A Castle In The Hills - Part III

Part I
Part II

                Seven cars were parked outside Braemar castle on the evening of the 9^th of November. Not the sort of cars that attracted attention. As they drove past in the street it would be unlikely for anyone to stare longingly after them, no boy racers would rev their engines in challenge, but that was the purpose of these cars. They camouflaged perfectly into the mundane world through which they were driven, and nobody would be curious enough to glance through the windows at the precious cargo they often transported.

                The people who had sat in the backs of these cars were not film stars or royalty, but they were infamous in their own right. Drug dealers, gang members, the occasional politician, had all warmed the cheap leather interior and often filled the door ashtrays. The journeys all ended at this castle, where the cars would all arrive around 8pm, as if co-ordinated, and the guests would be greeted by their host, Axel Cerberus. His was a name which few people had heard and fewer knew the meaning of. He was known by those who know these things as a philanthropist, but his public appearances were few and far between, appearing at the occasional concert or ball every few years, but never talking and refusing any photographs maintained his shadowy persona. The only people who talked with him freely were the invited guests of his evening gatherings which he held every few months, just as long as he needed to compile a guest list.

                “Welcome, welcome!” His voice, strong and clear for a man who remained silent in public, carried across the courtyard to the open car doors and the approaching guests. “Please come in, dinner will be served shortly.”

                The guests muttered among themselves as they entered the dark stone palace.

                After the main course, Axel raised his glass from his seat in the middle of the table and addressed his guests.

                “Ladies, gentlemen, it is an honour to have each of you here tonight. I have sat beside you, dined and drank with you, and can honestly say that I like you all.” he smiled and there were a small murmur of approval from his small company of guests. “As such,” he continued, “I should tell you why you are here, aside from the pleasure of each other’s company. No, my friends, I am here to talk about life, and charity. You see, we are all placed upon this earth to make a difference, to help others. And my friends tonight your very being here is helping others across the world. And so, a toast. To charity!”

                A slightly less enthusiastic murmur from the table as the glasses were lifted to lips. Before they could take a sip, a sharp crack sounded as a lightbulb exploded, several crossbows were fired After the dull thud of several bolts striking wood, and a few surprised gasps, a gentle silence fell over the room.

Axel took another sip of his wine, "I think we'll skip dessert." He said quietly to the table of lifeless bodies. He gently dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin, stood up with such force that his chair fell backwards, and strolled out of the room, laughing.

Part IV

On Your Six - On Your FACE

Video gaming has always been a subject of controversy and debate. Is it teaching our children to be more violent? Does it encourage reckless driving? Has there been a drastic rise in children armed with catapults firing sparrows at pig sties? All right maybe that is a bit far fetched but the argument has remained for years that children who play violent games at a young age become violent teenagers.

Now, I will not outright disagree with the sentiment the anti-violent-video-game-committee (not an actual committee) are putting across; there is some evidence that some of the most violent teenagers in the world played violent games prior to comitting their crimes, but does this mean games are bad?

In short, no. People are bad. It is all dependent on how someone plays a game: for example, I have always preferred having someone sitting physically next to me to shout at and berate when I mow down their character with a burst of machine gun fire, incinerate them with a flamethrower, or shoot them through the head with a sniper rifle. However I kill them, it is always more fun to have them there to taunt afterwards. Likewise, if they were to kill me, they would have the brief satisfaction of a similar taunt before I exacted my REVENGE! *MWA HAHAHAHAHA* ahem.

For me, gaming is a social enterprise. In some games it can mean competition with the person sitting next to me, and later in the same game it can mean us working together. And occasionally we'll be working together on a greater objective while hitting each other just for the sake of it. Either way, a social enterprise which at once encourages a healthy amount of competition and teamwork.


As Eddie Izzard says, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people. And monkeys do too, if they've got a gun."

This post has gone unpublished for some time, as I have been trying to think of a more appropriate ending. It would seem that this post is now especially poignant in the light of recent events.

Nobody is going to argue that the Batman films taught this man to open fire on a small-town cinema in Colorado, nobody is going to point the finger of blame at Christian Bale or the late Heath Ledger. He did not view the Joker as an example, as the papers say he emulated the Joker. He literally decided to be the Joker. This was the act of one man, one likely mentally disturbed man. There is nothing and no-one to blame except for him.

My thoughts go out to the families of the deceased and all others affected by the tragic events that have taken place.