Keyser Soze

In the late 1400's, France was ruled by King Louis XI, and like most of his ancestors and descendants within 8 generations, he lived a charmed life, surrounding himself with pleasures no-one in France could afford; fine wine, sumptuous women, banquets every day and....an Astrologer.

Louis was riveted by what was then thought of as a 'black art'; like all leaders, the King wanted to solidify his position beyond anything his enemies could hope to attack, and what better way than the supernatural?

King Louis hired the greatest Astrologer known at the time; he kept him on his staff a few years, and his predictions seemed to pay off; Louis rarely put a foot wrong, due to the Astrologer always making recommendations that were also tactically sound. As the years passed, Louis had the occasional, silent doubt about whether his man was actually a stargazer, or just a skilled strategist, but as his decisions turned out well, he brushed these thoughts aside.

One day, however, the milk soured; the Astrologer predicted that one of Louis' mistresses would die within 9 dies, his favourite concubine no less, and indeed she did, on the 9th day. Even the Court Physician could not determine a cause of death.

King Louis was aghast, not so much at the loss of his best lay, but at the implication; her death meant EITHER that the Astrologer was so determined to prove his abilities that he would go so far as to murder someone, OR that the man was indeed so skilled in his craft that his powers could actually be a threat to the King.

One way or the other...the Astrologer had to die.

The King prepared a cunning trap; waiting in his Chamber, at the top of the castle, in the early hours of the morning, he arranged to have his servants wake the Astrologer for an unnanounced meeting, and when the King gave a particular signal, they were to seize the man, and throw him out of the window.

The Astrologer arrived, bleary-eyed, and mumbled, "Sire, what is your bidding?".

Louis replied, "You, stargazer, you have advised me well of the future over the years, but I have a question; what is YOUR future? More pertinently, my question to you is this; precisely when are you fated to die?" Louis glanced quickly at his waiting servants before fixing his stare on the Astrologer, who sat and looked back at the King, and without hesitating, replied,

"I shall die but three days before your majesty".

King Louis never gave the signal. For over two decades, he lavished gifts, protection and good living on the Astrologer, indeed the man lived better than even the King himself, to assure the longevity of both men.

The twist in the tale? The Astrologer outlived Louis by 15 years.

The moral of the story? If you're going to bluff...prepare to have it called.






KS

Peg

I would say that the moral of this story is that the King was an insecure sovereign to allow a single astrologer to control his destiny.

A case of self-fullfilling prophecy perhaps??
Savvy Astrologer in the art of control in no control.

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"21st century man is not conquered by guns, nor by oppression, but by seduction."

"Pride to the human heart is like lard to the pig." Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

"The best punch is the one that is both first, last, and ends the fight."

Captain Hero

Mate I read that story in 48 laws of power by Robert Greene, quality book man!

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Keyser Soze

That's where I got it from mate! Brilliant book, my only gripe is that the examples were not contemporary, they're all dated between 1950BC to AD, so it's hard to apply to your own situation. But then, that's what the author wants - your money, and your continued subservience....



Go to Amazon if you want similar reading material, tell you one surefire monemaker, some guy's gonna rewrite 'The Art of War' in modern, cube-worker 30something speak, and make a fcuking mint!!!

KS

Captain Hero

Mate ive got all those books! all of them lol He is a wicked author man, you reading 33 strategies of war at the mo?

I definately think that you could apply them, and there are some laws which are timeless mate, it is really amoral but I think thats why I enjoy reading it so much. Anyone you espescially liked reading about dude? Im enjoying reading about Napoleon and Hannibal in the current book, and is it just me or does he have something against the british lol I swear there are a number or stories where the british get slaughtered or something bad happens to them.

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Keyser Soze

Ha, it ain't about moral or amoral, it's about getting what you want, sooner or later. People think ruthlessness is the sole province of the wicked; it isn't amoral, it's just single-mindedness, it's efficiency, it's hard work. You make huge sacrifices to get ahead, and sometimes you have to momentarily forget principle.

I was with my colleague today going to a meeting in the traffic, he's the "the world owes me a reasonable chance" guy, we left in plenty of time but being there in time was looking a bit touch and go...he was coming up to a solid queue of traffic in the right lane, the left had a parked car about 100 yards along, and of course he started getting annoyed when he ran up the mostly empty left lane, past the queued up cars on his right, and when he came tried to muscle his way into the right lane, just half a foot behind a parked car, nobody let him in.

Simple british psychology - NOBODY likes a "pushy" go-getter, really. In America, they're respected and revered, over here, it's, "Keep your place". Worse still, he was trying to muscle in during the rush hour INTO work; you're not going up against a bunch of kind, sweet mums who are coming back from dropping their kids to school, you're up against a bunch of guys who ALSO need to be at their desks before their internal and external competition - so why the fcuk should they let him in??!!

You have to use reverse psychology to get ahead. Me, I saunter along as if I'm NOT in a hurry, and about 5 cars back, I leave my indicator on, no shoving my way; I sit there meekly and someone who isn't in a rush allows me to enter, a LOT quicker than my colleague.

You could say...the open hand receives more than the clenched fist.

Law 25 is SMOKING hot....it just says it all about me!


KS

Captain Hero

Law 25 you mean "Recreate yourself" I like that one too, ill have to have a read again. I need to finish reading 33 strategies of war first though. I like the last law especially and the one about never arguing as all it does is stir up resentment I would say I use that more than anything.

I have used a lot of the laws and ideas in the 48 laws of power and from a few others books and my life is better than it ever has been to be honest, I dont really get upset about much or ****ed off if things dont go my way because I know that there is a lesson for me to be learnt from each experience.

I like your thinking mate, not a moral or moral, not bad or good just single mindedness.

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