Suite No. 2, First Movement:

 

INVERTEBRATE LAND






Flock of Butterflies
 

 

 

   As the Fool and Virgil hiked toward the Tarot Realms, they encountered a web that stretched across their path. As they got closer, the Fool exclaimed, "Wow, that's the biggest spider I've ever seen!"
  "We've come to the edge of Invertebrate Land," Virgil groaned.
  "Did they call it that because there are a lot of spiders here, and spiders are classified as invertebrates?"
  "Not quite as simple as that, I'm afraid," Virgil replied. They tiptoed around the web and continued sauntering down the trail in silence.
  They soon encountered a flock of butterflies fluttering across the trail. "I've never seen blue and red butterflies in one flock together!" the Fool blurted out.
  "We might encounter a lot of strange invertebrate behavior," Virgil replied.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

Floating Jellyfish

​

​

 

 

 

   Virgil and the Fool eventually entered a city, where they saw jellyfish floating above the sidewalk. "I've never seen jellyfish floating in the air before," the Fool stated in amazement. "This must be a rare species of Scyphozoa."
  "Rare indeed," Virgil replied.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

Starfish on a Wall

​

​

 

 

 

   Soon they encountered many starfish plastering a wall. "I've never seen Asteroidea clumped together like this on a city wall," the Fool muttered. "You're right. This is strange behavior."

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

Young Lady Serving Ice Cream

​

​

 

 

 

   They soon came upon an ice cream shop named "Flavors." Virgil and the Fool looked at each other. "I think it's time we get some ice cream," Virgil stated.
  The young lady serving ice cream behind the counter exclaimed, "This is your lucky day! Ice cream cones are free today if you participate in our survey."
  "What's the survey about?" Virgil inquired.
  "We're trying to determine which flavors go well with fascism," the young lady replied.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

Virgil and The Fool with Ice Cream Cones

​

​

 

 

 

   The young lady explained, "In our new fascist realm, you have three options if you are a vermin. You can choose to go to a concentration camp, where the guards starve you and work you to death. Or you can die by lethal injection in one of our removal trucks. Or you can have your spine removed in a removal truck. The people in the removal trucks drive around all day long and 'disappear' or 're-educate' the vermin for the good of the realm."

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

Parked Removal Truck

 

​

​

 

 

   "There's a removal truck parked outside. That's where they execute the vermin or perform the spine removal procedure. Some vermin unfortunately die during the surgery, so that option involves a little risk, of course. If you choose the concentration camp option, they simply drive you to the station downtown, where trains with cattle cars are waiting," the young lady smiled.
  "What types of vermin do they remove?" Virgil asked.
  "Oh, you know, dissidents, political activists, left-wing lunatics, Jews, Muslims, immigrants, the homeless, gays, trans people, the mentally ill," she replied. "In other words, just the vermin. Oh, the removal trucks also occasionally pick up any politician or civil servant who might think of opposing our dear leader or our beloved oligarchs."
  "Who will be left after you remove all of the vermin?" Virgil asked.
  She replied, "White Christians, of course. As you know, the Apocalypse is coming. When the end days arrive, the good Christians will either choose to experience the Rapture or fly to Mars with the oligarchs. Our beloved oligarchs are preparing the rockets, even now as we speak, since signs abound that the end is near."

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

Butterflies at the Capitol

​

​

​

 

 

   The young lady continued, "As I suggested, in this realm we consider spine removal a form of re-education. It's really not that bad. For instance, if you opt for the spine removal surgical procedure, you can choose what type of invertebrate you become. You can, for instance, choose to become a beautiful red or blue butterfly," the young lady explained. "You might have seen a lot of red butterflies fluttering around the capitol building on your way here. They have a good life. All they usually do is flitter around all day, but occasionally they gather for a vote to dismantle the wasteful administrative state, which long ago created a costly public safety net that includes many inefficient agencies. You know, the bloated agencies that provide health care and consumer protection and social security and food stamps and law enforcement protection for the vermin. Then they are going to use the money they cut from those agencies to fund a huge tax cut for our beloved oligarchs. Then the oligarchs will generously let some of that money to trickle down to us.
  She continued, "Invertebrates are everywhere because most vermin opt for the spine removal procedure, of course. Our rulers are obviously very sympathetic and generous. Perhaps you also noticed the floating jellyfish or the starfish on your way here. They are lovely and seem to enjoy their new life also."
  "Hmph," Virgil replied, spitting out the ice cream. "These ice cream cones taste awful!"

