Myth of King Ozimand

King Ozimand looked out over the city he had built.

"Merchants from all corners of the earth bring their goods to sell in the city I have built. Our rooftop gardens bloom all year round," thought the King.

King Ozimand gazed at the great white walls he had built. "I am greater than all under Heaven. They pay tribute to me and bow at the mention of my name. None dare to attack me, for I have built these great walls!"

Lightning crashed through the clear blue sky, and it suddenly was dark in the palace garden.

"I am War. You are not more powerful than me!" bellowed the red thing that had appeared before the king.

"My people do not fear you, War. Neither do I," replied the King. "I have built my walls and even you cannot destroy me. But to show you my true might, I shall slay you right here and now."

The outright claim seemed to take War unawares.

The king snatched the spear from War's claws and slammed the haft into his chin.

Spinning around with the flow of the movement, the king twisted in a deadly piroette and buried the spear through its owner's chest.

"When they say, 'King Ozimand built the great white walls,' they do not mean that I enslaved or organized others. They mean that I built them with my own two hands." King Ozimand turned and walked away from the corpse of War, muttering, "The gods are fools."

Many days later, the king was in his garden again. As he looked over his city, he saw a beautiful woman standing in a rooftop garden nearby. He sent for her immediately.

As the woman passed guards and servants, they were overcome with her beauty, even though she was veiled. As she reached the king, she removed her veil and head scarf and bowed low before him in submission.

"Why have you come to my city? We have beauty enough without your very presence." The King held his head high and looked down upon the radiant woman.

"I have come to honor and serve my better, oh King Ozimand. Beauty presents herself to you, you may do with her all you wish." Beauty bowed her head again.

"I am no fool like you gods, Beauty. In time, a man can be made to serve that which once served him. Lust and passion become slavery and defeat. You shall no more conquer me than War. Be gone."

In a flash, with no one to admire her, Beauty was gone. King Ozimand would rule and not be ruled.

One day, as the King inspected his city, he saw a child in a doorway that did not bow to him. "Bring that child to me!" he commanded his servants.

They obeyed.

Everyone obeyed the King, or they died.

The child was before they king in a moment.

"But I am your old friend! We have conquered cities together! We have ruled side by side!" weedled Death.

"Do not befoul me with your stench. I do not know you. Be gone you disgusting creature..." The king wretched out the words from behind his hand.

"The only man who can banish me won't be born for another twenty centuries. King Ozimand, do you persist in this foolishness?" asked Death.

"Yes! Leave me in PEACE!"

"My master said you would answer thusly," replied the thing as it pulled its hood back up. "I shall miss you greatly, you kept me so very busy. So to you, oh King, I shall speak, peace."

And that is why no wars have ever been fought again on what we now call Antarctica. Of course, it helps that no humans live there anymore. Oh, don't even start with the scientists. We all know they aren't human, but that is a whole other story.