I fell into small pieces, smaller than those that the Kaiser's funeral would make him into. The Prophet had comforted me with blessed mango, but there was a deep hole at the center of my Shirithianness. The weight of responsibility for the nation was on me like a wet wool blanket.
As I tossed fitfully in my sleep, Loki came to me and spoke.
"But you are of the gods, do you not know?"So, what's withyou?
"The Kaiser is dead, and I must rule."Of course I do, but you don't. You need to know. Tell me.
"Yes, it is my duty. But what then?"Yes. So? It is your destiny.
"Do you mean I must rule on? How can I?"What do you mean, what then?
"But am I worthy?"You must proclaim yourself. Take my name, and proclaim yourself as Kaiser.
Well, one is not well advised to argue with the gods, especially when you keep them up late. So I did as he instructed.Worthy, schmerthy. Do like I tell you.
And yet is was not to be. So I called again upon Loki, and he came to me again last night.
"Loki, I am not Kaiser!!"
"But you said......."I noticed. So?
"But.."Everything I said was true!
"in truth, you did not actually LIE, but you said..."No buts, bud. Where did I lie?
"Penisburg?"There you go with the 'buts' again. The gods speak with man that what must be must be. By your proclamation, you brought one out of the shadows.
"So, you TRICKED me?"No, idiot.
Hasan, whose name means wisdom. He came out of the shadows of the North in response to your challenge. His challenge purged the Cyberian from you, and your challenge purged the Babkhan from him, making you both more worthy in our sight.
And then I woke up.My name is Loki, what did you expect?