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

Head of a Well-Known Foundation

​

​

 

 

 

   "Some invertebrates even lead fulfilling lives after their spine removal surgery," the young lady claimed. "I know of a fly, for instance, who is now the head of an important foundation. He thinks up efficient plans for dismantling the administrative state and removing as many vermin as possible--and as quickly as possible."
  "That certainly helps other flies," the Fool replied.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

Invertebrates Watching Television

​

​

 

 

 

   The young lady smiled and continued, "After their spine removal surgery, invertebrates are allowed to stimulate their minds by watching entertainment on television."
  "You have televisions here?" the Fool asked.
  "Of course. Can you think of a better way to mesmerize the invertebrates?" the young lady asked.
  "Brilliant! Only a genius could have thought of that!" the Fool replied.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

Invertebrates Reading a Book

​

​

 

 

 

   "A few invertebrates are even allowed to read books. Most of the books in this realm have been banned or burned, of course, but our dear leader and the oligarchs have deemed a few acceptable."
  "A few in this realm still like to read? That's incredible!" the Fool exclaimed.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

Wormy Downtown

​

​

 

 

 

   "More invertebrates, of course, like to shop," the young lady sighed. "Of course many of them are worms, but they can still enjoy shopping!"
  "What are they shopping for?" the Fool inquired.
  "Oh, you know, different types of grass and earth and compost," the young lady replied. "You seem new here. Are you an immigrant?"
  "Oh, no, we're just tourists," the Fool replied.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

King Surrounded by Jellyfish

​

​

 

 

 

   The Fool and Virgil both noticed a TV hanging on a wall in the ice cream shop. On the TV screen, many jellyfish floated around a king on his throne. "That's our dear leader," the young lady stated with a big smile.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

King with Invertebrate Oligarchs

​

​

 

 

 

   Then on the TV invertebrates that resembled praying mantises appeared in front of the king. "Those are our beloved oligarchs. They help the king by eliminating waste in government and finding the most effective ways of removing vermin from our realm," the young lady stated.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

Invertebrate Militia

​

​

 

 

 

   Two ants carrying machine guns suddenly appeared on the TV screen. The young lady laughed, "The oligarchs and their minions are also helping the king by organizing private militia forces to remove or re-educate the vermin. Some of the re-educated invertebrates, believe it or not, end up in the militia."
  The Fool gazed at Virgil. "Can you imagine getting shot by a Formicidae?" the Fool queried. Virgil shook his head.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

King with Sluggish Supreme Court Justices

​

​

 

 

 

   Then on the TV screen six slug-like invertebrates surrounded the king. "Those are our beloved Supreme Court Justices who work with the oligarchs to uphold our new, improved constitution," the young lady explained. "Those six members of the Supreme Court gave our new king immunity for any crimes committed while he remains a king."

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

Invertebrate Marshal

​

​

 

 

 

   Then a slug-like creature in uniform appeared on TV. "That's a Federal Marshal, who once enforced court orders," the young lady explained. "But ever since the king and the oligarchs took over, the Marshals don't enforce court orders anymore. That obviously gives our rulers more freedom to do the right thing for everyone here in the realm."

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

Removal Truck

​

​

 

 

 

   "Are you ready now to take the survey?" the young lady finally asked.
  "All of these flavors tasted wierd, like a disgusting kind of mucky sludge," the Fool grumbled.
  "I agree," Virgil sighed. "We might as well get going."
  "Do you have your passport with you?" the young lady inquired. "If you don't have your passport, I'll have to report you."
  Virgil and the Fool were about to dash out of the shop, but through the front window they could see a removal truck outside. "We better find an alternate route!" Virgil exclaimed. They bolted toward the back door of the ice cream shop and managed to escape.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

Boneyard

​

​

 

 

 

   Virgil and the Fool shuffled out of Invertebrate Land and eventually discovered the bones of people strewn across the forest floor. Virgil muttered, "These must be the bones of those people who were executed or who didn't survive the spine removal surgery."
  "All of those flavors tasted like a sick kind of mucky sludge. I still have a horrible taste in my mouth!" the Fool complained again as they lurched toward the Tarot Realms.