Many spies and many eyes

Many spies and many eyes is a popular song which both satirises and reinforces the common belief that the elves of the Republic have spies nearly everywhere. It is also critical of the regime of the Queen-Empress. The song has been banned in Myzia; an act which only adds to the popularity of the tune.

Summary

The song tells the tale of a minor official in the army of Myzia, tasked with delivering a letter from his frontier army outpost to the Queen Empress herself. Over the course of his journey elven spies attempt to obtain the contents of his message through ever more elaborate and ridiculous schemes. Finally the brave official is stabbed to death on the queen's doorstep and the message is taken back to the headquarters of the elven spies. Here it is discovered that the message contained nothing of importance, save a request from the garrison commander for a set of new boots. The song ends with the elven spy who obtained the letter being given a commendation, while the official's family is arrested as punishment for his failure.

Date of First Recording

984