RANGE: Mugwumps are found, and have always been found, and will always be found, at every level of federal, state, county, municipal, and local politics. They are a whoopee cushion upon the seat of government, a holdful of bilge on the ship of state, and a blast of hot air in the corridors of power. HABITS: There is a spirit that drives a man (or woman) to seek elective (or appointed) office. Something stronger, and more elusive, than greed and vanity and power-lust. It is the Mugwump. Tutored by the Mugwump, even the most dedicated public servant quickly learns to speak in the eldritch tongues of Bafflegab and Gobbledygook. Simple office holders can find themselves suddenly and mysteriously transported from their humble post, to far-off and exotic lands, by means of a magic Mugwump junket. He often casts a sleep-inducing spell through a ritual incantation involving the Founding Fathers, the flag, motherhood, and a rich lathering of adjectives over back-home geographical points of interest. When all members present have nodded into a patriotic trance, the Mugwump performs his “dirty tricks”—that is, “Ab” and similar scams. HISTORY: Mugwumps are descended from the Swedish Nixen, who were guardians of the most travelled water routes of their native land. Like all Swedes (and eponymous American presidents), they are not all motivated by principle, preferring a more nonpartisan image. In one of their earlier adventures in the New World, Mugwumps advised the native Algonquian tribe (Mugwump is an Algonquian name) to remain neutral in the Huron-Iroquois Wars. Today, there are no more Algon-quians. Like his river-protecting predecessors, the cautious Mugwump guards the Potomac in the political position that he has invariably assumed over two hundred years, a position from which he derives his very name: sitting with his mug on one side of the fence and his wump on the other. SPOTTER’S TIPS: The Mugwump is most often sighted in the vicinity of the free lunch, whose existence he denies. There he stands, beside the gravy train, with a mouthful of corn. See? He’s the one waving the apple pie around and dipping a single chicken into any number of pots for the benefit of the photographers. Watch him slice (from high off the hog) choice bits for his personal pork barrel. Yes, indeed, he specializes in bread and butter issues, but when the heat comes on, he gets out of the kitchen! You can follow his trail, marked as it is by scattered red herrings and all those hot potatoes he just dropped.
棲息地 名誉欲の精は,小は市
町村議会から大は州議会, 連邦
議会まで, あらゆるレヴェルの
政治舞台に姿を見せる。
習性 男にせよ女にせよ, 人間
を選挙事務所へ赴かせる妖精が
いる。 より強いもの, より捕え
どころのないもの,これが名誉
欲の精なのだ。 彼らにとりつか
れると,もっとも献身的な公僕
も、あっというまに, 心にもな
いことをしゃべりだすようにな
る。 彼らに狙われると, それま
で死にもの狂いで働いていた人
がオフィスを捨て、とつぜん,
街頭で演説をぶつようになる。
また、名誉欲の精は,人びと
に眠りの呪文をかけたりする。
人びとを催眠状態にしておい
て,ここぞというところで大喝
采を送らせるのだ。
歴史 名誉欲の精の歴史はひじ
ょうに古い。 太古の地球上に人
類が出現し,やがて彼らが集団
で住むようになったときには,
すでにこの妖精の祖先も生まれ
ていたものと思われる。
その後、人びとが集まるとこ
ろのすべてに名誉欲の精は現わ
れ、人びとにとりついてその野
望を達成させたり,ときとして
悪ふざけをしかけたりした。 彼
らのいたずらが成功した最近の
例では,ニクソンのウォーター
218
ゲート事件が有名だ。
私立探偵の報情 この妖精をい
ちばん見つけやすいのは選挙の
時期。 スピーカーから大声がき
こえてきたり, 人がきができて
いるようなところは,まずのぞ
いてみるべきだろう。 それと,
むやみやたらに通行人に握手を
もとめるような人がいたら、 そ
の周辺も要注意!!
名誉欲の精は、活動時期がか
ぎられているので, 見つけだす
にはそのタイミングが重要だ。
各省庁の高級官僚の椅子の周
囲,あるいは, 市町村の地元実
力者といわれる人びとの屋敷,
こういったところをのぞいてみ
るのも穴場かもしれない。
Habitat
The ambition sprite appears on every level of the political stage — from small town and city councils all the way up to state legislatures and Congress.
Behavior
There is a sprite that drives men and women alike to walk into campaign offices. The stronger and more elusive of these is the ambition sprite. Once possessed by one, even the most dedicated public servant will almost instantly begin saying things they don’t really mean. Those targeted by them will abandon their hardworking office jobs and suddenly start giving speeches on street corners.
The ambition sprite also casts sleeping spells on people — keeping crowds in a hypnotic state, then triggering thunderous applause at just the right moment.
History
The ambition sprite has an extremely ancient history. It’s believed their ancestors were already present when humanity first appeared on earth and began living in groups.
Ever since, the ambition sprite has appeared wherever people gather — attaching itself to individuals to help them achieve their ambitions, and occasionally pulling pranks. A recent example of their mischief succeeding spectacularly: Nixon’s Watergate scandal.
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Field Intelligence
The easiest time to spot this sprite is during election season. Anywhere you hear loud voices booming from speakers or see crowds gathering is worth checking out. And if someone is indiscriminately demanding handshakes from random passersby — that whole area warrants close attention.
Since the ambition sprite’s active periods are limited, timing is everything. Peek around the chairs of senior bureaucrats in government ministries, or the estates of locally powerful figures in towns and cities — these might be surprisingly good hunting grounds.
