Editing Sigil:Szilard (section)

== The Iron Covenant ==

The [[Sigil:Iron Covenant|Iron Covenant]] interpreted Szilard through its own theology of ordeal, purification, strength, and remaking. To Covenant thinkers, fire demonstrated the principle that what cannot survive testing deserves to be remade or consumed. Szilard therefore became a potent image of purifying destruction and the stripping away of weakness.

This interpretation fit the Covenant well.

That does not make it a complete account of Szilard.

The danger of the doctrine is obvious. Once destruction is called purification, those doing the destroying may decide that anything they dislike is merely weakness waiting for fire. The history of Covenant-aligned rulers contains enough examples of this logic to make later theologians wary of it.

Szilard burns no charter granting mortals permission to imitate him.

A wildfire may transform a forest.

A king who burns a village has made a choice.