that manifest as harmony and justice."

The Hanged Man: Water

The clown continued, "I'm going to draw the second card now. Um...The Hanged Man, which represents the element of Water. The card used to be called 'The Traitor.' Some people, especially the rich and powerful, tend to treat others who disagree with them as traitors. People who fight for harmony and justice are often threatened, blackballed, financially ruined, even murdered. This card is a warning."

Ace of Cups: Water

The clown then pulled out an Ace and showed it to the Fool. The clown continued, "The Ace of Cups represents the root of the element of Water. A white dove representing the Holy Spirit carries a wafer in her beak as she flies toward a golden cup. The Holy Ghost presents spiritual symbols to those who can see into the spiritual dimensions. The equal-armed cross on the wafer represents the cosmic energies in balance. By manifesting the balanced energies, we can heal ourselves, our communities, our society, and even the damaged ecosystems in the world."

Flowers in Spring

The Fool suddenly had a vision of vibrant flowers on a hillside.

Big Box Store

Then the Fool had a vision of a big box store where the flowers used to bloom.

Mini Mart next to Box Store

Then he envisioned a mini mart next to the box store. He told the clown about his visions.
The clown sighed, "Many people haven't experienced the natural world, only capitalism. They are conditioned to be consumers. A society in balance would leave plenty of open spaces where wild species could flourish. Each individual needs to know that he or she is part of the community of all life."

Two of Pentacles: Jupiter in Capricorn

Then the clown continued, "It is time for me to draw the third card, which represents the future. Ahhh...The Two of Pentacles, Jupiter in Capricorn. The five-pointed star in the golden pentacles represents the elements of Earth, Air, Water, Fire, all of which expand out into the cosmos as energies represented symbolically by the triplicities of the zodiac and their ruling planets. The four elements are united with the element of spirit, which is symbolically positioned at the top of the star. The figure in the Two of Pentacles juggles the elements within an infinity symbol while he dances. He might resemble a fool, but he balances all of the subtle energies as he experiences the cosmic dance of life."

Wheel of Fortune: Jupiter

The clown then found the Wheel of Fortune in the Tarot deck and showed it to the Fool. "This card is associated with Jupiter. The wheel of fortune is round like the golden pentacles and represents eternity. The wheel keeps turning. Fortune changes. The world is always in flux, but notice that the animals in the card that represent the four elements are golden. No matter if you are descending or ascending the wheel of fortune, you can know the gold of the spirit and manifest the spiritual harmony, abundance, and magnificence of Jupiter."

Forest Reduced to Dirt and Ash

Suddenly the Fool had a vision of a forest reduced to ash and dirt and described his vision to the clown. "Climate change is killing the forests," the Fool mourned.

Star Fish and Sea Anemones

Then the Fool had a vision of marine life at the seashore, starfish and sea anemones and barnacles and crabs.

Barren Rocks with Patches of Tar

But then the Fool had a vision of barren rocks at the seashore. All the marine life was gone. He could only see a few patches of tar on the rocks, as if an oil spill had killed everything. He described his vision to the clown.

The Star: Aquarius

The clown drew the fourth card. "The Star, which represents Aquarius. The mythological principle of Aquarius is 'The Opening of the Heart.' Sometimes the best we can do is pour the energies of compassion and love into our world."

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Followed by Monsters

3grate

00:00 / 04:16

THE CROWN OF THE CASTLE

The Liars

As the Fool hiked on the trail through the forest, he realized that he was being followed by monsters. They weren't acting like they were about to attack him, but he started to feel very dark emotions. Suddenly he remembered encountering a strange creature on the path who blew a trumpet and then spewed misinformation and disinformation and outright lies.

Followed by Imps

Soon the Fool realized that he was being followed by a crowd of imps. He didn't mind too much because some of them seemed kind of cute.

Followed by Demons

But then the imps turned into demons that were projecting terrible thoughts and emotions at him.

Meeting the King

Just as all of the negativity was overwhelming the Fool, he encountered a king on a throne surrounded by an entourage.
"Only I can save you from these monsters," the king proclaimed. "But first, you must kiss my feet...and the feet of all of my noble friends."

