Beelzebubs-Tales-to-His-Grandson-by-G-I-Gurdjieff

'And I am to blame because I ought to have foreseen what wouldhappen, for I have existed longer in these conditions than my youngadversary, your kinsman, with whom I made the agreement known to you all.'To tell the truth, it was unpardonable of me to take such a risk with abeing who, though perhaps of much higher Reason than myself, is certainlyless practiced than I am in affairs of this kind." 'Once more I beg all of you, and Your Right Reverence in particular, toforgive me and help me find a way out of this sad predicament." 'As things are now, I can only do what you will indicate.'"After King Appolis had left, we decided to choose from among ourselvesseveral elderly experienced beings who, that very night, would weigh all thedata and draw up a plan of action."The rest of us then left, with the understanding that we would reassemblethe next evening at the same place; but to this second meeting the king wasnot invited."At this next meeting, one of the elders who had been selected the nightbefore reported as follows:'We pondered this lamentable affair the whole night through, anddiscussed it in all its details, and we have come to the unanimous conclusionthat there is no way out but to revert to the former conditions of government.'Further, we are all in agreement that a return to the former order wouldunquestionably set off a revolt among the citizens of the community, and thatthis revolt would certainly be followed by all those consequences that havebecome inevitable on Earth in such circumstances.'And of course many of the "power-possessing beings" of thiscommunity would suffer terribly, and could even be completely destroyed;and above all it seems impossible that King Appolis could escape such a fate.