Aide and abet

In epic literature, the chief aide is painted in many shades of grey too

No one really knows where the archetype of a wily and conniving vizier (wazir) or right-hand man to king and god came from, but so universal is its appeal that the figure of a plotting and scheming advisor has slipped into every culture. Be it through myth, or history, or in a game of chess, the vizier or the powerful chief aide-cum-minister has bequeathed a legacy of conspiracy theories and strategies upon us, some of which were in evidence in recently held Delhi elections.

Viziers have their leaders’ ear and are often keepers of secrets. This proximity to power breeds ruthless