公開秒読み「指輪物語」

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49The Lord of the OS
Recently one of my friends, a computer wizard, paid me a visit. As we
were talking I mentioned that I had recently installed Windows XP on my
PC. I told him how happy I was with this operating system and showed
him the Windows XP CD. To my surprise he threw it into my microwave
oven and turned it on. Instantly I got very upset, because the CD had
become precious to me, but he said: 'Do not worry, it is unharmed.'
After a few minutes he took the
CD out, gave it to me and said: 'Take a close look at it.' To my surprise
the CD was quite cold to hold and it seemed to be heavier than before. At
first I could not see anything, but on the inner edge of the central hole I
saw an inscription, an inscription finer than anything I had ever seen
before. The inscription shone piercingly bright, and yet remote, as if out
of a great depth:

12413AEB2ED4FA5E6F7D78E78BEDE820945092OF923A40EElOE5IOCC98D444AA08E324

'I cannot understand the fiery letters,' I said in a timid voice. 'No
but I can,' he said. 'The letters are Hex, of an ancient mode, but the
language is that of Microsoft, which I shall not utter here. But in
common English this is what it says:
One OS to rule them all, One OS to find them, One OS to bring them all and
in the darkness bind them.

It is only two lines from a verse long known in System lore:
Three OS's from corporate kings in their towers of glass, Seven from
valley lords where orchards used to grow, Nine from dotcoms doomed to
die, One from the Dark Lord Gates on his dark throne
In the Land of Redmond where the Shadows lie.
One OS to rule them all, one OS to find them,
One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them, In the Land of
Redmond where the Shadows lie."