Game : The Sport of Kings

LORD: 

Welcome, Fool. 

You have come of your own Free Will to the appointed place. 

The Game is over. 

POLICEMAN :

Game? What Game? 

LORD :

The Game of The Hunted leading The Hunter. 

You came here to find Rowan Morrison, but it is WE who have found YOU and brought You Here and controlled your every thought and action since You arrived. 

“They both had a particular way of yelling. The Northern troops made a sort of hurrah — it was called by one soldier ‘the deep, generous, manly shout of the Northern soldier.’ 

The Confederates of course had what was called 

The Rebel Yell.

We don’t really know what that sounded like. One Northerner described it by describing the peculiar corkscrew sensation that goes up your backbone when you hear it. 

And he said, ‘

If you claimed you’ve heard it and weren’t scared, that means you’ve never heard it.’

It was basically, I think, a sort of fox-hunt yip mixed up with a banshee squall, and it was used on the attack. 

An old Confederate veteran after the war was asked at a UDC meeting somewhere in Tennessee to give the Rebel Yell. 

The Ladies had never heard it. 

And he said, 

‘It can’t be done, except at a run, 

and I couldn’t do it anyhow with a mouthful of false teeth 

and a stomach full of food!'”

Dr. Zaius :

Have you forgotten your Scripture? 

The Thirteenth Scroll?

(quoting from memory)

'And Proteus brought the upright beast

into The Garden, and chained him to a tree,

and the children made sport of him.'

CORNELIUS

(impatiently)

No sir, I haven't forgotten.

ZAIUS

Well? For a time the ancients kept humans as household pets.

Until The Lawgiver proved that man could not be tamed. 

Keep digging Cornelius. 

You'll find evidence of The Master of This House: an ape.

326EXT. ARCHEOLOGICAL CAMP - ESTABLISHING SHOT - DAY

Sand bars and two narrow beaches are in evidence here. The camp itself

consists of several lean-tos against the cliff wall. Above the camp,

reached by ladders connected to scaffolding, is the mouth of a cave.

Zira is cleaning up the breakfast things; Zaius and Lucius are sorting

out equipment.

A-326CLOSER ANGLE - TAYLOR AND ZIRA

A small bowl of water rests on the ground in front of Taylor He has

nearly finished shaving himself with a sharp hunting knife. Nova

watches, a look of fascinated approval on her face. Taylor rinses off

his knife, starts to dry it. Nova reaches out, gently strokes his

smooth -- if nicked -- chin.

TAYLOR

(smiling)

You like it?

Lucius and Cornelius come up, Zira with them.

LUCIUS

(disapprovingly)

Why did you do that? Scrape off your

hair?

TAYLOR

In my world -- before I left it -

only youngsters of your age wore un-

scraped hair.

CORNELIUS

(to Taylor, quizzically)

It makes you look somehow ... less

intelligent.

Taylor grins wryly at Cornelius, picks up his rifle.

TAYLOR

When are you going to show me what's

in the cave?

CORNELIUS

Right now, if you like.

They cross the beach to the ladders, when suddenly they hear the sound

of horses. They look o.s.

B-326WHAT THEY SEE:

Dr. Zaius and five armed and mounted apes have come around the corner

of the beach and ride toward them through the rocks.

C-326MEDIUM - THE GROUP

Taylor scrambles up onto the lower scaffold. Lucius runs to a lean-to,

scoops up his rifle.

CORNELIUS

Lucius -- don't fire at them.

The party rides up.

ZAIUS

You're all under arrest!

(to Lucius)

You seditious scoundrel. Drop that

rifle.

327-OUT

348

349FLASH SHOT - LUCIUS

He wavers, lowering his piece.

350WIDER ANGLE - TO INCLUDE BOTH GROUPS

Zaius' gorillas ride forward a few paces, but halt again as Taylor

shouts:

TAYLOR

Stop right there.

ZAIUS

Don't be a fool. You're outnumbered

and outgunned.

Taylor aims at Zaius and calls out:

TAYLOR

If there's any shooting, Dr. Zaius,

you'll be the first to die. Depend

on it.

CORNELIUS

(protesting)

Taylor, you're not in command here.

