Then the Lord God turns to the angels and says: "Messrs. Angels, this
seems to be the very fellow for our business." Then to Napoleonder he
says: "Satan was perfectly right. You are worthy to be the instrument of
my wrath, because a pitiless conqueror is worse than earthquake, famine,
or deluge. Go back to the earth, Napoleonder; I turn over to you the
whole world, and through you the whole world shall be punished."

Napoleonder says: "Give me armies and luck, and I'll do my best."

Then the Lord God says: "Armies you shall have, and luck you shall have;
and so long as you are merciless you shall never be defeated in battle;
but remember that the moment you begin to feel sorry for the shedding of
blood--of your own people or of others--that moment your power will
end. From that moment your enemies will defeat you, and you shall
finally be made a prisoner, be put into chains, and be sent back to Buan
Island to watch geese. Do you understand?"

"Exactly so," says Napoleonder. "I understand, and I will obey. I shall
never feel pity."

Then the angels and the archangels began to say to God: "Lord, why have
you laid upon him such a frightful command? If he goes forth so, without
mercy, he will kill every living soul on earth--he will leave none for
seed!"

"Be silent!" replied the Lord God. "He will not conquer long. He is
altogether too brave; because he fears neither others nor himself. He
thinks he will keep from pity, and does not know that pity, in the
human heart, is stronger than all else, and that not a man living is
wholly without it."