Foxes live in the mountains and sleep in dens. I am not a fox, and I don’t have a place to sleep. Nor do you, my son. We must find and build our own place, our own safety. Such is our lot in life.

The tower at the ridge waits. We will scale the walls and go through the windows. It will belong to us; it will become our fortress. No one will conquer it once we have made it our home and our stronghold.

The ivy, son, shall be our guide. We will use it like ropes to ascend the walls, discovering the cracks and fissures it has created. Each will become our handholds, our footholds. No one will see us coming; none will believe it possible.

Night, son, at midnight we shall take the tower. Our strong arms and feet will bear us up as easily as ants climb walls. Once we have overcome the barrier of height, it will be short work to enter and take control of the tower.

Do you see, my son? We have entered the tower, and the window opened without a lock. No one has detected us. Silently we must creep through these halls, so that we can confront the owners.

Bind his hands and feet tightly, my son, so that he cannot mistake. You can see how I tie the woman; the harder she struggles, the tighter her bonds become. Let us get the children and tie them as well.

You see, my son, this man is now our prisoner, and we can make him do whatever we want. His wife and children are what he cares most about in the world, and he will do anything to secure their safe release.

Unbind his hands, so that he can sign the documents I have prepared. Watch while he sets his seal in the wax. Now this tower is truly ours, and none can take it from us.

Tie his hands again and put the grain bag over his head. Now the wife and children. I know, my son, I did say we would release them, but they cannot leave and they cannot live. We will take them down to the dock behind the house and drown them.

We are good men, my son, and true, but we need a place to live. God has given us this tower, and here we shall remain. Be not troubled by what we must do; in the same situation, they would do it to us.

There; now they are at peace, gone the way of all things. Son, tonight we celebrate our strong tower, which none can take from us.

Son? I don’t like that look in your eyes, boy. Put down the axe. What are you doing? This is for us! I did it all for us! NO!