Gather around, and I’ll tell you a terrifying Halloween story. Some would call it a classic power struggle.
Once upon a time, in a little hillside village, there lived a humble craftsman named Escott Norton. He was a hard-working man and had earned a reputation as an honest and fair member of the community.
After many years of work, Escott saved up enough money to build a castle where he and his family could enjoy the fruits of his labors.
So Escott set off to work, designing his home to be comfortable and energy efficient. He took great pains to make sure that the house would meet the approval of the local magistrates and overlords, whose approval he needed in order to build his castle to their codes.
For more than two years Escott focused on the construction process. He dedicated himself to the task, making sure to use only minimal amounts of water and power. He knew those resources were guarded by the Grand Wizards of Power, or GWP as everyone in the village called them.
One day, as his castle neared completion, Escott and his family moved in. It was a joyous day, and Escott marveled at his good fortune. He began watering his garden. Life was good. But little did he know dark forces were gathering against him.
Two months after Escott and his family settled in, they were visited by a nobleman who worked for the Grand Wizards of Power. They had dispatched the nobleman to report on the water meter. It seemed Escott was using a lot of water, according to the GWP meter, which was never wrong.
Escott greeted the nobleman, and the two discussed the meter matter.
“Something’s not right here,” said the nobleman. “I’m not sure what the problem is, but our meter says your castle is using more than its fair share of water.”
“That can’t be,” Escott replied. “We use very little water. In fact, we don’t even have gas for heating, so our showers are indeed quite short.”
“Interesting,” said the nobleman. “But our meters are never wrong!”
A few days later, Escott awoke to find eight more GWP noblemen and numerous vehicles gathered near his castle gates. When Escott asked what was happening, they told him they were trying to ascertain why he was using so much water.
The herd of GWP noblemen scratched their heads and surmised that the meter should be removed and tested, even though they were sure it was fine.
