This shallow, mindless nature, which constantly thirsted to subordinate itself to another person’s will, had a need to see orders through – oh, for no other reason, of course, than for the sake of a ‘common’ or ‘great’ cause. But even this didn’t matter, because petty fanatics like Erkel are utterly incapable of understanding service to an idea other than by conflating it with the very individual who, as they understand it, gives expression to this idea.