"Desperado"

                     The play 'takes place' in 1376.   We must accept Browning's Time and Place of Positioning and so too his depiction of a town in Brunswick not only at the mercy of RATS, but also at the mercy of a Mayor, himself to join the rat infestation AS "King Rat".    All he had to do was "Pay the Piper"---to HONOR his Promise--- to HONOR the Contractual Agreement .    He entered into this Contract as THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE,  yet, when it came time to Remit, his Voice was NOT Theirs but HIS .  He took it upon himself to 'Screw' the Piper in the Name of Municipal `Bonds` .    Here now the Case can be made whereby the Mayor figured to "have his cake--and eat it too" --- ANOTHER "Can't" seemingly INVISIBLE to the Mayor .   Gentle Readers do NOT miss the GIANT "Fuck You" that Non-payment Expressed .   The Mayor JUDGED a 'book by its cover' ---the Piper standing attired in not one but TWO colors, lean, gaunt --sickly almost and definitely NOT a Figure of whom to be wary .   The Mayor and the People saw NO Threat --- certainly a Risk but no Threat .    In the DarkNess* of Subliminal Actuary, there lie a Disbelief of the Piper's claims, which was itself cloaked by "wait and see".   

           The "Corporation" [the town and town'sfolk*] was DESPERATE and this Desperation contained within IT, "We've nothing to lose, so let him try".