How many demons and people are enslaved here? {Jericho} Define slavery. {Asmodeus} Kept against their will. {Jericho} Good definition. Counting me? {Asmodeus} Why not? {Jericho} Probably a couple of million…you know it's really hard to count to a million, plus they're always dying and new ones are coming in. I tried to count once, but it got really depressing so I stopped. The constant adding and subtracting. Not my forte, really. {Asmodeus}
This quote delves into the bleak and complex nature of enslavement, presenting a conversation between Jericho and Asmodeus that reflects on the scale and nature of captivity among demons and humans alike. The dialogue exposes a grim reality where countless beings are held against their will, highlighting the difficulty in truly quantifying suffering and confinement. The mention of millions emphasizes the vast scope of this issue, suggesting that enslavement extends to such an extent that it becomes nearly impossible to count the oppressed. Asmodeus’s humorous yet morose remark about the challenge of counting reflects a deeper sadness and perhaps even helplessness regarding the perpetuity and scale of suffering. It also hints at the chaotic and perpetual nature of such suffering, where lives are constantly dying and new ones are taken, creating an endless cycle analogous to a mental count that becomes overwhelming and depressing to tally. The dialogue serves as an allegory for systemic exploitation and the difficulty humanity (or any society) faces in confronting or understanding such vast atrocities. It invites reflections on morality, the pain of captivity, and the human (or demonic) mind's attempt to face incomprehensible suffering. This piece also subtly underscores the importance of awareness, acknowledgment, and, ultimately, the need for compassion and action regarding issues of bondage and slavery–whether literal or symbolic.
