Continued from: Compassion in the Aftermath of War
In the borderlands of the kingdom of Microsoft, a massive wall rises to a great height, casting a dark shadow on the surrounding area. The wall was originally constructed after bands of raiders had ravaged the villages of the defenseless kingdom. King Windows commissioned knights McAfee, Symantec, AVG, and many other lesser-known knights to design a wall and oversee the workers. The wall was hastily constructed of materials that were close at hand: branches, burned stones, mud, and straw. Though impressive in size, the wall is not strong; in fact, sometimes a whole section of the wall collapses under its own weight. The entire wall is covered by black tar to hide the crude materials used for its construction.
As the white knight and the woman approach the wall, it can be seen that there is a wide gap large enough for horse and rider to pass. They pass easily though the opening into the wastelands, a veritable desert of barrenness. The complete lack of live vegetation is the first thing that assaults the eyes. Dust and dirt rise underfoot, and dark smoke and clouds swirl overhead. Dead trees stand mostly decayed or toppled over from the wind and lack of sun. The bleakness of the wastelands engulfs the two riders as the protective wall of the kingdom of Microsoft shrinks slowly in the distance behind them.
"Surely this is not the land of Linux!" exclaims the woman.
"No," replies the knight, "it is the wastelands of the Internet. Many lands are there in the world, but one must travel through this sea of barrenness to arrive at any of them."
After riding about twenty minutes in the wastelands, streams of sunlight begin to illumine the way as the smoke begins to dissipate. Grass, brown at first begins to turn green as they gallop onward. A bright line appears in the horizon and continues to grow as a shining wall rises into view.
This wall is quite unlike the dark wall around the kingdom of Microsoft. The brilliance of the wall dazzles the eyes of the woman as she squints to observe its outline.
"This must be the wall of the land of Linux." she says. "It looks very strong!"
"Indeed, it is," replies the knight. "Its armored walls are impenetrable to enemy attacks."
The two arrive at a tall wrought iron gate guarded by three men bearing the penguin logo on their long, white tunics. Two imposing guards stand watch in front of the entrance their long spears pointing upward and swords strapped to their sides. The other guard stands on a rough wooden platform that elevates him to the height of the riders. He asks the knight, "What is your name?"
"Sir Hackalot," replies the knight.
"And what is your password?" asks the guard.
The knight leans toward him and cupping his hand whispers something inaudible to the woman.
"You may pass. Good day sir!"
With a loud grinding noise the gate begins to open. The two guards with the spears step back from the gate to allow the riders to pass. The two enter the land of Linux and continue their journey inside the armored wall as the gate clanks shut loudly behind them.
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