tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8810604.post-1133371331749478232005-11-30T09:17:00.000-08:002005-11-30T09:22:42.923-08:00<center><b>Excerpts from <i>History of the Argottean Federation</i><br /><br />Chapter 4, continued</center></b><br /><br />13 Nibs 435—Palace of War, Hurlshome. On a snowy outcrop of methane ice, forty foot high, yellow granite, crenellated walls enclose War’s palace on the home planet of the Argottean Gods. Today War and his select minions, Courage, Bravery, and Honor, are hosting a party to celebrate their imminent departure to Belenda for a possible civil war.<br /><br />The Belendans, recently freed from ’xrsc control, are divided along a definite educational line. The common workers, i.e., bricklayers, sweepers, carpenters, technical module exterior cleaners, steelworkers, privy muckers, etc., and their supporters are gathering under the Star Base Workers Party (SBWP) banner held by shop steward Loora Kird. The opposing forces, represented by inventory control specialists, file clerks, assistant systems engineers, document control specialists, general programmers, and other graduates of Belenda’s Academies of Sufficient Education, are gathering under the Belendan Programmers Union (BPU) banner held by Beezös Snirl.<br /><br />“I think we’re in for a real blood and guts, kill ’em and wound ’em, kind of war,” Honor said. “When you look at the blue collars under Loora Kird holding hammers, pruning saws, toilet plungers, and many other implements you can’t but hope they will prevail over the pink and white collars supporting Beezös Snirl. I mean what are they [the pink and white collars] going to do, staple their opponents to the bulletin board?”<br /><br />“I know if we can get in there early enough, we just may have a chance to stir these humans into a good tizzy so that they’ll go out and actually carve somebody into a pile of bloody mush,” Bravery said.<br /><br />War, for his part, sat on his horse and quietly smoked his corncob pipe, refusing all questions and directing reporters to his assistants.<br /><br />“He was really bummed over those Argotteans and their silly dance thingie,” Courage said. “You know, I think he would have called in Pestilence just to show them the error of their ways, but, you know, they haven’t had a decent word to each other since that awful spitball incident three eternities ago.”Carl Holidayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16768352005574221784noreply@blogger.com