Put down that gun.

TAYLOR

Shut up.

Silence.Zaius knows Taylor isn't bluffing.

ZAIUS

Very well.

(to his followers)

Lower your weapons.

They obey. Taylor calls again:

TAYLOR

(pointing)

Tell them to move around the point.

Out of range.

Zaius turns and whispers to his apes. They rein about and ride away

through the rocks. Zaius dismounts and approaches the fugitives alone.

He is unarmed.

351CLOSER ANGLE - THE GROUP

As Zaius draws nearer) Lucius lowers his rifle. But Taylor keeps his at

the ready.

CORNELIUS

(uncertainly)

How did you know we'd come here?

ZAIUS

It wasn't difficult. Only an apostate

or a lunatic would flee to the Forbidden

Zone.

(a glance at Taylor)

I see you brought along the female of

your species.

(Taylor nods)

I didn't realize a man could be monogamous.

TAYLOR

On this planet -- it's easy.

Zaius laughs derisively, then turns to the apes.

ZAIUS

(evenly)

I ask you to reconsider the rash course

you've taken. If you're convicted of heresy,

the most you'll get is two years. But if

you persist in pointing guns in my direction,

you'll hang for high treason.

CORNELIUS

(respectfully)

We've never meant to be treasonable, sir.

(pointing off)

But up there, in the face of that Cliff,

is a vast cave -- and in that cave a

fabulous treasure of fossils and artifacts.

ZAIUS

I've seen some of your fossils and artifacts.

They're worthless.

TAYLOR

(derisively)

And that's your Minister of Science. Honor-

bound to expand the frontiers of knowledge.

ZIRA

(worried)

Taylor, please --

TAYLOR

Except that he's also the Chief Defender

of the Faith.

ZAIUS

(loftily)

There is no contradiction between faith

and science. True science.

TAYLOR

(suddenly angered)

All right, let's see if you're willing

to put that statement to a test.

CORNELIUS

Taylor, I'd rather you -

TAYLOR

No. You saved me from this fanatic. Maybe

I can pay you back.

ZAIUS

(calmly)

What is your proposal?

TAYLOR

When were the Sacred Scrolls written?

ZAIUS

Twelve hundred years ago.

TAYLOR

Very well. If Zira and Cornelius can prove

that those scrolls don't tell the whole

truth of your history; if they can show you

definite evidence of another culture from an

unrecorded past -- will you exonerate them?

ZAIUS

Of course.

TAYLOR

Okay.Up to the cave.

He gestures toward the path leading to it. Zaius, Zira, and Cornelius

start upward. Lucius starts to follow them.

TAYLOR

Sorry, Lucius. You'll have to stay here

and guard the horses.

LUCIUS

Always giving orders. Just like every

other adult.

TAYLOR

Relax. You'll see it all later.

He pats the barrel of Lucius' gun, in the manner of a stern but

benevolent non-com, then starts up the trail with Nova at his heels.

Lucius, unused to taking commands from an animal, scowls after him,

then shrugs, adjusting to the Idea.

352-

355OUT

356 EXT. WESTERN WALL OF GORGE - LONG SHOT - ANGLING UP

AFTERNOON

The sun hovers over the lofty rim of the lake like a great red balloon.

The wall of the gorge, in shadow, is a darker hue.

357EXT. EASTERN WALL OF GORGE - LONG SHOT - ANGLING UP

The crenelated east wall, looking like a red cathedral, is aglow with

sunlight. So is the mouth of the cave as the three apes, Taylor and

Nova pass through it and o.s.

358INT. CAVERN - BOOM SHOT - DAY

Nature has formed a vaulted room here. It need not be enormous, but

should be as weird and fantastic as production capabilities permit.

There is an ape-made excavation in the floor of the cave, some ten feet

square and eight feet deep. Some small objects lie on the rim of the

excavation. Zaius, Cornelius, Zira, Taylor and Nova enter from the

outside.

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: The effect should be an eyeful. I wish to create an

illusion of sunlight penetrating this cave, flooding it with direct,

refracted illumination, transforming it into a kaleidoscopic cavern.)

ZAIUS

Present your evidence, Cornelius.

