I can't get over what a nice place this is. Bountiful. Beautiful.
But so fragile.
Let's be honest with ourselves; it's as delicate as a snowflake, or an old piece of hemp. How little it would take for it to just go poof. To vanish like a whisper into a howling wind.
Wouldn't take much, would it?
This is a rough neighborhood you know, a place where anyhing can happen. We could get robbed, or have a brick thrown through the window, or maybe an incendiary grenade. Wouldn't want that, would we?
No, we wouldn't. We're on terribly shaky ground as it is, and you really never know do you? You never can be too safe. It's a hard world, friend.
What's that you say? We were broken into last week? They trashed the place and stopped just short of burning it down? Well now, what a pity. I couldnt imagine who would do such an awful thing. But that is exactly what I mean. That kind of thing will happen more and more, mark my words.
But there is a way out: we could be under my protection. Then I can promise that none of those terrible things would come to pass. We wouldn't have anything to worry about, cross my heart and hope to die. We could just forget about all of our problems.
All I would ask is a small concession. A tiny thing really. The least of things.
It is but a trifle that I fancy.
From now on, and for all time, all of our actions and decisions will take place according to my edicts. Neither transgression nor defamation of those edicts will be tolerated, and resistance of any kind will be met with the most extreme measures at my disposal.
In other words, you will all do what I say.
A small price to pay, surely, in exchange for safety. It's a hard world, and we wouldn't want something bad to happen.