The Sleep of Reason Produces Nightmares

The Fool ran away as fast as he could, but bat-like demons followed him.

Meeting with Virgil

His friend Virgil prodded him awake. "I am escaping to the Tarot Realm as well," Virgil stated. "I see that you have had the misfortune of meeting The Liars. They have hypnotized you with lies and disinformation and misinformation, and you have fallen asleep. The last thing they want is for you to remain awake. They want you to have nightmares. Let me guide you away from here to the crown of the castle."

The Crown of the Castle

They hiked a long way up the mountainside until they reached a castle with a golden crown at the very top.
"This is the crown of the castle," Virgil stated. "Some call it the Crown of Creation. Three paths lead to it: the path of The Moon, known in the Tarot as The High Priestess. You are already familiar with that mystical path. The other two paths are known as 'The Magician' and 'The Fool.'"

Image of the Tree of Life on the Castle Wall with The Fool and the Magician

Virgil opened the door of the castle and motioned him in. Then Virgil guided him to a room with a picture on the wall of the Tree of Life with The Magician and The Fool at the top. "As we face the Tree of Life, The Fool is on the right side connecting the second Emanation of Wisdom with The Crown of Creation," Virgil explained. "The Magician is on the left, connecting the third Emanation known as Understanding with the Crown of Creation. I should remind you that the Tree of Life represents the macrocosm and the microcosm. In other words, the Tree of Life represents the dimensions of Universal Consciousness in the cosmos and in ourselves, showing how we are made in the image of God. The three Supernal Emanations at the top represent the divine core of Creation and the individual. The Emanation at the bottom of the Tree represents physical existence. The other Emanations represent cosmic subtle dimensions that in the microcosm we associate with the soul."

The Fool: Air

Virgil continued, "The Fool represents the element of Air, which is often associated with Spirit and the celestial Father. The Fool represents creative freedom, the freedom to cross the Abyss to experience Union with the Divine as well as the freedom to fall into the planes of manifestation to experience all of the dimensions of Universal Consciousness.

The Magician: Mercury

"The Magician," Virgil continued, "is associated with Mercury. The path of The Magician connects with the Emanation of the celestial Mother and represents creative organization. Notice the wand, the cup, the sword, and the pentacle. They represent the four elements of manifestation, Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, respectively. The Magician, during ritual, works with the four elements to manifest the subtle forces of the Source in the Kingdom, the physical plane, as well as in the other planes of manifestation below the Abyss, which in the individual are aspects of the soul, or Evolutionary Self."

Image on the Castle Wall with Aces at the Crown

Virgil guided him to another room and gestured toward a picture on the wall. "This is an image of the Tree of Life that reveals the Aces of the Tarot in the Emanation of The Crown," he explained. "The Ace of Wands represents the element of Fire, the Ace of Cups the element of Water, the Ace of Swords the element of Air, and the Ace of Pentacles the element of Earth. As you can see, both The Fool and The Magician are directly connected to the roots of the four Elements of the Wise. The Liars don't want you to know the Elements of Fire, Air, Spirit, Water, and Earth. They want to hypnotize you and make you fall asleep so that you never know the power of the subtle forces."

Image on the Castle Wall with the Twos and Threes

Virgil guided him to another room and again gestured toward a picture on the wall. "This image shows the Tarot cards associated with the second and third Emanations of the Tree of Life, the Twos and Threes. Each Number Card represents an element and a decan, a zodiac sign and a planet, as well as the energies of the Emanation. The Twos, in other words, represent the dynamic, active, masculine energies of the Emanation of Wisdom, and the Threes represent the passive, reflective, feminine energies of the Emanation of Understanding. Whether you are male or female, you contain all of these energies within you since you are a facet of Universal Consciousness, a microcosm within the macrocosm."

Ace of Wands

They strolled to another room. "This is the Ace of Wands, which represents the element of Fire," Virgil stated. "The element of Fire represents the spiritual will that insists on the creative freedom to experience all of the dimensions of Universal Consciousness."

