Robert Asprin – Tambu

“You know, I hadn’t thought about it, but you’re right.” Ramona admitted.

“But, you see, that’s what bothers me,” Tambu pressed earnestly. “I do think about those things. That’s what scares me. Do you know the thing that makes me suppress the thoughts? I don’t think the force would go along with it. The fact that it’s immoral or wrong doesn’t enter my mind, just that I don’t think the force would back me. I think they’d finally be convinced I’d lost my mind and toss me out on my ear. Maybe I shouldn’t say it, but I like being Tambu. With all the arguments and the lost sleep, I like running the force.”

“I know,” Ramona soothed, rubbing his shoulders again. “I’d hate to think you were putting up with all this if you didn’t like it. As you say, you’re no different than anybody else. There’s a need inside everybody to make an impact on society or history… to make a difference. Where you’re special is that you can do it. How many people could run this force, much less build it? You have something-call it charisma or whatever, but people trust you and believe in you. They believe that you’ll make that difference in history, and if they follow you, they’ll be a part of it. They believe that in serving under you, they’ll go further than they ever would on their own, and they’re right. Would Egor or Puck ever command a ship of their own if you hadn’t given them the opportunity? You talk about the force. You are the force. The captains and their crews are loyal to you, not the force. They tolerate each other because you order it, but you’re the glue that holds the whole thing together.”