Ari Rose – Chapter 1
“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
The question was a whisper in a tornado of agendas, desires, and fears. The same question had been repeated countless times, by infinite voices, passing through lips on faces that would all look identical once the flesh disintegrated. The rhythm of the words was so familiar that their meaning was only a melody carrying the song of our culture from one century to the next.
I knew truth was relative. I knew it was a battle of perception. Yet I did not defend my beliefs. I made no attempt to argue that this entire procedure was nothing more than a social game, drawing distinctions and framing motives for the sake of analysis itself. Instead, I followed protocol. I swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Saving the world was no longer my concern.