Ace of Cups

They strolled to another room. "This is the Ace of Cups, which represents the element of Water," Virgil stated. "The element of Water represents the subconscious mind and the emotions, which enable us to feel the subtle forces of the dimensions of Universal Consciousness. By tapping into the subconscious mind, we can experience other dimensions and envision the symbols that represent spiritual principle."

Ace of Swords

They strolled to another room. "This is the Ace of Swords, which represents the element of Air," Virgil stated. "The element of Air represents the intellect, which enables us to understand with the conscious mind the characteristics of the dimensions of Universal Consciousness. On a higher arc in the matrix of the Tree of Life, the element of Air represents spirit as well as the conscious mind."

Ace of Pentacles

They strolled to another room. "This is the Ace of Pentacles, which represents the element of Earth," Virgil stated. "The element of Earth represents the experience of the subtle forces of Universal Consciousness as they manifest in the physical plane. The pentacle represents the unity of the five Elements of the Wise, Earth, Air, Spirit, Water, and Fire. Gold symbolizes the incorruptibility of the spirit as we move through all our experiences within our incarnations in the Kingdom. The golden pentacle reveals that in the physical plane we can experience the dimensions of Universal Consciousness."

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

The Burners

4beat19

00:00 / 04:24

REALM OF DISDAIN

Escaping

As the Fool and Virgil were escaping to the Tarot Realm, a flaming demon on a horse galloped toward them. "Run!" Virgil shouted. The Fool dashed away from the path, and Virgil bolted away in another direction. The demon and his horse paused for a moment. The demon snorted and looked around carefully but then continued blazing down the path.
Eventually Virgil and the Fool found each other again. "That devil and his horse are known as 'The Burners,'" Virgil explained. "I chose this path because no one from our realm would dare to venture into this horrific place, which is known as 'The Realm of Disdain.'"
The Fool chuckled, "Unlike us, apparently, the police and the military and the militias try to avoid creatures who want to burn everything down to the ground."

Clear Cut

"Why do they call this 'The Realm of Disdain'?" the Fool inquired.
"This realm was once ruled by the people," Virgil replied, "but even a strong democracy can eventually be over-turned by powerful capitalistic forces. The wealthiest people over-threw the democracy and created a fascist oligarchy, or plutocracy, or kleptocracy, or whatever you want to call it, and the people in power here continue to show the utmost disdain for people and nature. A handful of the super-rich in this realm for their own personal gain continue to strip nature of its resources and people of their dignity. As you can see, they have just clear-cut this part of the forest." Virgil gestured toward numerous tree stumps.

Dirt and Ash

They continued hiking silently down the path and came upon a vast region of ash. "What happened here?" the Fool gasped. "Was this part of the forest?"
Virgil replied, "The super-rich bought off the politicians, and the politicians lifted regulations on fuels that were causing temperatures to rise. During a long drought, lack of water caused the trees to weaken, and a species of bark beetle invaded. With enough water, the trees could have produced resin to drown most of the beetles, but due to the lack of water, the beetles ended up killing most of the trees. Bark beetles burrow into the bark and feed on the layer that transports nutrients and water throughout the trees. The beetles prevent the flow of essential fluids and cause the trees to die; the beetles also often introduce fungi that further weaken the trees' defenses while creating burrows under the bark where they lay eggs, and the hatching larvae continue to damage the trees as they feed. In a relatively short period of time, the trees in this part of the forest became kindling for a huge conflagration. Usually fires regenerate forests, burning away fallen branches and dead trees and undergrowth, but here, because of all the dead trees, nothing survived, not even the most resilient trees and plants. As you can see, what was once a thriving ecosystem is now only dirt and ash."

Dead River

Soon they came upon a dead river. "Did the drought also kill this river?" the Fool asked.
"This river was already dead before climate change caused the drought," Virgil replied. "The government here used taxpayer money to build dams that diverted most of the water for water-intensive crops that destroyed the ecosystem but made the landowners wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. The people with property now have a lot of cheap water and a lot of cheap labor to exploit."

