Each of the Elders had a personal group of subordinates that carried out their will. Elder Incarnate commanded the Spirit Hunters, an elite group of specially gifted warriors with a natural ability to detect and interact with ghosts. Elder Witness led the Psychic Slayers, a secret force of fanatically loyal psychic assassins. Even the simple and apelike Elder Drifter required a small group to run errands for him, the ever-attentive Keepers of the Sacred Mystery.

Miss Planner's continual process of reorganization and restructuring eliminated a lot of the bureaucratic waste that used to bog down the Chosen Ones' operations, but even she hadn't been able to solve every problem. Miss Planner wanted to create a simple system of administration similar to that in any large business, and her plan was continually held back by the presence of the Elders' pet cliques. These groups were complacent, restrictive, and opaque, and they held entrenched power over their domains despite their ineffectiveness.

The tiny blonde tyrant Miss Planner intended to make use of the current state of crisis to strike at the Elders' worthless personal groups. She planned to minimize the cliques' importance within the organization, then ultimately dispose of them entirely when the time was right. The result would be a lean, streamlined structure that could quickly adapt to changing circumstances.

For the moment, there was no need to go through the trouble of completely eliminating these useless little pockets of power. Miss Planner would start by stripping the cliques of their responsibilities, isolating them from the rest of the organization so they couldn't interfere with her plans. Then she'd force them to compete for resources, and destroy each one in turn when they failed to meet their goals. The Elders wouldn't be happy about it, of course. They acted like spoiled children, and taking their precious toys away was going to cause a huge scene. But Miss Planner knew what needed to be done, and her mind was made up. The goal of the Chosen Ones wasn't to please or placate anyone. It was to conquer the world.

The six Elders sat in their chairs, watching Miss Planner carefully. The room was silent except for the low hum from the projector, which was still displaying the grainy picture of the fat Controller. Miss Planner pressed a button on her remote, and the image was replaced by a pyramid showing all of the organizational levels of the Chosen Ones. The top level represented the Elders, and below them were the leaders, executives, managers, and administrators of the various divisions and sub-divisions. Miss Planner cleared her throat and began to speak.

"We haven't fared too well against the Controllers in the past. There's a reason for that. The Controllers love it when we fight amongst ourselves, and they take advantage of our internal squabbles. Our organization is structured like a big, complicated family. It takes a lot of time and effort to get everyone to work together. And the Controllers know how to exploit that weakness. They're like cockroaches, always trying to get inside the cracks."

Miss Planner switched to the next slide. The pyramid of power was greatly simplified, with only three distinct layers: Executives, Managers, and Employees.

"If we don't have clearly defined responsibilities and standards we can use to hold our people accountable, the Controllers will always find a new way to infiltrate us. So now we're going to change the rules. We'll eliminate the middle layer of management and replace it with something simpler. It all comes down to this: the strong and the competent should be given more responsibility, while the weak and incompetent should be given less. This is a lesson that has been learned time and again by the human race throughout history."

The Elders listened intently as the tiny blonde woman explained how the organization would be restructured. Her voice was calm and matter of fact, but she had a slight smile on her lips. Most of the Elders looked confused, but Elder Witness seemed excited by what he'd just heard. His eyes gleamed with anticipation for the future, and the white hair on his balding scalp fluttered. He nodded his head vigorously and vocalized his agreement.

"Miss Planner, there is much wisdom in your words," said the old man. "The strong must be rewarded, the weak punished. That is a sound principle that will serve us all well!"

Elder Crown was not so enthusiastic. He leaned forward in his seat and grunted unhappily. Miss Planner and the other Elders watched him silently and waited a moment for him to articulate his objections, but he remained silent. Miss Planner continued to talk, ignoring the sour look on Elder Crown's face.

"Once we simplify our command structure, it's going to be easy to put our best performers in positions where they can do the most good for the organization. The Controllers are going to have a tough time infiltrating us once we've made these changes! If someone starts performing poorly, they'll get spotted in no time!"

"I agree with Miss Planner's idea, of course," Elder Incarnate said, although his tone was neutral. By this point, he was too tired to think clearly. "It sounds like a sensible solution."
"And I'm sure it would be quite effective in the long run," added Elder Presence, who felt a sense of personal responsibility for putting Miss Planner in charge.

Miss Planner bowed politely towards each of the two Elders, then turned the lights back on with an energetic flourish.

"This is going to give us a big advantage against the Controllers, and we need every advantage that we can get right now. But we can go even further than that. Milly, would you let our guest in?"

The young girl nodded and opened the door to the office. A tall, thin old man in a white robe stepped into the room, bowing deeply towards the Elders.

"Thank you so much for coming. Please, why don't you introduce yourself?" said Miss Planner sweetly.
"Great Elders, I am your humble servant, the Sage of Destruction. I hope that you will allow me to help you in any way possible."

The Sage refused to make eye contact with the Elders. His aged chin met his chest. Miss Planner gently patted him on the shoulder.

"Getting the most out of our people is crucial, but bringing in the best talent from outside is equally important. The Controllers will always have the power of numbers on their side, so we have to fight back with superior quality. We need to focus our recruitment efforts on the people with the highest potential."

The Sage nodded without looking up. Miss Planner smiled warmly at the old man.

"As you all know, the Sages have been giving consultations to our clients as a free service for several weeks now. This has allowed us to connect with a number of people that we might not otherwise meet, and we've found some promising people who might give us the edge we need to destroy the Controllers. Please, wise Sage of Destruction, tell us about these candidates."

Miss Planner stepped aside and gestured for the Sage to take the podium. The old man slowly shuffled into place, then turned to face the Elders with his head hung low.

"Great and powerful Elders who have been entrusted with the protection of the world, I have followed your sacred command to guide the young men and women of Grandebelle. I am honored by your trust, supreme ones."

The Sage looked down and spoke with reverence.

"The young people of this generation have endured much suffering. Their lives are filled with deprivation, fear, and pain. They hunger for something more in life. Something that will bring them joy and fulfillment, and give meaning to their wretched existence. The sacred truth of the Chosen order is revealed to me in these moments. It gives me a vision of what the future holds for the young people of Grandebelle."

The Sage's eyes were closed, and he was breathing heavily. His wrinkled hands clutched the podium tightly, shaking slightly.

"The first young man I would like to bring to your attention today has an extraordinary mind and extraordinary spiritual potential. Though he has few material possessions, he has a deep understanding of the problems facing humanity and a deep wisdom that can only come from a lifetime of hardship. His name is Michael, and he possesses the rare power to destroy anything in his path with a mere glance."

The Sage of Destruction spoke for ten minutes, describing the strengths of various individuals he had identified as potential recruits and how much untapped value they could provide the organization. His voice was soft and gentle, and he never raised his head while talking. He knew exactly what words to use to show each of the Elders that their individual needs would be met. The Elders listened intently to the Sage's words, nodding their heads occasionally to show agreement or disagreement. They were completely enthralled by his presentation.

Miss Planner stood with her hands behind her back, smiling quietly. She wasn't paying attention to the Sage's speech at all. Instead, she was watching the Elders closely, waiting for one of them to object. But none did. The Sage's presentation was so impressive that Elders forgot to question whether Miss Planner had something up her sleeve. The youth of Grandebelle were destined to shift the balance of power within the Chosen Ones, and Miss Planner was going to make sure they had all the resources they needed to outcompete the established cliques.

When the Sage of Destruction finally finished and left the room, the Elders began eagerly discussing the possibilities of the new recruits they'd just learned about. Miss Planner's smile widened as she watched the Elders' excitement build. She was enjoying her work.