Black Pawn to d5

It's tricky, sometimes, serving the Black King. If you do not perform exactly as He asks there is a good chance that you will be punished. The last time I was...blessed with such an experience was two years ago. I have learnt since then. I have become more efficient. I have become stronger. I have honed my vision until I could pick out the dust motes on your collar. I have learned many alluring melodies.

I have not killed in two years. It is time to begin again. To eradicate most pests, a sweeping reconnaissance is a solid first step. It is then that I can pick up my instrument once again. I'll start at the bottom - cleaning up the dust bunnies, one by one. Easy enough. Then the cockroaches, and the rats. Leading them all to drown in the river. It's a pyramid, really. A food web. Each rank gets ten percent of its prey's energy. At the peak is the tiger, the eagle, the man, predator to all, friend of none. That would be the Black King.

The head of the food chain has benefits. Other animals will join out of fear, or a lust for power, or maybe in sight of an opportunity. Those who can picture a classic food web, however, will notice two things missing, the first being scavengers. You might say the scavengers are the lowest of the low. But who cleans up after the scavengers? Who remains after all else has died?

The decomposers. And that's me. Mercer Rackham. Fiddler. The garbage collector. The junkyard boy. The man with the fiddle shouting "Hey, diddle diddle!" The poor old man who, despite his best efforts to make a good first impression, inspires nothing but hate in his Audience. No matter. The finale is a long way off, and a standing ovation is ensured, no?

No, probably not. Well. Enough with the vague allusions and cryptic quotes. Time to get to work.

Fiddler