Cornelius clambers down into the pit, followed by Zira. Taylor bends

down, examines some of the artifacts lined along the edge of the

excavation. Nova sits beside him.

CORNELIUS

(pointing)

It was at this level I discovered traces

of an early ape creature -- stage of

primitive barbarism, really -- dating back

roughly thirteen hundred years. It was here

I found cutting tools and arrowheads of

quartz and the fossilized bones of

carnivorous gorillas.

CAMERA (ON BOOM) MOVES IN SLOWLY as Cornelius continues:

CORNELIUS

But the artifacts lying at your feet

were found here, at this level. And

that's the paradox. The more ancient

culture is the more advanced. Admittedly,

many of these objects are unidentified,

but clearly they were fashioned by beings

with a knowledge of metallurgy.

CAMERA KEEPS MOVING IN on the group in and around the excavation as

Cornelius continues:

CORNELIUS

Indeed, the very fact that these tools

are unknown to us could suggest a culture

in certain ways almost equal to our own.

Some of the evidence is uncontestable ...

ZAIUS

(interrupting)

Don't speak to me in absolutes. The

evidence is contestable.

CORNELIUS

I apologize.

ZAIUS

To begin with, your methods of dating

the past are crude, to say the least. There

are geologists on my staff who would laugh at

your speculations.

TAYLOR

Perhaps that's why they're on your staff.

Zaius flicks a hostile glance at Taylor, then looks down at the

artifacts. He nudges them with his foot.

ZAIUS

Secondly, if these 'tools' as you call

them, are unidentified, why are they

introduced as 'evidence' of anything?

ZIRA

(promptly)

But there's the doll, sir.

ZAIUS

What?

CORNELIUS

(pointing)

Right there. The human doll.

Zaius deigns to stoop and pick it up.

359CLOSE ON DOLL - IN ZAIUS' HAND

It is only a porcelain fragment, but the head is intact, and it is

unmistakably the form of a human child.

ZAIUS

What does this prove? My grand-

daughter plays with human dolls.

360FULL SHOT - THE EXCAVATION - INCLUDING TAYLOR

Exasperated, Zira turns to the man for confirmation.

ZIRA

Taylor! Tell him.

TAYLOR

He has a point. On my planet children

often play with ape dolls.

Zaius idly tosses the doll to the ground near Nova. She picks it up,

studies it.

361GROUP SHOT - THE THREE APES

Cornelius tries again.

CORNELIUS

A doll alone proves nothing. True. But

the doll was found beside the jawbone

of a man -- and no trace of simian fossils

has turned up in this deposit.

ZAIUS

Your conclusion is premature. Have you

forgotten your Scripture? The Thirteenth

Scroll?

(quoting from memory)

'And Proteus brought the upright beast

into the garden, and chained him to a tree,

and the children made sport of him.'

CORNELIUS

(impatiently)

No sir, I haven't forgotten.

ZAIUS

Well? For a time the ancients kept humans

as household pets.Until the Lawgiver

proved that man could not be tamed. Keep

digging Cornelius. You'll find evidence of

the master of this house: an ape.

A-361ANOTHER ANGLE - TO INCLUDE TAYLOR AND NOVA

As Zira again appeals to the man.

ZIRA

Are you going to let that pass without

an answer?

Taylor, who has been toying with objects in the dirt, looks up.

TAYLOR

Yes. I have to agree. From all you've

found so far, his position's as good as

yours.

CORNELIUS

(annoyed)

What are you doing there?

TAYLOR

Reconstructing a life. Care to have a

look?

Cornelius and Zira cross the pit and Zaius walks around the rim of the

excavation.

B-361MED. CLOSE SHOT - FAVORING TAYLOR AND NOVA

As the apes come close. A number of artifacts have been arranged in

front of Taylor.

TAYLOR

(to Cornelius)

These were found near the human doll,

right?

(Cornelius nods)

Well, whoever owned them was in pretty

bad shape.

He picks up the twisted fragment of a pair of spectacles.

TAYLOR

Defective eyesight..

As Taylor continues his monologue, he picks up the other objects one by

one.

TAYLOR

He wore false teeth.

