Death Diary (Entry 40)

Entry Forty

The general Sun Tzu once said "All warfare is based on deception." Deceitful...that's a good way to describe War. He's unkind, unforgiving, and a very malicious animal...but he's also a clever bastard. I described Pestilence as a scientist, but War is more of an artist of some kind. I may despise him, but I certainly can't deny his efficiency. Of the other 3, I have interacted with him the most...and like the other 3, I can't stand him.

War goes by another name that few people think about. He is also known as Conflict. It's foolish to believe that the concept of war only applies to nations clashing. When you analyze the root of every great battle or war, you'll find Conflict at it's source. That conflict, is usually War working his magic. But if you asked him, he'd tell a totally different story. War prides himself on being a visionary. In his mind, humanity is violent...vicious...and feral. He knows that, given the right incentive, mankind will kill each other without hesitation. So, all he has to do is just give them the incentive and that's when the conflict begins. He uses such simple tools to do this task...it takes so little to spark conflict. Jealousy, anger, prejudice, and greed are all he needs to begin his art. To him, conflict is the first drop of paint on a tapestry, or the first note of a symphony that will blossom into a large and powerful explosion of destruction, hate, and battle. It's all cause and effect...a domino effect, if you will. If he can push one small conflict...and let the conflict escalate, then he will get the end result he wants.
One thing that you need to know about War is that he is bored very easily, and he is also impatient. Like I said before, the art of war and conflict is all about cause and effect. He hates peace because it has no passion to it...no excitement or power. He likes to see things in motion. He appreciates seeing cause and effect...watching the gears turn and create something entertaining. However, he also understands that gears must collide with each other to cause motion, and that's what he loves to witness...the collision that brings out the destruction. To him, conflict is art, and the more powerful and more grand the battle, the greater the piece. His most glorious symphonies were the two World Wars that he influenced.
It's actually rather odd...you'd think that War would love the advancement of technology and he growth of nations so that they can develop more dangerous and more lethal weapons, like the atomic bomb in WWII. Actually, it's quite the opposite. When the atomic bomb was created, he was furious. Why? Because when the Allied forces were preparing to invade Japan, he was prepared to write the final and most beautiful part of his symphony...only to have it snuffed out and ended in one great explosion. Like I said, War relishes the conflict of the battle...not the amount of destruction it brings. That's what you have to understand about War most of all.

Now, I have met War many times...and I have seen him take many forms. However, usually I see him in the form of a young man standing on a ledge...looking over the battlefields before him. Wearing his blood red tuxedo and tailcoat, he holds out, not a sword, but a conductors stick. He smiles maliciously as he "conducts" his orchestra of madness. While I do hate War and how he views humanity and conflict, I cannot deny that I see the artistry in his work. Having seen every war this lunatic has conducted, I have noticed a method to his art...a strange and terrifying rhythm. When War conducts his orchestra of conflict and hate, the world trembles.
I first met War shortly after the Beginning of Man. I mentioned in one of my earlier entries about my very first job; taking he soul of Abel after Cain had murdered him. Well, it was on that day that I saw War for the first time. He stood behind Cain...wearing nothing but animal skin and rags...he was disguised as jealousy and hatred. He had touched Cain, and pushed him to conflict with his brother...and thus Cain had given War his first work of art. I had nothing to say to War at that time...so I said nothing to him, but War noticed me, and he watched as I took the soul of Abel. He then...applauded me.
For you see, unlike the other Horsemen who despise my presence, War views me as the finished piece...the final note of the symphony. For this reason, we rarely clash swords. This doesn't mean he likes me...but he understands my purpose in his art. I for one loath working with him, but I cannot avoid it either. The peculiar, and detestable thing about War is that he has the power to rally all the other Horsemen. With his orchestra, he can involve Famine and suck a nation dry of resources. He can summon Pestilence when he organizes biological and chemical weapons. And of course...he always involves me.

One moment that I remember, where War and I clashed, was during the Cold War. The Cold War was one of the most stressful periods of time for me and the rest of the world...because War was flourishing. He had spawned an impressive conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States, and the entire world was feeling the strain of his influence. Everyone knew that, if the two superpowers went to war...it could destroy modern civilization. God, knowing this, told me that War could not be allowed to begin this symphony, because it was going to go too far. God ordered me to keep an eye on War and, if necessary, stop him. So for the first few years of the Cold War, I watched War...I followed him and waited. As I have said, War is impatient, and decided that he wanted to heat up the war quicker. He did this by starting an event that came to be known as the Cuban Missile Crisis.
It was the hottest moment in the war, when Cuba was pointing it's nuclear warheads at America. Now the world was breathlessly waiting for the first move. If Cuba launched its missiles, then America would retaliate on the Soviet Union. If America attacked Cuba, then the Soviet Union would go on the offensive as well. War knew that, either way, he would get his conflict...it was only a matter of time. To prepare, he gathered to his side Famine and Pestilence, readying them for the inevitable nuclear war. I could not allow this war to start...I couldn't let this symphony be played.
On the island of Cuba, I drew my sword against all three of the other Horsemen.

Famine was the first to fall. He charged me and I threw him back. Famine is a coward, and seeing how determined I was, he backed down quickly and fled. Pestilence was a little more forceful. The prospect of nuclear war was intriguing to him. He wanted to experiment with the possibilities of radiation sickness...and see just what he could do with that kind of catastrophe. However, when his sword met mine, I easily overpowered and brought him to his knees. Pestilence, after throwing a temper tantrum, retreated. It was War who I would have the most trouble with.
War recognizes my authority...but he also is a stubborn beast. I was preventing his greats composition of all time...and he would not easily stand down. The clash between War and I would shake the world. The Cuban Missle Crisis felt that strain between us. We fought for 13 days...and in that time, the world waited to see what would happen. War is truly a masterful fighter...and his desire for conflict and destruction is intoxicating. He understands the ins and out of battle, and this makes him hard to overcome...
But he is not the only one who understands the art of battle. I have seen every war...every battle...every skirmish...and every fight that War has ever influenced. I know his tricks and his strategies, because I was the result of their execution. However, War does not know me. He does not know my struggles and my purpose. He sees me as the finished piece, but not as a separate being with my own larger part to play, and this is why War cannot triumph over me. War sees himself as my master...but only The Lord is my master.
I struck down War on the 13th day. My sword was at his throat, and I ordered him to stand down. If there is one thing understands, it is defeat. All wars come to an end...and all battles stop. At some point, he must backdown, and though he was reluctant and hate filled, at my interference, he would not risk further battle with me. He left, and the conflict lessened in Cuba. The Cold War proceeded onward for another few decades, but War never stepped outside his boundaries again...because I did not sheathe my sword until peace had been declared. After his this, he retreated to the Middle East to start up new conflicts and anger. I let him go...my work was done.

I do not like War....actually, I don't like any of the Horsemen...but War could be described as the worst, because of just how intelligent and how efficient he is. I have been dealing with him again recently with this little issue in Syria. I'm sure that I'll end up talking about that sometime soon, but I have taken too long with this entry. I must get back to work soon. I hope that these last few entries have been informative. I shall write again when time permits. I urge you to continue to ask questions and inquire of me...it helps me know what to talk about.

Sincerely,

A.D