Large Lie

The Great Plotnik, Ducknik, Great PD and Great 5-H take the ferry to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. The sight of his cell #5, the limestone quarry in which he labored for 13 of those, the horrific stories told there about the 40 years an entire nation wandered in the desert of insanity - this was called Apartheid -- these all leave an oily, foul-smelling stain.

But the plea for reconciliation by the Xhosa lady tour guide, delivered as a sermon lacking only a gospel choir, in whose diamond heart lies humanity's grand and best hope for survival, is inspiring beyond words. Beyond words. Beyond the suffering, beyond the horror, inspiring beyond words. Plotnik sits on a bus and wipes away tears flowing down his face.

Afterwards, he remembers movements like Apartheid are never maintained without the support of the people. Fear is the architect of torture chambers, of prison camps, of death trains, of hatchets hacking off wrists.

Afterwards, the people always say 'we didn't know.' The Great Plotnik realizes how large a lie this is.