(pause)

He suffered from a hernia and used

this truss to hold up his insides ...

(pause)

And toward the end, these little rings

of stainless steel enclosed a prefab-

ricated valve in his failing heart.

Taylor pauses. Zaius picks up two of the steel rings, studies them.

TAYLOR

I don't say he was a man like an Earthman,

but I'd call him a close relative, for

he was plagued by most of man's ills.

(to Zaius pointedly)

Yet, fragile as he was, he came before you

-- and was superior to you.

ZAIUS

(a calm smile)

That's lunacy. I can give an alternate

description for everyone of those objects

that's equally as inventive as yours. But

it would be conjecture, not proof.

362WIDER ANGLE - TO INCLUDE TAYLOR AND NOVA

She is poking her finger inside the decapitated head of the doll. From

it comes a distorted SOUND.

DOLL'S HEAD

Mamma! Mamma! Mamma!.

The apes stare at the doll in astonishment. Taylor snatches the doll

from Nova, brandishes it at the astonished Zaius.

TAYLOR

Dr. Zaius! Would an ape make a human

doll that talks?

Zaius looks at him, speechless. At that moment the CRACK of a distant

rifle shot reverberates through the cavern. All present freeze,

listening.

ZIRA

Lucius....

363-

364OUT

365FULL SHOT - THE CAVERN - REVERSE ANGLE

Taylor alone is armed. Raising his rifle, he glowers at Zaius.

TAYLOR

You louse!

Cornelius is already crossing the pit. He climbs out arid races toward

the mouth of the cave. Taylor runs after him. Zira and Nova hurry after

Taylor.

366MED. SHOT - ZAIUS

Expressionless, he looks down at the doll, then moves toward the mouth

of the cave.

367EXT. TRAIL FROM CAVE TO CAMP - ANGLING UP

Cornelius emerges from mouth of the cave and runs down the trail toward

CAMERA. He halts in f.g., looking down at:

368THE CAMP SITE - AS SEEN FROM THE TRAIL

Two of Zaius' gorillas have disarmed Lucius and are clubbing him with

their rifle butts. Two other mounted apes are driving the scientists'

horses back beyond the trees.

369EXT. THE TRAIL - AS SEEN FROM THE BEACH

Cornelius, Taylor, Nova and Zira (in that order) can be seen high

above, descending the trail. CAMERA PULLS BACK TO DISCLOSE A GORILLA

SNIPER in immediate f.g., crouching behind a boulder near the water. He

sights his rifle at the man on the trail. Taylor is still too distant

to make a sure target, and so the sniper waits.

370CLOSER ANGLE - TAYLOR ON THE TRAIL

This portion of the trail has no cover or concealment. Unaware of the

sniper, Taylor looks down at the camp as he makes his descent.

371LONG SHOT - TAYLOR - AS SEEN IN THE SNIPER'S SIGHTS

The gorilla fires.

372CLOSE SHOT - TAYLOR

The bullet ricochets off the rock wall a foot above his head. Taylor

scans the terrain bewlow, looking for the sniper. Nova comes to his

side, pointing at:

373THE SNIPER - FROM THEIR P.O.V.

His head is visible behind the boulder as he reloads his piece.

374FLASH SHOT

He aims and fires.

375FLASH SHOT - THE SNIPER

Taylor has missed him, but the sniper ducks behind the boulder.

376THE TRAIL - PANNING WITH TAYLOR AND NOVA

Taylor takes her hand and they race back up the trail to where Zira is

standing. Outcroppings of rock offer some cover here. Taylor pushes

Nova down behind a rock and signals for Zira to follow suit.

377CLOSE GROUP SHOT - TAYLOR, NOVA AND ZIRA

The sniper's SECOND SHOT rings out. Instead of returning the fire,

Taylor looks up the rail at:

378ZAIUS - FRO14 TAYLOR'S P.O.V.

He is standing impassively on the trail a short distance below the

mouth of the cave.

379FLASH SHOT - TAYLOR

Bent low, he comes charging up the trail toward Zaius. The sniper's

THIRD SHOT splatters rock fragments around him.

