A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisors (Proverbs 24:5-6).

Johnson had been accepted into the ranks of the guerilla warriors, even though his armament was in the form of Nikons instead of Kalishnikovs, audio recording devices instead of grenades, and notebooks instead of revolutionary manifestos.  His presence was an advantage to the cause, getting their story out to the world, offering improved prospects in the court of public opinion.  And indeed, Johnson had developed a deeper personal sympathy for the rebels' struggles, and in particular he had grown to admire the leadership of the one known simply as Igor.  Igor's military genius was apparent; he grasped strategy and tactics intuitively -- knowing when to press the attack and when to fade back into the forests and mountains.  He had not lost a meaningful battle for over three years.  He held the trust of his men like a beloved father.  He was kind to others -- even prisoners of war who managed to survive the band's advanced military prowess.  And he always seemed to have time for Johnson's questions, regardless of how ignorant or uninformed they might be.  Johnson worked hard to maintain his professional objectivity, his journalistic integrity -- but he couldn't avoid admiring Igor and his exploits.  It seemed like there was practically nothing that their growing group of guerillas couldn't accomplish under Igor's leadership.

Because of this, Johnson was astonished when Igor decided not to attack the enemy garrison in the tiny mountain village they had happened upon by chance.  The circumstances were clearly in favor of the guerillas:  greater numbers, superior firepower, a clear route of attack, and the element of surprise.  But after Igor had studied the situation carefully, he abruptly instructed his men to turn back into the forests and leave the village alone.  The men followed orders immediately, unquestioning, but Johnson was completely baffled.  He had seen Igor and his men charge into situations 100 times more dangerous and emerge victorious.  And this was was a highly strategic target that would cut off the government's supply and communication center!  He thought he had seen it all over the last year and a half of covering the conflict -- but this was exceptionally bizarre.  As soon as they had travelled a couple of kilometers back into the forest and it could be certain that they were out of earshot of the enemy, Johnson jogged up beside Igor and asked if he could pose a couple of questions.  Igor shrugged, so Johnson continued:

"What happened back at that village garrison?  Why didn't you attack?"  He was slightly out of breath as he struggled to keep up with the military commander.

"We would have losed," said Igor.  It was spoken as a matter of fact.

"What do you mean, 'We would have losed'?!?" said Johnson.  "You outnumbered them 2 to 1!  And I know the way you work in battle.  They would have been completely surprised, and you would have quickly overwhelmed them."

"Mmm, I think not," said Igor.  He walked further without a second thought, without any explanation.

"Wait a second," Johnson said.  "Help me understand:  Why did you not attack that garrison?"  He peered at the commander's dirt-smudged face, looking for a clue.  The muscles in the face were slack.  The three-day stubble on his chin was interspersed with black, gray, and white whiskers -- but they, too, offered no coded indication of what was happening inside the head of the warrior chief.  As if coming to the edge of a 1000-meter cliff, Igor came to a full stop and held out his arm, stopping Johnson from walking further.

"Did you not see the donkeys tied up outside of the main building?  There were four."

Johnson hesitated, unsure of what to say.  He may have vaguely noticed that there was some livestock roaming in the vicinity -- but it didn't strike him as anything particularly meaningful.  He wasn't sure if Igor was joking with him or was about to provide some sort of metaphor to explain his decision-making.  Instead of answering Igor's question, Johnson stood silent.

"Those donkeys.  They are special animals, ridden only by village elders.  Four donkeys means four village elders.  And that is too much wisdom for us."  The expression on Igor's face made it seem as if Johnson should be satisfied by such an explanation, but when the reporter's face registered no comprehension, the commander continued.  "Yes, there were small numbers of enemy soldiers.  Maybe 30 or 40.  But when there are four very wise men at garrison, then it is like we fight against 400 very skilled soldiers.  A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength by many times.  If we attack the garrison, we are destroyed by bigger wisdom.  Do you not understand?"

Johnson remained speechless.  Igor spoke with such conviction that it was easy to believe him on a personal level; yet the reporter in him could not rationalize the decision.  To have 60 skilled guerilla warriors avoid a surprise attack against 30 soldiers and 4 old men seemed inexcusable.  Yet even as they spoke, they were interrupted by the sound of approaching artillery, coming from the direction of the village they had just bypassed.  A tree, 20 meters from where they were standing, splintered into a thousand pieces.  The garrison's first aim had been remarkably accurate.  Igor shouted a few quick orders which were unintelligible to Johnson -- but the meaning of those orders was nevertheless unmistakable.  So without another word, following the other military men, Johnson turned and ran as quickly as he could into the forest.