in my neo-napolean, oriental way of control, as if i were qin shihuang, the first emperor of china, i felt as if i needed to unite all six kingdoms of my schizophrenia into one personality, to build my own great wall around a mind so vulnerable to external forces and tribal mentality. but self-oppression is tyrannical none the less, and in god's eyes it would be silly to carve an island out of asia major, especially when the sun is out and i'm only 18.

shinmen takezo became miyamoto musashi, and sought out to become invisible under the sun. as a child everyone called him a monster, a demon with an unimaginable warrior-like precociousness. as a child i held the pestilence card to my bloodkin's face at a funeral.

a feel for the vagabond, but i need to know the empire.