An old tale of terror

from JoeUser Forums
I wish to share with you an old story that I once read during a research project that I did years ago.
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The year was about 1250AD, and the Mongol empire had ruthlessly carved up nation after nation with fear and terror. Even though the true number of Mongolian warriors through out the empire was never really large, they did manage to control their subjects by a belief of super human might, terror, and pure cruelty.

One day a caravan of ten merchants were traveling the famous silk road somewhere in the Middle East, when they were stopped by a lone Mongolian warrior. He ordered all the merchants to kneel in a line before him and bow their heads. He then told the merchants not to move, because if they did, it would ruin his practice.

He then pulled out his sword and walked to the end of the line of kneeling men, swinging him sword freely as he strolled. Once at the first merchant he stopped and flexed his sword arm, then quickly chopped off the first merchant’s head. All the other merchants said nothing and remained still. The lone Mongol then stepped over his first victim's headless body and walked to the second merchant. With another clean swipe he beheaded the second merchant. At that point the sixth merchant whispers to the fifth "This guy is using us for sword arm practice". Only to receive a reply from number five "Shut up or you will piss him off".

A few seconds later the third merchant found the same fait as the first two merchants. At this point merchant number six whispers to number seven, "Why are we just kneeling here waiting to be killed, when there is not a living sole within 40 miles of here and these guy is alone". Merchant number seven replied sharply for him to shut up and not cause problems for the rest of them.

Then chop, and number four found only half his head removed. Causing the Mongol to curse his bad aim. Number six again spoke quietly to those beside him saying "For god sake there are six of us left and we even still have our swords at our side. With six to one odds, we can take him". Only receiving a reply from number seven "Be quite, do as he says and he may not kill us all, you idiot".

At this point the Mongol decided to change things up a bit by cleaving off merchant number five’s head with his off sword hand. With this, merchant number six said aloud "I am not going to let this guy murder me like a sheep". He then stood up, pulled his sword out, and charged the Mongol. He was quickly followed by merchants eight, nine and ten. Unfortunately Merchant number nine died in the fight before the Mongol was slain.
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I will let you, the reader, take as you want from this story, but I say just this one thing to those who will let the practitioners of terror control them. Be careful, because these mad men will not stop their evil practice with the merchant next to you in line.

Simply My Two Cents
politics
3,200 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
not quite as realistic a tale as the one in which the sixth merchant whips out his sword when the mongol is killin the 3rd merchant and is joined by the seventh, eigth, ninth and tenth merchants who who beat the mongol up a bit until he runs away and hides. returning to the main group, the sixth merchant starts blaming the third and fourth merchants for conspiring with the mongol.

when only one of the other merchants agrees with him, the sixth merchant says he'll deal with the alleged conspirators and attacks the third merchant. while they're wrestling around in the hot sand under a blazing sun, the fourth merchant slinks back to his camel and starts feeding it unripe dates...even tho all the merchants claim to never do that because it puts the entire caravan in jeopardy.

the mongol, having rested a bit, sneaks as close as he can to the wrestling match (in which the sixth merchant is discovering he may have underestimated the third merchant) and starts siccing trained monitor lizards on the two of em.

both combatants now realize they may be stuck in this stupid wrestling match for a lot longer. they also realize theyre gettin the shit bit outta them by those nasty lizards.

by this time, the mongol is offering to buy a camel from the fourth merchant. one that's fulla unripe dates and water and ready to explode in violation of all merchant compacts.

just when it begins to appear as if the sixth merchant may possibly prevail, the mongol and the fourth merchant sneak 2 really bloated stinky camels right up to the sixth merchants tent (filled with his friends and wives) and walk quickly away before both camels explode.

those not done in by the concussion or the chemical weapons native to camel digestive systems, run thru the blinding cloud of flatulence screaming with fear and disgust.

the mongol laffs his ass off as the rest of the surviving merchants spend most of their time inventing silly anti-mongol gimmicks, assigning alert color keys and--when nobody's paying too much attention--cranking out invoices for stuff that aint really getting accomplished.

the last thing we see as the sun goes down is the sixth merchant pounding his opponents head with the flat blade of his scimitar, screaming 'goddammit you're gonna love freedom if its the last thing i do'...as the fourth merchant begins feeding raw dates and lots of water to a couple more camels.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Kingbee

Nice idea with adapting the story. But weather you like the sixth merchant or not, he stopped all the merchants from being murdered. It is the merchants who refused to do anything, just to not hurt the Mongol's feelings, that was going to get everyone killed. Make fun of the six merchant all you want, but he was the one who stopped the mad man.

Maybe I'm being a little to simplistic for your taste, but the first three merchants are still dead, because others wanted to bow and capitulate to terror. Sometimes kneeling before terror, aurguing over what will happen after the Mongol is stopped, all the while another three merchants lose their heads, is not a good idea either.
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
It is the merchants who refused to do anything, just to not hurt the Mongol's feelings


who the hell--besides those determined to try and convince themselves that hussein, not bin laden, was enemy #1--has used the phrase 'hurt the terrorists' feelings'? nobody--and i do very much mean exactly nobody--gives a shit about terrorists' feelings.

Sometimes kneeling before terror, aurguing over what will happen after the Mongol is stopped, all the while another three merchants lose their heads, is not a good idea either.


long before you can argue about anything, you gotta stop the mongol. not scare him off into the mountains and then decide to take on someone else. every moment wasted tryin to be slick is another moment in which the mongol can regain his strength.

all in all, spending all your money on things other than fortifying your own borders and diverting your troops to a battle that could have been avoided until the mongol was dead isn't any more effective--if you're unable to stop the revitalized mongol from chopping your head off--than kneeling and waiting.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
It is the merchants who refused to do anything, just to not hurt the Mongol's feelings


who the hell--besides those determined to try and convince themselves that hussein, not bin laden, was enemy #1--has used the phrase 'hurt the terrorists' feelings'? nobody--and i do very much mean exactly nobody--gives a shit about terrorists' feelings.

Sometimes kneeling before terror, aurguing over what will happen after the Mongol is stopped, all the while another three merchants lose their heads, is not a good idea either.


long before you can argue about anything, you gotta stop the mongol. not scare him off into the mountains and then decide to take on someone else. every moment wasted tryin to be slick is another moment in which the mongol can regain his strength.

all in all, spending all your money on things other than fortifying your own borders and diverting your troops to a battle that could have been avoided until the mongol was dead isn't any more effective--if you're unable to stop the revitalized mongol from chopping your head off--than kneeling and waiting.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
dammit triplicate despite my most inept efforts. pls delete this one and the one above it...thnx. i cant find this article on your blogsite or i woulda at lease let all the words outta both of em. sorry.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
perfect example of "for evil to succeed all good men have to do is stand by and do nothing"

well done.