380REVERSE ANGLE - THE TRAIL - ANGLING UP

Zaius starts to retreat to the cave, but stumbles and falls on some

loose shale. No sooner has Zaius regained his feet than Taylor

overtakes him. Seizing the ape around the neck with his left arm.

Taylor drives the muzzle of his pistol into Zaius' kidney. He spins

Zaius around, using him as a shield.

381CLOSE TWO SHOT - ZAIUS AND TAYLOR

Taylor releases the pressure on Zaius' throat but keeps the gun pointed

at his back.

TAYLOR

Tell him to pull back!

ZAIUS

(a hoarse cry)

Cease fire! Withdraw!

His command echoes from the west wall of the canyon.

382LONG SHOT - THE FLOOR OF THE GORGE - FROM THEIR P.O.V.

The sniper emerges from behind a boulder near the shore, and walks off

along the beach.

383BACK TO TAYLOR AND ZAIUS

Taylor lift's the muzzle of his rifle and presses it against the back

of Zaius' head.

TAYLOR

I ought to kill you right now.

(nudging him)

Let's go.

They move off down the trail.

FOX

The Lion cannot defend himself against snares and The Fox cannot defend himself against Wolves. 

Therefore, it is necessary 

to be a Fox to discover the snares 

and a Lion to terrify the Wolves. 

Those who rely simply on The Lion 

do not understand what they are about. 

" The most striking thing is that there appear to be a set of confusions centring around the issue of  'Power'. 

Every discussion so far has centred on a presumption that almost all relationships in The Workplace and elsewhere are centred around The Exercise of Power. 

Knowingly or otherwise these Women have all imbibed the Foucauldian world view in which Power is The Most Significant Prism for Understanding Human Relationships. 

What is striking is not just that everyone seems to have paid lip-service to this, but that these women are focused only on one sort of Power. 

This is a sort of Power which – it is presumed – has historically been held solely by mainly Old, mainly Rich, always White Men. 

It is why the joking and berating about the behaviour of ‘Alpha Males’ goes down so well. 

There is a presumption that if the Alpha and Maleness could be squashed out of These People, in some great majestic Social-Justice blending device, then the Power squeezed out of them might be drunk up by Women Like Those in The Room Today. 

[i.e., by THEM, or Their Allies (which in-turn directly benefits and privileges THEM.)]

That it will be used to nourish, and grow, Those Who Deserve The Power More. 

Here are Deep Waters. But I suggest in my contribution that our conversations are being limited by this misunderstanding. 

Even if we concede – which we should not – that Power (rather than, say, Love) is The Most Important Force Guiding Human Affairs, why are we focusing only on one type of Power? 

There certainly are types of Power – such as rape – which Men can sometimes hold over Women. 

And there is a type of Power which some Old, typically White, Males might be able to hold over less successful people, including less successful Women. 

But there are other types of Power in This World. 

Historical Old White Man Power is not the only such source. Are there not, after all, some Powers which only Women can wield. 

‘Like what?’ Someone asks. 

Chapter XVIII :

Concerning the Way in which Princes should Keep Faith

Every one admits how praiseworthy it is in a prince to keep faith, and to live with integrity and not with craft. Nevertheless our experience has been that those princes who have done great things have held good faith of little account, and have known how to circumvent the intellect of men by craft, and in the end have overcome those who have relied on their word. You must know there are two ways of contesting,[*] the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second. Therefore it is necessary for a prince to understand how to avail himself of the beast and the man. This has been figuratively taught to princes by ancient writers, who describe how Achilles and many other princes of old were given to the Centaur Chiron to nurse, who brought them up in his discipline; which means solely that, as they had for a teacher one who was half beast and half man, so it is necessary for a prince to know how to make use of both natures, and that one without the other is not durable. A prince, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves. 

Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion do not understand what they are about. Therefore a wise lord cannot, nor ought he to, keep faith when such observance may be turned against him, and when the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer. If men were entirely good this precept would not hold, but because they are bad, and will not keep faith with you, you too are not bound to observe it with them. Nor will there ever be wanting to a prince legitimate reasons to excuse this non-observance. Of this endless modern examples could be given, showing how many treaties and engagements have been made void and of no effect through the faithlessness of princes; and he who has known best how to employ the fox has succeeded best.

