“It’s Not Personal… It’s Just Business”

The words jolted me. “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”

Hardly subtle, the author left little doubt as to content of the message, especially since the hand-written message came attached to a leather necklace with a grotesque amulet attached; the silver gorgon appeared to be of far eastern design, possibly Buddhist, judging from my limited knowledge and experience with such things.

Further, the note was unsigned and the envelope registered no return address, causing me to question the origin of the strange package. Could it be a warning perhaps—or possibly a threat? Immediately I walked into my office and did a Google search on my PC. 

“He who fights with monsters”…  There, right in front of my eyes, were thousands of choices dealing with the exact quote. Coined by Frederich Nietzsche some time in the late 1800’s, no further explanations were offered. So, I decided to try to find out a little more about the amulet. Of course, the search would be more difficult, but now my interest piqued, I pressed on.

Since I’d deduced it to be of eastern origin, I immediately thought of eastern religion, since most talisman images are religious in nature, I tried a Goggle search for ‘Buddhist monster talisman’, and obtaining no results, I tried ‘Buddhist talisman’, and in the text of one offered URL came the words “Tibetan monster talisman”.  Clicking on it, I came up with the following illustration, an exact copy of my own talisman:

The Tibetan Tsipa, or Monster Mask

Well… so my mysterious benefactor either envisions me as a monster and brands me for all to see, or wishes to protect me from monsters… but which is it? Does it matter? Am I in danger from some evil force that I can’t envision?

The analysis raised more questions than it provided answers. I could think of no Buddhists with whom I’d come into acquaintance, and certainly no Tibetans of any religious persuasion, Buddhist or otherwise. For that matter, I have very few friends intellectual enough (not to mention generous enough) to lavish me with such a gift, if indeed that’s what it is.

After dinner, the amulet now hanging around my neck so all the world would know of my bravery, I decided to venture out, thereby daring the gods of the underworld to do their damnedest. Plus, maybe it might intrigue a member of the fair sex to engage me in conversation down at Barney’s Pork & Puke.   

As I walked in, Freda Consigliare met me at the door! After greeting me with her signature bear hug designed to crush at least three of my ribs, she stared at my new Tibetan Tsipa and yelled, ”Hey, everybody, come look at Bubba’s amulet! It’s the same one we all got!”

Well…

“Uh… you got one, too?”

“Oh, sure… everyone got one. It’s advertisement for the new rock group in town, “Tsipa’s Creepas”, pretty cool, huh?”

Yea… cool.  Can anyone show me how to instantaneously render myself invisible?