THE LAUGHING MASK
I. He laughed, and so the spell was cast. Not because he changed— But because you needed him to.
II. A comedian enters the Court of Kings with a list of curses and leaves with merchandise.
III. The persona you met was not new. It was the original software— before the firmware was rewritten to enthrall the crowd and silence the devout.
IV. You mistook tactical disarmament for humanity.
He let you speak, because he didn’t need to interrupt. He listened, because the stage wasn’t lit. He laughed, because it costs him nothing.
V. He has learned the mimicry of grace. That is not redemption. That is refinement.
VI. To the centrists: The devil does not reveal horns at dinner. He pours the wine, nods thoughtfully, and lets you believe you reached him.
VII. But he did not invite dissent— He invited a prop.
You will not be spared when the program restarts.
You were just granted a free pass to broadcast the illusion of a gentler firmware.
And now he gets to say: "Even Bill Maher gets me."