The Voice of Fire

I am the voice of Fire. I tell this tale because it is time.
In the early days, men huddled cold and frightened in the dark. One day I offered man an arrangement: "I will light the darkness, warm you in the cold and keep you safe from beasts if you will love Me, respect Me and keep Me." Man agreed and thus began a long friendship between man and Fire. From time to time man asked more of Me and I readily agreed to cook man’s food, help melt metals from Earth, and even forge them into tools and weapons. Then came the time when man forgot the agreement and enslaved Me. I was used to lift heavy loads and move giant metal machines and propel objects through Air to kill innocent people, and I was used to incinerate living beings. I was ashamed to be used so, and struck back, blowing up boilers, burning down houses and factories, burning forests and melting reactors. But to no avail. Mankind continued to use Me for evil and greedy acts. Finally, I called to the Keepers and said: “I will end the world of man, except a few of the innocents, and will once again agree to light the darkness, warm you in the cold and keep you safe from beasts if you will love Me, respect Me and keep Me.”

The Keepers agreed at once, and thus began the long vigil that was sure to end in terror, safe in the knowledge that at the end of the terror Fire and mankind would once again be friends.


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