How It Fell Apart

As the late Robert A. Heinlein said, “If this goes on …”

It started when Pennsic War was cancelled. The National Guard was waiting at the warsite with the FBI and ICE. It’s hard to tell what upset ICE more, the barons with swastikas embroidered on their court robes, who said, “I’m a Nazi, TOO,” or the mundane lawyers and teachers who recited the Constitution and J. K. Rowling to them. ’Tis untrue the concentration camp director unlocked the doors and walked out when every Laurel in two kingdoms started singing the Preamble from Schoolhouse Rock in unison. ’Tis likewise untrue Mexico recruited the cartels to attack their northern border; they just didn’t get in their way when the cartels could no longer stand the insults to their national honor. After that, everything went to Hell in a hand basket. The Run on Area 51 was just icing on the cake (but that might have gone very differently in the Air Force hadn’t been busy bombing Mexico).

Sppeculative fiction inspired by current news accounts and the following two Leslie Fish songs.

“Serious Steel”

“The Day It Fell Apart”

And, of course, this scene from HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

“Ah,” said Dumbledore gently, “Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag.”

“Snag?” said Fudge, his voice still vibrating with joy. “I see no snag, Dumbledore!”

“Well,” said Dumbledore apologetically, “I’m afraid I do.”

“Oh, really?”

“It’s just that you seem to be laboring under the delusion that I am going to — come quietly. I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course — but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing.”

J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix