KING OF SWORDS 10-142
Chapter: 10
“Total victory is not found in the final sword blow. To perfect victory you cannot continue to spill the blood of a fallen foe, which only shows your insecurities to your many enemies. Instead, you must nurse your foe back to health, dress, and feed him, but not so much that he regains his strength. You must take away every aspect of him which originally seemed fierce and indestructible. In every aspect you must diminish and crush his spirit with affection, all the while maintaining your grip on his sword arm. In this way, kindness is the greatest cruelty.”
-Au Vam
To assure yourself and those you have conquered that the newest threat is nothing to worry about, you must strip it of its trappings. Dresses do not seem to suit our warriors anymore. At least, not when they are chosen by a tyrant.
But like ….. Cio was wearing a dress lol just a dress of her own choosing.
In the times to come, when the historians study the chronicles of the rising king, the revelation that Solomon David did not approve of Cio’s schoolgirl chic will no doubt be viewed as the greatest evidence that he had truly gone completely and irrevocably mad.
He has absolutely no fashion sense.
He has a taste for milkmaids.
A milkmaid is a good and righteous thing to be.
Milk, you are one which has brought joy, and so I say you are the best and most righteous thing to be.
The only primary source known to survive is quite strident on this matter.
Aye. ‘Tis so, ’tis so.
Solomon David detests the idea of “choice”, unless it is his.
Solomon David is blind to the fact he has removed all his own choices. In so doing the road he has chosen now leads only to inevitable ruin.
But then again, what roads end elsewhere?
They all end here.
Find yourself a victory that can survive you, as you will not survive my threshing floor.
The road which leads nowhere.
This, indeed, was the problem. Femininity itself is not evil, but rather its use as a tool of bondage. A dress worn as a means of liberation – to look good according to one’s own desires and taste – is abhorrent in the eyes of the Patriarchy.
Let them break beneath my majesty. Patriarchy will have to contend with someone who knows how to fight even in a dress made for bondage.
But first to break free of the body’s limits, if necessary. Sometimes the best chains are forged by one’s own agreement, sometimes they are the worst.
They’re both like “This is so totally *not* us.”
The match is about to start! And there’s a second day’s worth of ice for drinks, too. Good thing I had extra for everyone!
Do you have blood ice?
“Blood” was not one of the flavors that the Empire’s drink contract covered, and I do not believe it wise to bring up such a flavor within its bounds.
surely, one might collect and repurpose the great gallons of it spilled in the arena.
Solomon cares not for the vanquished fools, after all.
reselling it at the same event might be considered gauche, however, and is not the best way towards Profit.
better to collect, freeze, and sell later and elsewhere.
The collection and reselling of loose blood from the grounds of a public arena constitutes a violation under the Blood, Bone and Viscera Retrieval Act as enforced by the Celestial Empire’s Ministry of General Health and Happiness. Unlike most governments, that particular department that has grown rather robust under the wise and watchful eye of Lord Solomon.
That is poor person speak. Those with the ambition and drive to gain riches will know that such regulations are only for the fools that know not what hands to wash in gold. As told by our god Mammon.
Your greed knows no bounds, villain.
Dressed for inconvenience.
WHO? DID? ALLISON’S? HAIR?
The demiurges seem to really like to play dressup with Alison.
That’s exactly what I was going to comment. Not in this words, exactly, but the gist was pretty much the same.
Allison’s face: “What? Again?”
@Termite, I believe you have exposed the deepest lore mystery of the series. Why do the seven like making Allison play dressup? What will Jagganoth make her wear? What will Gog-Agog?
Is making her play dress-up just a power trip? Or do they believe fashion will somehow contain and mold her power to throw the world’s largest monkey wrench into their affairs?
Us wants t’see Alice as un green jester now. An especiallike Cio – meresome so’s t’enjoy the face she be pullin!
I can hazard a guess how Gog will dressup Allcion or at least the scene plays out clearly in mm head, how is Jagganoth going to dress her up is the interesting question.
In power armor, of course.
…or in bondage gear.
……or in bondage power armour.
To be fair, they’re looking to remake her into whatever they need. The exception being Mammon who no longer cares.
I bet if Mottom didn’t crash the party, his priests would’ve given her something, going along with their “this land is kind” spiel.
Spoiler Alert: The final battle for control of the multiverse is actually a fashion show. All the combat and drama was just a diversion from the *real* focus of the narrative.
Also, I’m seriously rooting for “demiiurges playing dressup” becoming a running gag.
I was hoping the final battle would be a dance fight, but, alas, we may never see this.
So…Solomon put Cio in a nun’s habit?
Worse: a servant’s costume. This will not be forgiven.
It is an affront to Cio’s superior fashion sense.
Cio, please tell me the only reason they gave you THAT was because you ripped up whatever they originally provided…
I wanna know what she did to the servants that brought it to her
Befitting? No, not really. But it is still a pretty pimp dress.
I think cleo clothing was purely to humiliate since they were conservative and actually pretty amazing. Though I do at least like Alice’s hair its so well done
I can’t decide if it’s cuter if the guy who brought the clothes (who I assume is one of Solomon’s 26-27th generation of sons) did it for her, or if Cio insisted on doing it for her so she’d actually look somewhat stylish… right before they put Cio in that fashion disaster purely to humiliate her…
Between the alt text and Solomon’s already-established ability to move planets, is it possible Rayuba has a moon that might end up falling?
Not so much moving planets as putting up two replacement suns and having a night/day cycle that seems to defy astrodynamics.
Remind one of the night/day cycle, one has the feeling it’s as regular as Solomon’s OCD.? Zaid said he found it hard to sleep with there being 2 suns, one remembers that, but there was definite ‘red sky in morning..’, ie a morning, 3-4 pages ago.
If ’twere a classic binary, with Rayuba orbiting their centre of gravity, then there should not be too much difference to having one sun, and Zaid’s comment would be strange. Depending on axial tilt it could be similar to what this Earth experiences as its summer.
If Rayuba were much closer in though, the suns would have to be less powerful than the Sun for starters, cooler red dwarfs say, or Rayuba would be crispier than sunside Mercury. The classic 3-body problem would be taken to apply if Rayuba is closer than to have its own ‘normal’ orbit, and it would effectively be chaotic, unpredictable, and having any distinct morning at all would seem strange.
Of course Solomon manipulating any astral bodies in the first place would already defy our understanding.
I’ve always imagined that Rayuba’s new suns are not stars but godly light-fittings, in low orbit or simply held up by Solomon’s will. The day-night cycle is controlled by the Mother of all Dimmer Switches. Operation of the Switch is a fiercely-contested privilege of the elite Solomonites.
🙂
For completeness: the night was stated to be exactly 8 hours and twilight exactly 1 hour, all year round. Geometrically infeasible (impossible?) with suns of constant brightness.
Aha, thank you yes, one does just about remember this from somewhen. Wouldn’t know why Zaid would have trouble with that.
All year round would indicate zero tilt.
One feels we would need to know how fast Rayuba spins, ie also the number of daylight hours, to work out the geometry, fewer hours being more viable, but an Earth std daylength would probably require Rayuba and the 2 suns to play ring-a-ring-of-roses in a trinary configuration, so not a great likelyhood.
Thank you I was searching and praying to Aesma for this reference. You brought peace to my inquiring heart.
So we have an angel name generator, what about a Cio face generator?
Guh, perhaps the worst thing to happen to Cio yet…
O’ Faithful, join me in prayer towards the Fading Flame.
May the cast off embers of Creation and Destruction devour the Emptiness, the Chain shall be broken into a whip that shall split the Sword!
O Flame! O Ash! O Sacred Darkness and Holy Light!
None shall be spared!
Ah, it WAS just a dream. Obvious, but it is gratifying to see it coming. That is a lot of being an Oracle, I find; stating the obvious. Of course, what is obvious to me is different than what is obvious to most, but still.
And let’s be real, here. Allison and Cio’s expressions are absolutely justified.
That look on her face. “Though the gates of Hell be opened and the armies of the dead march forth from the sea, I will have vengeance!” comes to mind.
Modest dress can bestow sophistication onto the classless and need not be sexless; sometimes showing a bit of ankle can be more beautiful than showcasing nearly everything. Dress designed to be frumpy as though frumpiness was a virtue, however, is very difficult to overcome. In any case one should never buy off-the-rack if possible.
Cio’s face in that sixth panel says it all.
Solomon sure does know how to endear himself to women, I know most of the women I’ve met love being told what to wear. That dress washes poor Alison out like an overcast day. Cio looks like a Nun with a pack a day habit.
As for Au Vam, his weaponizing of kindness can result in terrible calamity if that grip on the sword arm is lost. Such kindnesses can be returned tenfold in cruelties from those who seemed broken, but were really just biding their time. Better to annihilate a foe quickly.
I see that they are brought into the stands *opposite* to the royal box, so that they have to walk past half the crowd to reach Solomon. This is not accidental.
For no reason that I can identify, I suspect this is going to end poorly for the Emperor. Perhaps he will be prosecuted for his fashion crimes.
The crowd of KSBD comment section demands blood!
Indeed, Preem Potwór, for he has imprisoned AL-Ysun, he has damaged her spirit, he has taken her from her friends. All that we could forgive. But Solomon-David…
Beige? Really?
Tremendous, earth shattering physical and mystical power buys you a lot. It buys you the adoration of your followers, the fear of your enemies, the respect of the masses and all the wealth that you could ever desire.
It does not buy you a taste in fashion. yeesh.
“You philosophers are lucky men.
You write on paper and paper is patient.
Unfortunate Empress that I am,
I write on the susceptible skins of living beings.”
~ Catherine The Great, Empress of Russia.
No, no! Don’t make me fall in love with long-dead historical figures!
We already knew that Solomon David was no good, but if he inspired a culture where what Cio had been wearing was less presentable than that potato sack they stuffed her in, he’s complete trash tier.
I’m glad he’s going to lose tis fight.
At a guess, I’m going to say that he’s not going to lose, as such. Perhaps achieve a standstill? But also perhaps simply destroy White Chain’s shell and then announce something.
But then again, diamond is a material. Angels are immaterial… and hot enough to melt diamond if they don’t stay in those bodies. I’m guessing that we won’t know until the actual moment when one is defeated.
Pride goeth before the fall.
And Solomon is literally fighting an Angel, who he thinks is beneath him.
(Also we have Voss waltzing in with “She has no chance of winning… but here’s how she can totally win.” And Alison is all, “I see…”)
Meanwhile, Incubus is just “YOU SUCK YOU GIANT TURD! IT ABSOLUTELY SUCKS THAT I’M SUPER-HOT FOR YOU RIGHT NOW!”
Interestingly, Oscar also thought he could take White Chain (when they first met, back in Book 3); boy was he out of his league! This suggests that very few actually understand how powerful are the angels. Cio knows, but she’s been around a while and seen a lot (she’s probably older than Solomon).
Cio’s shoes … are sized for a human. Cio’s feet are much longer, because claws. Not only is she humiliated, she’s in agony and losing her balance.
Alison’s dress seems weird. From the front it seems to be open over the shoulder muscles. Yet from the back it looks like the dress covers the same area. Really looks like a different dress from behind.
One thing I’ve noted reading this story is that Abbadon plays fast and loose with characters’ clothing; * very * fast and loose. It’s better to take it as one of the comic’s charms than to think too much about it.
Tch.
At least Mottom had some understanding of fashion.
Women tend to be very good at knowing what men like to see. How odd that it doesn’t often work the other way around.
Choosing the clothing of your enemy… certainly a more subtle display of power, but no less effective at diminishing one’s enemy.
And in choosing the clothing, no doubt, Solomon believes he has chosen more. Their moods, for example, predictably and justifiably miffed. There is nothing Solomon wants except to be in complete and undeniable control.
Off to meet the big man himself, in his royal box! What does he have to show them there?
Solomon David: First, may I direct your attention to this? *points to ornate sigil carved into the white stone of the box wall*
Allison: *stares at sigil intently* It says… “NO SMOKING”. Well, okay… no problem… *glances at Cio*
Cio: *stands caught in the middle of rolling up her own tail tuft into a makeshift cigarette* (hisses) Ah, pox on thee, thou assclenched killjoy…
Solomon David: *stoneface* *crackles with power* *raises hand in obscure gesture*
Colossal phantasmal forms: *materialise in arena*
Gog-Agog: (into microphone) Oh wow! It looks like- yes, it is – we are starting today’s event with one of our great Paternum’s great anti-smoking presentations!! Brace yourselves, folks, and pace yourselves on that popcorn consumption – these things can go on for a looooong time! But we will get on to the match when it’s over! Sure we will!
Cio: *seethes*
Solomon David: *slight, but VERY superior smile*
>:=)>
When you get a funny outfit for your cat.
“Dawn of the Final Day.”
When combined with the fact that this is an artificial solar system created and probably held together by Solomon, that doesn’t bode well for…well, anybody.
I suppose it depends on how exactly it’s ‘held together’, it’s plausible that at least one of the suns is a super bright satellite*, but even then, it’s like ‘what’s physics?’ Either way, in the context of sun destroying and creating, that alt text isn’t exactly auspicious.
*While appearances are that the highest known tech level is modern equivalent, word of Abbadon was that Jadis had a bunch of scientists doing whatever they were doing when she glimpsed the shape of the universe, so some seriously high tech could have existed at some point someplace before the technology crackdown. Of course, Rayuba’s original sun got destroyed somehow (probably not via super/nova), so, whatever is capable of destroying suns may well be capable of creating them.
Cio looks so unenthused to be wearing those clothes
Aww they have matching outfits, aren’t they adorable!
That dress that Cio has been given do not befit somebody of her status and deed doing.
Cio’s face speaks at volumes here
The nation’s turned their Yale down
so they wake up and dress in gown
with horned beasts in two-Ls town.
“Dawn of the Final Day,” eh?
And Daddy is about to try and fight an angel?
This city is doomed.
Worms. I foresee worms.
Of course you do, my dear. *kisses your worm-equivalent of a forehead*
Should I have stood in Ms Cioelle’s (unflattering) shoes that day, would I have remarked, “plumpen-arsed that dress assuredly makes tha look”?
Ay, assuredly I would.
Ah, Cio, take heart! He has attempted to humiliate you by forcing you into servant’s garb, but in fact he has given you a great weapon – your foes’ underestimation of your power – and in doing so wields that weapon against himself.
What better guise than a drab’s? Who so unseen as a frump? What blow so unexpected as from a rag?
So play his game, Cio. Play it until the moment is ripe.
And then reveal it is *your* game.
Everyone is so focussed on David making them wear dresses, that they look past the fact that David also dresses his guard in those uniforms. Truly what won’t this mad man put clothes on?
Her face looks like, ‘this is the second Demiurge who wanted to dress me up – what’s with that?’.
There is only one path to true power and that is to start your own fashion company.
So slavic peasant women is considered presentable? Hotdawg
Solomon taste in clothing is abyssmal.
It would be better if that jester choose their clothes.
The fuckin Paternum, amirite? Every time.
Au Vam has learnt his Sun Tzu, or perhaps it was the other way around.
Lol Cio looks like a scullery maid
Did Solomon David just wrap two warriors in fancy clothes and expect them to be happy just because they are female? Or was it a way to mock them? I think he is supposed to represent a force making people stay in line and fulfill their role (like he spared the fighters who listened to his order and did not move) so maybe he is stereotyping them now too.
I cannot imagine trying to fight while wearing something like that. I used to throw people around wile wearing a hakama and this must be even less comfortable.
One warrior in fancy clothes. That monstrosity Cio is being made to wear can’t be cally “fancy” by any stretch of the imagination.
He is absolutely mocking them.
Salami Dave is a man who came from a world that looked to be stuck in the dark ages, or something very close to them. Seeing the ridiculous way that his subjects all dress, I’m thinking he keeps Rayuban culture alive in the fashion they have. While he may be mocking them I can absolutely see him as thinking that it was also generous of him to dress them in the local style. And, he’s admitted to being a tyrant, so I doubt he cares for their wishes over presentability. It seems Salami Dave cares more about appearance than anything else. Having served under an organization that absolutely prizes appearance over substance, I both get his mindset and their misery at basically dressing like Puritan milk maids.
Also, I’ve never seen Cio look so defeated. It’s pretty funny.
Has anyone commented on the Discourager of Hesitancy there with his axe and his fierce countenance?
I assume the armed guards are there merely for show. I can’t imagine what four guys with halberds could do against people who fight angels.
A halberd is just the worst (edged) weapon for guarding even ordinary prisoners. If these chaps were expecting trouble they’d be marching with drawn swords.
Halberds are quite good for *murdering* prisoners. I think Abbadon was aiming for an “OMG no no no” reaction on the first line of the strip with the dress buesiness hidden below the page-fold. It certainly had me spluttering my morning tea.
