Random scene:
"I don't understand," he said. "You turned your back on your people to become the second-in-command to a man who is taking over the world. Why aren't you planning on taking over from him?"
"Because I'm not a candle," I replied.
"What?"
"See all these papers? They describe problems to be dealt with. If you can't see them, you can't deal with them. You need a candle. But the danger of candles is, they can set the papers on fire. And the wind can blow a candle out. Thus, we have a lantern. Place the candle in here, and the papers will not burn, nor will the wind blow it out. He is the candle - he provides the insight necessary to deal with these problems. I am the lantern - protecting the land from his careless usage of power, and protecting him from being blown out."
"I don't have the insight necessary to solve the problems he sorts out every day. Until I can become a candle, and find a lantern for each of us, it is better to be what I am. My people will think I'm a traitor - but they're alive to think so."
(No, I have no idea why this is floating through my head.)
"Because I'm not a candle," I replied.
"What?"
"See all these papers? They describe problems to be dealt with. If you can't see them, you can't deal with them. You need a candle. But the danger of candles is, they can set the papers on fire. And the wind can blow a candle out. Thus, we have a lantern. Place the candle in here, and the papers will not burn, nor will the wind blow it out. He is the candle - he provides the insight necessary to deal with these problems. I am the lantern - protecting the land from his careless usage of power, and protecting him from being blown out."
"I don't have the insight necessary to solve the problems he sorts out every day. Until I can become a candle, and find a lantern for each of us, it is better to be what I am. My people will think I'm a traitor - but they're alive to think so."
(No, I have no idea why this is floating through my head.)