EXCERPT
This is a fiction on the irrationality of war and violence against existence. A man called Paul hated war and all it stood for. He was an apostle of peace, no matter the cost. His desire was made fruitless by his country, Salem, which was always at war with its neighbors. When Salem declared war on one of its neighbors, it needed more men to serve in the army. As a result, Paul was conscripted. By the law of Salem, he was bound to serve. Moreover, the law of his country allowed Paul to inherit his late father's rank of a general in the army.
Before the conscription of Paul, his elder brother, John, had served in the army. In the course of war, John killed his friend, who happened to be a member of the enemy army even when he knew him. Moreover, John also killed his half brother, who also happened to be in the enemy army. It then called into question the duty of a soldier who finds his father, brother, uncle, or a dear one in an enemy army in war.
A serious conflict had begun to emerge between Paul's love of peace and the challenge of war by his enviable rank. Later, he won a great prize that valued a million dollars when he distinguished himself as a great talent in the military training. Even if he would abandon the army, money tied him down. He was one of the generals who led his country to invade their enemy. Moreover, his girl friend, Jane, who hated war, had to participate in war because of the financial fortune her boy friend had found in the army. Money made them to abandon their principles of humanitarianism.
Prior to war, animals had formed an alliance to advise men. Animals could not understand why men were killing themselves. They warned the king and people of Salem to avoid war, but they would not listen. The people of Salem went to war and utterly defeated Babylon in war. In the course of war, the nuclear arsenal of Babylon exploded and killed more than those who died in war. Although Salem won the battle, it lost many soldiers. The admiral of the army of Salem cut off the head of the King of Babylon who had killed himself. He gave the head to the king of Salem who used it as his drinking cup.
Before they went to war with Babylon, the King of Salem sent out his sailors on a voyage. In the course of the voyage, they discovered a mighty paradise city in the Indian ocean. The city was said to be uninhabited. The king of Salem and all the kings of the world decided to fight over the territory in the belief that it was a land of riches and eternal life. It was thought that the spring of life was in the city. Moreover, it was rumored that whoever entered the city of paradise would live forever. Unknown to them, there was no city in there. A beautiful fence only surrounded a lake of fire. Again, animals warned men to stop killing themselves, but they craved for war. In the ensuing battle of all nations, all the kings of the earth and almost all their soldiers perished in the lake of fire. Paul and his girl friend, Jane, were among the few lucky persons that survived.
As a result, there were no more people competent to form any reasonable government. Consequently, all animals formed political parties and contested election for the post of the king of the world. In the election, Owl won as the king of the world. He was coronated by Tortoise who had been appointed as the chief judge of the Republic of All Animals. The few remaining persons became slaves to animals. And the regime of war came to an end as men destroyed themselves.
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