The man we follow through this story, it may surprise you, was the chief advisor to the vile ruler of the land. But He was a visionary, and he looked around his kingdom, and saw the desperation and devastation that persisted, no matter what he did. He was always determined that every day could be the day that he would finally make a difference, And the citizens would be grateful.

But they were not. In fact, they were quite the opposite of grateful, they despised the Advisor. They saw him as ugly, old and despicable. The people would often question why the kingdom was plagued by theft, why there were no more good jobs left, why they did not have enough to eat, why they were dying in the street, why their children always cried, why would those around them too often died. To them the answer to these questions was him, that ugly old advisor who could do nothing to help them. The people believed that if they just dreamed a little harder, pined a little long, that life would go their way. The belief that the good and the attractive had no need to be proactive was the reason the kingdom's citizens blamed all their woes on this one man.

The Advisor himself knew that he was no prize, not so easy on the eyes, he could not rely on looks to get him by. But he thought that ugliness permits a man to use his wits, because pretty people never have to try. He often heard the people whisper as he walked about the streets, he knew they called him ugly, old, and bizarre. What he called planning, they called scheming, what he called delusion, they called dreaming. He wondered, Why am I the only one who sees things as they are?