"Manuel, once there was a man who held a political make-work job like so many here in this Directorate, shining brass cannon around a courthouse."
"Why would courthouse have cannon?"
"Never mind. He did this for years. It fed him and let him save a bit, but he was not getting ahead in the world. So one day he quit his job, drew out his savings, bought a brass cannon--and went into business for himself . "
"Sounds like idiot."
"No doubt. And so were we, when we tossed out the Warden."