Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Alexander Pope wrote it first but then Mercer and Bloom got a hold of it. Beautiful song. Frank Sinatra, wasn't it? With Tommy Dorsey? Yeah. My mom went through a stage of playing it over and over, and over again. Lasted a couple a weeks. I'm certainly no angel, and I don't consider myself a fool, either. But Eames's face, when I finally woke up in the infirmary after she and Ross pulled me out of Tates, told me that she thought I was probably dumber than a bag full of hair for doing what I did.
Her face made me so mad. For once, I actually wanted to argue with her. I wanted to shout at her: "Hey! What about you? Look what you did for YOUR nephew - carried him inside your body, gave birth to him. You should understand." But I couldn't My mouth was dry. Too dry.
I'd've made a good Fool, you know, in the traditional sense. I mean, THE Fool, like in Shakespeare. The Fool could always be relied upon to be the one who told the King what was going on in the corridors and courtyards of his Palace, tell him what the people really thought of him. He could do that without being beheaded and his corpse thrown to the dogs, or being put on forced medical leave. See, no one ever paid the Fool any mind because he was always spouting nonsense and dressed like ... well, like a Fool, I guess, and singing love songs and doing magic tricks. But because of that, because of the theatrics, he got to hear all the stories and rumours and gossip. It was just like sleight of hand - distract the audience away from what you're really doing. Now who's the fool, huh?
Hey look, you've got a silver dollar behind your ear. See, if I was really the Fool, I would tell you all about the whispers and rumours surrounding how you got where you are today, after the last King was forced to abdicate his throne. "All Fools have still an Itching to deride." I could tell you, laughing all the way, how lots of people think you only got where you are today because of your kiss-ass political scheming, and not because you are in any way especially good at what you do. I wouldn't have to bow and scrape and watch my mouth every time you passed my desk. I could trip you up and tell you a few home truths about your reign.
I'd like to tell you about how I will respect you, sir, when and only when you have earned my respect. "For Fools Admire, but Men of Sense Approve."