The Dionysus Mandate

The Consortium for World Peace is an independent gathering of multinational sponsors and social scientists led by suave Renaissance man, Helmut Praetorius. They are working to convince the governments of the world that the Dionysus Mandate will do away with explosive apocalyptic chaos and reestablish peace and harmony and order. The key to Dionysus is the scientific renewal of ancient rituals of blood and sacrifice. Their final goal is to televise the ritual execution of the world's worst criminal on the Dionysus Mechanism before a worldwide audience-ultimate reality TV.

Desperate and excited support builds for Dionysus among hand-wringing special interest groups and governments. No one knows fully the workings of the Consortium, but all agree something must be done.

The question is: will the cure for violence and terror be worse than the illness? Will it touch off an even worse conflagration of violence and bloodshed?