We are the souls of damnation. We are the workers of magic. We are the demons and devils who seduce and entertain.

In times of longing, we call forth our minions, the words, the rhythms and rhymes of a world besieged by heartbreak, and we send them cascading across dampened cheeks to pilfer and ravage the infidels of sadness. Let our words ring in the hearts of children and dance in the minds of lovers, let them glide as the voices of minstrels to every lustful ear. We are the surveyors of the mind, the solicitors of affection, the charlatans of emotion, and the opportunists of romantic escape. We stroll beneath the eye of a printing press and bathe in the deep blue thickness of an inkwell.

Yet now, as tyrants lay claim to the world, as Empire and authoritarianism haunt our shores, we must suffer to make light of the bleak. We must empathize. We must pity. We must spend our lives imagining the lives of others or reinventing our own. When greed and power nurture our politicians, when ignorance and fanatical ideology lead us to war, when religion and fear intrude upon our freedoms, we must heed the call to action. We must overcome our innocence. We must accuse and question, think and act. We must write of atrocity and destruction. We must defend the defenseless and weed out the indefensible.

Let not one moment slip beyond our vision. Let our questions drive the narrative of history. From the starving to the murdered, the wealthy to the powerful, let our words delve into the souls of a population and reveal the spirit of humankind. Fear not the accusations. Fear not the propagandists of hate and bigotry. Truth is no friend to the greedy, but truth is always the first victim of censure.

So call forth the minions, my fellows. Call forth the words. We are the souls of damnation, for we understand the intricacies of life, the ills of society, and the nature of evil. We are the workers of magic, for we can teach the world of peace and suffering and illuminate the horrors of incompetence and hatred. We can seduce and entertain with words of truth and give voice to the emotions that govern our souls.

We can and we must. For we are writers. And we have no choice.

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