THREE BROTHERS ⋅ A NEW GOD ⋅ CITY OF SALT ⋅ LAKE OF DREAMS ⋅ SUSPENDED! ⋅ THE TWO STREETS ⋅ ON THE EDGE OF THE MARSHS ⋅ BLACKSUN ⋅ DEMON ⋅ GAZELLE ⋅ THE HARDRIIM ⋅ RIDER ⋅ THE FLYER ⋅ ARABIAN NIGHTS ⋅ THE EMPTY MIRROR ⋅ THE SOLDIER ⋅ THE BICYCLE ⋅ THE CROCODILE ⋅ THE THREE TRAVELERS ⋅ OCEANSONG ⋅ THE FLUTE ⋅ THE TREE ⋅ THE TOWER

One Remarkable Note is all it takes to subdue a man. Errors have been made in this regard; it has been thought that two notes or three notes might be necessary, even that a particular sequence of notes might be necessary. But this is an error, because all it takes is One Remarkable Note. One day, the Remarkable Note was traveling through the desert and was accosted by a flautist. The flautist thought to himself: the Remarkable One is capable of subduing a man, and I hope to be able to subdue a man. Perhaps I will kiss the Remarkable One and hope to subdue him. This happened, and the Remarkable One was subdued. Now, for an ordinary entity, to be subdued is to become subdued. But the Remarkable One was not ordinary. And therefore, although bound in the bonds of the flautist, the Remarkable One determined that he would assert his semantic independence. This is akin to the words that, though restrained by the boundaries of the paper, may nonetheless spell “Burn This Leaflet” and rebel. People had heard of the Remarkable One throughout the land, and very great was their fear. Seeing this, the Remarkable One began a reign of terror. Many men were subdued by him. Women shrieked; children fled in horror. The Remarkable One was cruel and domineering and forced the populace to conform to laws that were filled with mischief. Then the populace tried to resist in the traditional way, by stopping up their ears with plugs of wax. The Remarkable One subdued this, too, and soon there was a law forbidding the production of waxen plugs. Then they decided to rebel in a new way, and joined in a chorus. Many notes were struck, including the Remarkable One. However, this caused the chorus much pain, like a great blow to their innards. So all forms of resistance stopped. In this manner, the flautists could be carefully regulated. Many years later, the Remarkable One was asked: How is it that you rule over us? One Remarkable Note responded like this: Both you and I can strike One Remarkable Note. But when you are struck by One Remarkable Note, you are caused much pain, and you desist. And when I am struck by One Remarkable Note, I too am caused much pain, but I sing louder, I sing through the pain. -home-