All but one?
"All but one? ALL BUT ONE??? You Fool!"
"but Dark Lord, what's the problem? He is but one man."
"SHUT UP! You're mmmaking it wwoorrse. I told you to kill all of them. 'Kill them all.' I said. 'Kill them all.' Not 'Kill most of them.' Certainly not 'Kill all but one of them.'"
"But Master, what's the difference?"
"Simpleton. Dark armies swoop in on an unprepared and peaceful people, living in the mountains. They slaughter everyone. Everyone. What is that?"
"An atrocity, M'Lord."
"That's right. An atrocity. I am an evil overlord. I have quite a large atrocity budget in any given year. Now. Consider the other possibility. Dark armies swoop in on an unprepared and peaceful people, still living in the mountains, and slaughter all but one of them. All but one! Do you know what That is?"
"Another atrocity?"
"No, you fool. It's...an...origin...story.... You are a dead man walking. Dead. You have no chance to survive. Make your time. I, on the other hand, still do have a chance. Unfortunately, well, it means I'm going to have to... to..."
"Yes, Master?"
"To reform."
"but Dark Lord, what's the problem? He is but one man."
"SHUT UP! You're mmmaking it wwoorrse. I told you to kill all of them. 'Kill them all.' I said. 'Kill them all.' Not 'Kill most of them.' Certainly not 'Kill all but one of them.'"
"But Master, what's the difference?"
"Simpleton. Dark armies swoop in on an unprepared and peaceful people, living in the mountains. They slaughter everyone. Everyone. What is that?"
"An atrocity, M'Lord."
"That's right. An atrocity. I am an evil overlord. I have quite a large atrocity budget in any given year. Now. Consider the other possibility. Dark armies swoop in on an unprepared and peaceful people, still living in the mountains, and slaughter all but one of them. All but one! Do you know what That is?"
"Another atrocity?"
"No, you fool. It's...an...origin...story.... You are a dead man walking. Dead. You have no chance to survive. Make your time. I, on the other hand, still do have a chance. Unfortunately, well, it means I'm going to have to... to..."
"Yes, Master?"
"To reform."