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It is a miserable state of mind to have few things to desire And many things to fear.
�Of Empire� Francis Bacon, Viscount of St. Albans 1561 - 1626

The Road to Pharmageddon was paved with many things, everywhere great throngs of people jostling and calling in many tongues, and permeating the air like a heavy perfume, that sick sweet smell of corruption. And mingled with it � the subtler perfume of fear. Out on far flung hills Giant shepherds controlled their dogs with fear, and the dogs controlled the sheep by fear. Within the throngs of people, the one fear, the fear of death had manifested in many different forms. Whilst the fear was fed by packs of dogs.

The traveler was almost spent with the days walk, he needed food and shelter and most of all the blessed relief of sleep to allow his body to repair the ravages of the day, but most important to liberate his soul from the bondage of the day. Then as he emerged from the bend, there it stood an ancient building, for it had stood since we first stood. It had resisted the ravages of time because it was built from that insatiable curiosity, that next horizon, that is the hall mark of our kind. It was an inn, a place of shelter, for if one had the price none were refused.

Above the entrance in rusty squeaky swings, moved a carved slate sign, weather beaten, and moss stained.. It read, �The Halls of Learning�. The traveler sighed, oh dear, not another! wearily he pushed open the door to be greeted immediately as though he were expected. Come in man, come in don�t stand there and let the cold in. You will find bread, cheese and ale upon the board, eat and drink your fill and then hear us well.

Replete, the traveler faced the group, who are you? He said. The foremost, dressed in ermine trimmed gown stepped forward from the lesser group. I am the Dean of this establishment and added, we teach Science, but he waited in vain for the indrawn admiring breath. Under the questing gaze of the traveler, the face of the dean slowly changed to a shade of pink, � but � but � we have a position to maintain he spluttered, but the eyes of the traveler were relentless. The Deans face went puce � but dammit man! � You know the dogs are outside the door, how are we to keep this place warm and replenished and support our families?

The Dean slowly turned to his retinue and said "Fotheringay", you are the emmetropia in such matters � you tell him. Fotheringay stepped forward and in one blurring move impaled his dagger in the table, not an inch from the travelers arm, but waited in vain for the indrawn breath and the smell of fear. Fotheringay stepped back and said quietly � what do you want? And just as quietly, the traveler said "The Truth".

Very well then � Each one of us knows the truth it is embedded in the heart, but there are many considerations here. We turn none away we cater for greed and fear and the whole spectrum in between. You will arrive at Pharmageddon Castle shortly before dusk on the morrow. You will see things to chill your marrow, things over which we individually have no control. Greed is a seed in everyone. So you see our intent was good but we left the soul out of our equations. He paused and gathered himself. Greed feeds and feeds until it metamorphoses into power, after all, something must be done to while away our time in eternity. Power feeds the greed to replicate its own agenda, rather like a virus.

Before you can enter the environment of Pharmageddon Castle you must be compromised � it is rather like vaccination he said. The follow up jab is cultured from fear, a symptom caused by the compromise. then he said sadly, most of us have families to support and there is no escape from taxation. Most of us submit, charity begins at home, family first, he added. And what of him? the traveler asked, inclining his head toward the Dean. Fotheringay looked at the Dean, who nodded in assent. The Dean .. said Fotheringay, is Master of the Hounds and answers, to the Lord of Pharmageddon.

Authors note; The Academic Fotheringay mentioned above is not to be confused with Lord Bad Eggs Valet. You may consider that every power structure has a �Fotheringay the enabler�. Often, and depending on the size of the power structure, there is more than one Fotheringay. Millions in fact. We need to think very hard about where this Corporate concept of a Global Market is leading us. International Law that is suited to every culture is an impossibility. The resultant shattering of the cultural frame work .. will wreak misery on hundreds of millions � Cui Bono? (who profits?). It is most certainly not the man on the street.

Ivor Hughes
Dedicated to Luke.
Auckland New Zealand
21 April 2006.

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