“Nobody asks,” he sobbed. “I’ve been guarding these scrolls for 4,000 years. My wife left me for a lava hound. I have lower back pain.”
That is the terrible part of the tale. I stayed. Not because I was evil, but because I realized that true corruption isn’t a lightning bolt. It is a warm desk. A supportive team. A chance to do “a little bad” so you can do “a lot of good.”
“You can’t corrupt me,” I said. “Because I’ve already done it myself.”
My elven heart cracked. I did not use force. I did not use my enchanted binding words. Instead, I gave him a hug.
“Coffee,” he said.
“The elf,” he rumbled. “The pure one. Tell me, child, how does it feel to be our most effective employee?”
“Nobody asks,” he sobbed. “I’ve been guarding these scrolls for 4,000 years. My wife left me for a lava hound. I have lower back pain.”
That is the terrible part of the tale. I stayed. Not because I was evil, but because I realized that true corruption isn’t a lightning bolt. It is a warm desk. A supportive team. A chance to do “a little bad” so you can do “a lot of good.”
“You can’t corrupt me,” I said. “Because I’ve already done it myself.”
My elven heart cracked. I did not use force. I did not use my enchanted binding words. Instead, I gave him a hug.
“Coffee,” he said.
“The elf,” he rumbled. “The pure one. Tell me, child, how does it feel to be our most effective employee?”