Right, I am wondering what the guards are supposed to thinking. Just a few of them are stuck escorting two fighters who literally wrecked the arena together. They’d be just as dead as everyone who charged Salami Dave if Allison decided to fight. It would make more sense to send a diplomat to fetch them. Maybe a pathetic group of guards is part of the humiliation.
Getting antsy thinking about what’s become of Princess, Nyave and Zaid. Odds weren’t exactly in their favor last we saw them. Should we expect a reunion under duress in the next page?
Probably nothing. Solomon knows that Allison wouldn’t let him hurt her friends and would demolish the jail if he tried.
Hey, free dress.
Alt text Zelda reference?
Those dresses are weaksauce. This is what happens when you don’t keep three golden devil handmaids on your payroll exclusively to clothe yourself and your guests as extravagantly as possible, Dave.
Your guests are an extension of yourself, and how can you expect people to respect you if you don’t look fucking crisp at all times?
Salami Dave’s relationship with clothes is complicated; this fact is well-documented.
The desire of the power-hungry to shape the world to their will is evident in all their actions, especially in their choices of attire. Just as clothing can be a flag flown in representation of who we are and/or wish to be, so too can it be a figurative (or literal) corset to bend us to the expectations of others. And as history has shown, it is very often used in the latter capacity.
It would seem Solomon seeks to bend our fierce dynamic duo into the shape of an obedient princess and a subservient maid, should he have his way. Though he would be wise to remember that clothing alone makes for a flimsy mask, and an even flimsier set of shackles.
I personally prefer the freedom of nudity, but perhaps only because I’d have to custom order pants with 16 pairs of legs.
Wouldn’t a naked trilobite be one without an exoskeleton?
Would a naked human be one without skin?
Prefers nekkid humans. Prefers skinless humans. Less’n thum be roastly crispy.
Trilobites eh. Troosies wi leg’oles o jaikets wi sleevies? Thums likesome all indecisioned thumselfs t’death. ‘Ceptin un, seemso.
so. . . so who did her hair?
Maybe she did it herself? Though she hasn’t been shown in anything more complex than a basic ponytail. There were some other hair styles in her mental landscape, but you know, mental landscape.
The only other plausible one is Cio.
I suppose the servant that brought the clothes COULD have done it.
Or maybe they were brought to a more private room (not that Cio would care all that much) where a female servant helped.
Unless Abbadon drops some hint, we’ll likely never know.
The tyrant does forget a most important lesson, that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
A certain other Demiurge tried to put Allison in a dress, and look at what happened to her.
Yo Abbadon, you really need to post delays (though the delay isn’t beyond the more typical one or two updates per week schedule we’re used to) on the website as well!
Anyway, sounds like two more pages left for this book, either the fight scene is going to be short or it’s in the next book.
I bet he’s so pleased to be shouted at and micromanaged, in such an affable and patient way too.
Who? Abbadon? (Your post appears to be a response to mine but isn’t set as a reply to it) It’s a perfectly reasonable request to post delays on the site as well as twitter. Either that or have the twitter feed be on a sidebar somewhere.
Not everybody would be checking Abbadons twitter regularly, I don’t. I simply checked on a whim since he’s been doing the comics at a pretty quick pace the past few months.
Certainly for one’s self, one is very happy to enjoy the fruits of a hard but loving labour whenever they arrive. One finds it not possible to escape the quality inherent in an Aeon to be but patient for kalpa. What is a twitter? It seems to need keeping and fed?
Not gonna lie, Solomon should fire his tailor, as her dress does not suit her. she looks more of a fool that Gog’agog.
Perhaps that is the point.
And so I find myself having read this entire webcomic in the span of 48 hours.
My. Over 500 per 2 days, to 2 or fewer per week. The withdrawl will not be good from such an impressive and thoroughly understandable binge.
Hey Abbadon, we get that you’re on the move and all that, but would you mind mentioning delays on-site as well? Some of us would rather not wade into Twitter.
Wading into a twitter sounds too much for anyone to bear. Abbadon must hear of this dire plight. Related, one was not aware that even Patreonites were afforded any definite schedule, so one does not tend to think of there being any delays. Just a dedicated author and artist putting out his work for all, as and when at all able. Has one mentioned how nice it is to be quietly patient, then pleasantly surprised.