Homeless Family

Soon the Fool and Virgil came upon a homeless family. "Can you share anything with my family?" the father pleaded. "We were once farm workers, but my wife and I got sick during the pandemic, and they fired us after a few days. Please help my little girl if you can."
"We too are homeless and have no food or money. We have nothing to share, I'm afraid," Virgil replied. "We are finding our way to another realm."
The father nodded, "Times are tough for everyone."

Family Separation

Soon Virgil and the Fool came upon a village. A man in uniform was taking a small child from his mother. "In this realm, they break up families. They demonize immigrants and deport them, which is tragically ironic since many of the people they consider illegal were citizens of a realm that once governed this land," Virgil explained. "The people in power here in 'The Realm of Disdain' divide and conquer, demonizing anyone who seems different. That way, the poor and vulnerable keep fighting each other."

Caged

They left the village and came upon nature spirits in a cage. "This is bizarre. I've never seen anything like this before!" the Fool exclaimed.
"You and I are aware of nature spirits, but most people here are not. The people in power strive to control all creatures, and they try to keep the people ignorant of the spiritual side of nature," Virgil stated. "They lock up more people and creatures here in this realm than in any other realm."

Hurricane

Soon they came upon a village that had suffered a terrible catastophe. "What kind of disaster is this?" the Fool asked.
"A hurricane destroyed this village," Virgil replied. "Rising ocean temperatures due to climate change cause frequent and devastating hurricanes. The people in power in this realm do little or nothing about it because the super-rich who own the businesses that cause climate change also own the political and economic system."

Pandemic

Soon they came upon hundreds of shrouded bodies awaiting burial. "This is horrible!" the Fool exclaimed. "Did the hurricane cause this?"
"No, the pandemic caused this," Virgil replied. "Instead of containing the pandemic, the people in power wanted to keep the economy open so that they could still make a profit, and they didn't want to spend any money on testing or contact-tracing or in-home health-care during quarantining, and many, many people died. The rich did not want to be taxed and said they believed that people should develop herd immunity instead. Now, unfortunately, the virus keeps mutating, and people keep getting sick and dying."

Worker Bee

They soon came upon a bee-like individual in a suit and tie. "What the hell?" the Fool shouted.
"This is what they call in this realm a 'worker bee.'" Virgil replied. "They work two or three gigs without a living wage or a pension or health insurance or job security. The people in power here are experts at exploitation and union busting."

Slaves

Virgil continued, "Besides perpetuating wage-slavery, the people in power here have also managed to reinstitute the practice of slavery. We need to be careful because they might capture us and make us slaves as well."

The Hanged Man

As they sneaked through town, they found a man hanging upside down on a cross. "Why is that man hanging uspside down like that?" the Fool asked Virgil.
"In this realm, people who speak truth to power are often treated as traitors even though they are working for the common good," Virgil replied. "This is a dangerous place. We need to leave this realm before nightfall."

Church

They came upon a church. "Maybe we could seek refuge here," the Fool suggested. The door was open so they entered and discovered that the church was falling apart. No one else was there.

Perpetual War

So they hustled out of town. On the way out, they encountered an apocalyptic battle. "The people in power in this realm spend most of the taxpayer's money on perpetual warfare," Virgil claimed. "The rich manufacture the weapons. That's basically what keeps the economy going. No doubt war here and abroad will one day destroy their civilization."

The Forgotten

Even though Virgil and the Fool were exhausted, they kept hiking and discovered skeletal remains at the edge of town. "This is where they dump the bodies of the traitors," Virgil stated. "Anyone who speaks truth to power could end up here. We should get out of here now."

Water on Fire

They trudged on the beach and discovered a pool of water on fire. "This is incredible. So much here reminds me of the realm that we are trying to escape," the Fool grunted.

The Breakers into Pieces

Soon they encountered royal people having a party in a swamp. "We must tread lightly here, and hope they don't notice us," Virgil whispered. "These people will break anything and everything. They broke all the government agencies so that they could privatize them and make a profit. They made the agencies less efficient but raised all the prices for goods and services. We are technically illegal immigrants, you know. God knows what they might do to us. Let us make haste."

Vultures

As they reached the border of 'The Realm of Disdain,' they encountered vultures in a tree. "The vultures are keeping busy, I'm sure," Virgil muttered.

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