[*] “Contesting,” i.e. “striving for mastery.” Mr Burd points out that this passage is imitated directly from Cicero’s “De Officiis": “Nam cum sint duo genera decertandi, unum per disceptationem, alterum per vim; cumque illud proprium sit hominis, hoc beluarum; confugiendum est ad posterius, si uti non licet superiore.”

But it is necessary to know well how to disguise this characteristic, and to be a great pretender and dissembler; and men are so simple, and so subject to present necessities, that he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived. One recent example I cannot pass over in silence. Alexander the Sixth did nothing else but deceive men, nor ever thought of doing otherwise, and he always found victims; for there never was a man who had greater power in asserting, or who with greater oaths would affirm a thing, yet would observe it less; nevertheless his deceits always succeeded according to his wishes,[*] because he well understood this side of mankind.

[*] “Nondimanco sempre gli succederono gli inganni (ad votum).” The words “ad votum” are omitted in the Testina addition, 1550.

Alexander never did what he said, Cesare never said what he did.

Italian Proverb.

Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare to say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite.

And you have to understand this, that a prince, especially a new one, cannot observe all those things for which men are esteemed, being often forced, in order to maintain the state, to act contrary to fidelity,[*] friendship, humanity, and religion. Therefore it is necessary for him to have a mind ready to turn itself accordingly as the winds and variations of fortune force it, yet, as I have said above, not to diverge from the good if he can avoid doing so, but, if compelled, then to know how to set about it.

[*] “Contrary to fidelity” or “faith,” “contro alla fede,” and “tutto fede,” “altogether faithful,” in the next paragraph. It is noteworthy that these two phrases, “contro alla fede” and “tutto fede,” were omitted in the Testina edition, which was published with the sanction of the papal authorities. It may be that the meaning attached to the word “fede” was “the faith,” i.e. the Catholic creed, and not as rendered here “fidelity” and “faithful.” Observe that the word “religione” was suffered to stand in the text of the Testina, being used to signify indifferently every shade of belief, as witness “the religion,” a phrase inevitably employed to designate the Huguenot heresy. South in his Sermon IX, p. 69, ed. 1843, comments on this passage as follows: “That great patron and Coryphaeus of this tribe, Nicolo Machiavel, laid down this for a master rule in his political scheme: ‘That the show of religion was helpful to the politician, but the reality of it hurtful and pernicious.'”

For this reason a prince ought to take care that he never lets anything slip from his lips that is not replete with the above-named five qualities, that he may appear to him who sees and hears him altogether merciful, faithful, humane, upright, and religious. There is nothing more necessary to appear to have than this last quality, inasmuch as men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, because it belongs to everybody to see you, to few to come in touch with you. Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are, and those few dare not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them; and in the actions of all men, and especially of princes, which it is not prudent to challenge, one judges by the result.

For that reason, let a prince have the credit of conquering and holding his state, the means will always be considered honest, and he will be praised by everybody; because the vulgar are always taken by what a thing seems to be and by what comes of it; and in the world there are only the vulgar, for the few find a place there only when the many have no ground to rest on.

One prince[*] of the present time, whom it is not well to name, never preaches anything else but peace and good faith, and to both he is most hostile, and either, if he had kept it, would have deprived him of reputation and kingdom many a time. 

[*] Ferdinand of Aragon. “When Machiavelli was writing ‘The Prince’ it would have been clearly impossible to mention Ferdinand’s name here without giving offence.” Burd’s “Il Principe,” p. 308.

 

‘Like what?’ Someone asks. 

At which point, having waded in this far it only makes sense to wade further. 

Among other types of Power that Women wield almost exclusively, the most obvious is this. 

That Women – not all Women, but many Women – have an ability that Men do not. 

• This is the ability to drive members of the opposite sex MAD. 

• To derange Them. 

• Not only to destroy Them but to make Them destroy THEMSELVES. 

It is a Type of Power which allows a Young Woman in her late teens or twenties to take a Man with Everything in The World, at the height of his achievements, torment him, make him behave like a fool and wreck His Life utterly for just a few moments of almost-NOTHING. "