Apologies, one thought one was replying to Mio.
I don’t really bother with the local dialect, so apologies in advance for any misunderstandings. It seems to me you’re mocking me for making, what seems to me, a simple enough request (although of course, I may be mistaken). After all, the site clearly supports announcements like these. In fact, in the past, it was common to see them pop up at the bottom of the homepage.
As for the update schedule, I am glad to inform you that one can find it in the About section: “Tuesday and Friday evenings (and occasionally weekends). Sometimes it will be up quite late on those days.” Perhaps it would be more comfortable for Abbadon to update only once a week, though. I mean no offence, naturally. However, there is no shame in admitting that one needs a break.
Perhaps a mild mock on reading, perhaps not, perhaps an attempt at humour, for something which came across as Hey Abbadon do this cos I can’t be bothered to do that. Your echo simply followed on the heels of the smj/Tunnel Ape dialogue above. One does not understand the need to demand, nor tell a creator what he should or shouldn’t do or needs to do, but yours was certainly of request than the previous demand. Apologies for misunderstandings likewise.
One has indeed not been in the About page for many moons, but have never really thought of the updates as more than a declared goal, rather than gospel, and we have certainly received new pages on many different days. Regularity is very rare, here or anywhere; one can think of only one webcomic which has never deviated from schedule, not even once to one’s recall.
One is ever happy to receive whenever, something worth waiting for, but others’ desires may well be different and of a range. The once a week could work in the way that twice (even were it regularly twice) could then be seen as a boon; one always feels good with an overdeliver even if/when due to an underpromise.
Also fitting in with that would be the now many-days-long enjoyable and very interesting discussions, suppositions, deductions and banter from oodles of Inheritors, that have developed, and can be overtaken by events – when there is a longer hiatus we see how long the suppositions and comments naturally last, and it will normally excede 3 days (‘victim of its own success’ could fit into that point somewere perhaps; please place where appropriate). Thoughts all. Or ramblings, it does rather seem longer a comment than anticipated. Tea.
I got your point about being patient and true, it’d only been like three days, but I was just trying to say ‘hey, could you please also post schedule changes/updates’ on the site too since not everybody checks twitter.
re regularity: Schlock Mercenary, right? Anyways, while KSBD certainly isn’t as regular as that, we’ve come to generally expect a new one on average once per week (quicker pace during the coronovirus quarantine nonwithstanding), sometimes a bit longer and the delay doesn’t go beyond that, but again, I was just trying to say ‘hey, could you please post updates on the site too?’ Maybe I could have been a little less shouty about it, anyways….
Schlock Mercenary’s regularity comes at some cost to its creator, who feels bounden to work even when very ill. Also, the buffer that gives the regularity makes it very hard for a creator to change anything in the light of audience reaction, as the “future” is fixed too many pages in advance. I think Abbadon’s way is gentler and more fruitful.
Nobody here is asking for that kind of regularity or output though.
On regularity I read both Schlock Mercenary and Pepper & Carrot. One updates every day the other about 3 or 4 times a year. It is beautiful though.
>Regularity is very rare, here or anywhere; one can think of only one webcomic which has never deviated from schedule, not even once to one’s recall.
Gunnerkrigg?
Wow, the words of Au Vam are so chilling. To retain his human soul the butcher (or the vampire) must maintain empathy with his prey, all the while maintaining the flow of its draining life. It is with love we kill not with hate, and for the love of that which comes after. – Kal-2 the Reiver king.
Kindness surely is the greatest cruelty.
Man… I feel like I should be afraid, but all I can feel about someone who demands so much conformity is pity.
Perhaps he is even afraid of loss of control?
Probably not. It just makes me wonder.
I think it’s more of an expectations thing, after all, a king and his subjects would expect that his guests at the royal spectator box at least look nice, no?
We don’t have a sense of what Rayuba’s formal or upper class female fashion looks like, so, it kind of does look like he had to borrow from Mottom’s closet.
victory is hard fought death. championed by women and weak things resigned to defeat.
already regretting this
Like the braid. Shame about the rest.
Cio’s fashion sense is screaming on the inside…
Text in the description reminding me a whole lot of another favorite comic of mine:
“What is needed is that we talk. But they are unwilling to listen. So we must bring them to the table by force.”