"First, he was not a god," Horus said, followed by a long pause.
He simply looked at Johnny, his expression intriguing, as if waiting for him to take the initiative and ask something.
The chronicler found this utterly baffling.
He asked in confusion, "Uh, so what, my lord?"
"You agree with what I said?"
"Is there any reason for me not to?" Johnny was thoroughly perplexed. "I knew he wasn't a god back when I was still in school. Why would a real god care whether we lived or died?"
Hearing this, Horus seemed somewhat moved, but he did not say so. He merely continued.
"Good. Then I need not waste words explaining certain things. In short, he was not a god, nor was he the perfect ruler or omnipotent great hero many imagined him to be... What I mean is, he had flaws. Many of them."
"Could you give a few examples, my lord?"
"His refusal to communicate normally with others," Horus said. "His life was very long, yet he never learned how to correct this. He would always say inappropriate things on certain solemn occasions, or become unusually silent at moments when he needed to speak from the heart."
"That sounds like some kind of social impairment..." Johnny voiced his opinion with considerable courage.
Horus shook his head and said, very calmly but very seriously, "No. The truth was far worse than your assessment, because the Emperor was not all that he was. He was merely an image this man had fashioned for himself, a mask.
"He had worn it for so long that he became trapped by it instead, becoming its prisoner."
"Throughout all of human history, this was not uncommon. But a case as severe as his was likely unique—humanity needed the Emperor to be omniscient,