The Parable of the Madman

[L Lawliet]

How the madman stole Panormus

Castle Gratteri, Sicily - December AD768

"So... what you are telling me is the Emperor suddenly decided to relieve lord Cherouvim of power?"
"Precisely so, Baron Hyppolitos. For crimes of incompetence and mismanagement of Imperial land entrusted to him, Cherouvim Trichares has been removed from office by his Imperial majesty." The mayor shifted uncomfortably and crossed his arms. "It is true, he is hardly the epitome of lordly virtue. But if that was a crime, half of the governors of the realm would be rotting in a dungeon." Smiling in a way he very dearly hoped was disarming, Aurelius retorted "True, and that is precisely why this is happening. This move will be a warning to other indolent lords in the realm - of which there are many. Do not worry, I already have the backing of Bishop Damianos and Mayor Zacharias of Panormos" The Baron relaxed visibly "all that is needed of you is to attend the formal proclamation and declare your support so that our show of strength may help persuade lord Cherouvim to perform his patriotic duty and relinquish power without much resistance."
"You swear that you have their backing? On your honor?"
Aurelius smiled again "On my honor."

City of Panormus, a few days later

"I always knew that waste of flesh would meet a just punishment" chuckled Mayor Zacharias "though not even in my wildest dreams would I dare hope that it would be this soon. Very well then, messenger of the Emperor. I shall join the good Baron and the Bishop in enforcing this decree."

 

[L Lawliet]

How the Madman kept Panormus

Sicilian countryside, AD780

Cherouvim sighed dramatically "I would much rather you stopped asking about it as if there is something new to say. I still do not know what happened. One day I was a lord, the next a man barged into my court and then I was not." his son, not disuaded from pursuing the same old story yet again, asked "Why did you not fight?"
"Why did I not fight? Why would I fight? I had always found the work of lording over nobodies to be an unwelcome burden. Besides, the will of the Emperor had been proclaimed and those with the real power to oppose the decree had instead joined him. I, of course, graciously agreed to follow the Imperial will and stepped down."

Castle Monreale, January AD769

"Today marks the third messenger from our former lord we caught trying to sneak his way towards the Imperial palace to request an explanation of the recent events." Spymaster Theophilos said to his wife, trying to make dinnertime conversation "And what is the explanation of the recent events?" asked Gregoria absentmindedly. Teophilos disregarded the disinterest in her voice and began his explanation "It's obvious, my dear. Painfully so. He pulled an Imperial decree out of his imagination and enforced it on reality. And he got away with it." Her curiosity suddenly piqued by the open admission of their new lord's treasonous grab for power, she encouraged him to explain further.

"To enforce a fictitious proclamation he needed real power, and the real power in these parts is held by three people. Out of those, he first he went to the baron, Hyppolitos. I can't say how he knew to choose him first, but he picked the weakest of the three lower lords first. The baron was the least likely to question just how it is that the Emperor made such an important proclamation through one messenger, without any written evidence. It's true" Teophilos said, with more than a modest dose of admiration "not even a flimsy forgery with a falsified Imperial seal. Then he went to the mayor and appealed to his moral judgment. The Mayor, the epitome of justice" he said the word with disgust "agreed without hesitation to comply with a royal decree against the man who was as virtuously wholesome as the Devil himself. The bishop, though by no means naive, could have been easily won over by flattery and promises. The man has an ego bigger than the church he preaches in and naturally wanted to have the biggest part in something this important." Gregoria, by now fascinated to the point that she stopped eating - which was rare indeed, asked "How is it then that this liar not only took this land but managed to get away with it?" The man smirked smugly "Obvious, my dear. By the time everyone had realized what happened, it was too late. The bishop, the mayor and the baron were caught in the events not only as witnesses but as accomplices. There was no undoing what had happened without their exalted heads on the chopping block."

Teophilos sneered, deeply satisfied imagining the distress the realm's worthies found themselves in "And since what happened is so utterly unlikely, bordering on the insane - it is far more simple for everyone involved to merely pretend that nothing unusual took place. It's not like they suffered under his rule. They've all been appointed to his council and showered with honorifics." Gregoria furrowed her brow, thinking on all of this and asked "What of you? Why do you serve if you know all of this?" he rolled his eyes, disappointed "Is it not obvious? He made me from nothing. A mere month ago I was a nobody, and now I am his spymaster, a useful if not particularly trusted servant. He gave me all of this" he said, showing around the room with his hand "And he gave me you. Though I've been against getting married my whole life, if my back pains are anything to go by I'm not getting any younger and you're just how I like my women." she raised her eyebrow quizzicaly, asking the question without speaking.
"Obvious, my dear. Half my age and twice my vice." he said, laughing "Enough talk now, the food won't eat itself."