BWCE x p l a i n e d I f y o u h a v ef r e q u e n t e dt h eD AZF o r u ms t h e n y o u h a v en od o u b t e n c o u n t e r e dt h ema n y r e f e r e n c e s , i n b o t h p r i n t a n di ma g e r y , t ot h eB . W. C . Y o u h a v es e e n t h es i g n a t u r el i n e s a n dma y e v e n h a v ep u r c h a s e da B . W. C . p r o d u c t i n t h eD AZst o r e . An dp e r h a p s y o u h a v ewo n d e r e d“ Wh oa n d wh a t i s t h i s B . W. C . ? ” T h eo ffi c i a l s p i n i s t h i s : “ T h eB a l dWi z a r d ’ s C l u bi s a n u l t r a s u p e r s e c r e t s u b s e c t i o n o f t h eD AZ P l a t i n u mC l u b , s os e c r e t e v e n wed o n ’ t k n o wwh a t i t ’ s a l l a b o u t . Wee x i stt os u p p o r t D AZ , t h e P l a t i n u mC l u ba n dt h e3 DAr t C o mmu n i t y . Ou r g o a l i s Wo r l dD o mi n a t i o n . ” As t h ef a mo u s Ame r i c a n wr i t e r Ma r k T wa i n o n c eq u i p p e d , “ T h et r u t h i s st r a n g e r t h a n fi c t i o n . F i c t i o n h a s t oma k es e n s e . ” H emi g h t we l l h a v eb e e n s p e a k i n g o f t h eB . W. C . As a n E x a l t e dH i g h P o o b a h a n dG r a n d ma st e r o f t h eB a l dWi z a r dC o u n c i l , wh i c h i s B . W. C . s p e a k f o r “ f r o n t ma n ” , I h a v eb e e n a s k e dt oe n l i g h t e n t h eme r emo r t a l s a mo n g sty o u . Al a s , N a t i o n a l S e c u r i t y a n dOffi c i a l S e c r e t s Ac t s , a n dt h en e e df o r P l a u s i b l eD e n i a b i l i t y , p r e v e n t s mef r o m r e v e a l i n g t h eb i z a r r er i t e s , a r c a n er i t u a l s a n ds u p e r s i l l y s e c r e t h a n d s h a k e s , c o d e s a n ds y mb o l o g y o f t h i s u l t r a s e c r e t s o c i e t y . F o r n o w , t h ei n n e r wo r k i n g s o f t h eB . W. C . mu str e ma i n a my st e r y t oa l l b u t a s e l e c t f e w , t h eC h o s e n On e s . An do f c o u r s e , t h e r e ’ s t h a t Wo r l dD o mi n a t i o n t h i n g . I c a n , h o we v e r , s h a r ewi t h y o u a l i t t l eh i st o r y a n do u r c u r r e n t a c t i v i t i e s . I t a l l b e g a n wi t h a P l a t i n u mC l u bwe e k l y c h a l l e n g ewh e r es y n c h r o n i c i t y r a i s e dh e r u g l y h e a d . E a r l y i n t h ec h a l l e n g e , T o t t e , S e d o r a n dmy s e l f e a c h s u b mi t t e da r e n d e r i n s u c h r a p i ds u c c e s s i o n a s t o b ea l mo sts i mu l t a n e o u s a n de a c h o f o u r r e n d e r s f e a t u r e da B a l dWi z a r dwi t h a mo u st a c h ea s t h e ma i n s u b j e c t . T h i s wa s e n t i r e l y c o i n c i d e n t a l . Al t h o u g h t h et h r e eo f u s we r ec e r t a i n l y a wa r eo f e a c h o t h e r , wewe r e n ’ t a s y e t f r i e n d s a n do u r c o mmu n i c a t i o n t ot h a t p o i n t h a db e e n l i mi t e d st r i c t l y t ot h ef o r u ms . N o n eo f t h i s h a db e e n p l a n n e d , i t wa s a l l a c c i d e n t a l a n dwea n do t h e r s i n t h ef o r u mb e g a n t oj o k ea b o u t i t . An dt h e n D i e v a n s e n t e r e dt h ef r a y . Of t e n h ei s l a t et ot h ep a r t y , s n e a k i n g h i s e n t r y i n j u stb e f o r et h ed e a d l i n e , b u t o n t h i s o c c a s i o n h ema d ea t i me l y a p p e a r a n c ea n dh i s r e n d e r f e a t u r e da B a l dWi z a r d . I t wa s a c c o mp a n i e db y a c o mme n t t h a t b a s i c a l l y i n f e r r e d“ I f y o u c a n ’ t b e a t t h e m, j o i n t h e m. ” I i mme d i a t e l y r e s p o n d e d“ We l c o met ot h ec l u b ! ” I s we a r i t wa s i n t e n d e do n l y a s a g o o d n a t u r e dj e st , a s i mp l ej o k e . L i t t l ed i dI k n o wt h a t i t wo u l db et h ej o k eh e a r d r o u n dt h ewo r l d , o r a t l e a sta s f a r a s S we d e n . T h e r e , a mi dt h ed a r k f o r e st s a n d d e e pl a k e s o f t h i s my t h i c a l L a n do f t h e Mi d n i g h t S u n , I h a da wa k e n e da mo n st e r ! B y we e k ’ s e n d , T o t t et h eT e r r i b l eh a d c r e a t e dt h efi r stB . W. C . l o g oa n dt h eB a l d Wi z a r d s C l u bwa s b o r n .
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