The City of Political Distinction

Jamrach the Rich, eager to reach the City of Political Distinction before nightfall, found himself at a crossroads, uncertain of which path to take. He sought guidance from a Wise-Looking Person by the roadside who directed him to the Political Highway. However, the advice came at a price, which Jamrach, not one to be easily parted from his wealth, begrudgingly paid.

As he journeyed on, Jamrach encountered various demands for payment. A Benevolent Gentleman at a toll-gate, a Civil Engineer at a bridge over an imaginary stream, and finally, a Ferryman at a dark lake that marked the road’s end each required something from Jamrach for passage. The Ferryman, in particular, offered a unique mode of transport: dragging Jamrach across the lake with a noose around his neck, resulting in him being drenched in foul waters.

Upon reaching the opposite shore, Jamrach was informed that he had arrived in the City of Political Distinction, home to fifty million residents who, stained by the lake’s black ink, were indistinguishable from one another. Distraught over the loss of his possessions and the unpleasant journey, Jamrach expressed a desire to return. The Ferryman, already pushing off from the shore, informed him that the city lay on the Island of the Unreturning, sealing Jamrach’s fate to remain among the indistinct masses.

This fable illustrates the exhaustive and sometimes humiliating cost of achieving political prominence, as well as the irreversible nature of such a pursuit, leaving its chaser forever marked and unable to return to their former life.