sorts.”
“We’ve been trying to see him in the palace for weeks,” said Milli with a little frown as she sat further up on the wood shavings that served as a bed. “If he wanted an alliance why didn’t he just invite us?”
“I cannot say,” said the man with a shrug and a small smile. “Would you mind putting on a light so we don’t have to speak in the dark?”
“Turn around,” said Milli as she sat up and held a blanket up to her neck.
“Of course,” said the man and turned to face the wall of the one room shack and took a shallow sip from his mug.
“It won’t be easy to negotiate if we don’t know your name,” said Petra. Apparently the old woman had few qualms of modesty as she got up without ceremony exposing the flesh of her arms and legs in the thick woolen nightgown she wore. She threw a heavily patched cotton dress over her head and wiggled into it with a few shakes of her hip.
The man took another sip of his coffee, “I do not come to negotiate with you. I merely have a proposal from the First Citizen. You can accept it or reject it as you wish.”
“Why should we trust you?” said Milli now dressed in a wool jumper that buttoned up the front. It was a purchase made in town with some of their plentiful gold, both sturdy and comfortable although not particularly flattering to her slim frame.
The man said nothing for a few seconds as he sipped his coffee, “May I turn around now?”
“You can,” said Milli with a smile.
Petra went over to a lantern and quickly set the thing ablaze which brought the room into full focus.
The man turned around and then spoke, “It is the opinion of the First Citizen that nations must be built by men… and women… who are both talented and who have a strong sense in achieving things that are in their best self-interest.”
“What if it’s in my best interest to betray you? Or it is in your best interest to betray me?” said Dol, still sitting on the wooden plank but now fingering the handle of his hammer which was looped to the bed in such a way that the head did not touch anything combustible.
“That is the First Citizen’s point,” said the man with a wide smile that revealed a mouthful of perfectly straight, brilliant white, teeth. In the light it was clear he was rather gangly in appearance and perhaps in his mid- thirties. His long arms and delicate fingers did not fidget but seemed to rest in a natural position against his side. “Men..and women,” this addition with a look to Milli and Petra, “who do not act in a manner that is towards their own benefit cannot be trusted to make good decisions. In fact, it is most likely that when presented with any decision, those who are concerned with something besides their own concerns will chose poorly, so ingrained are the roots of their self-destructive behavior. The only people to be enlisted to aid in important matters are those accustomed to making decisions that improve their own life.”
“But…,” said Milli and then stopped.
“What if our interests conflict?” finished the man for her with a gentle nod of his head.
“Yes,” said Milli nodding her head in agreement.
“Then he is fool to ask you for help. The First Citizen makes decision in his best interest and among those decisions was sending me here to make my offer.”
“But…,” said Milli again, but proved unable to complete the sentence.
“People are not self-destructive; they make all their decisions hoping for the best outcome?” said the man again with an indulgent smile.
“Yes,” said Milli and frowned at his apparent mindreading abilities. She looked around for some sort of magical talisman that might aid in knowing the thoughts of others but saw nothing particularly suspicious on the man. He wore a slim gold ring on his left middle finger and no other sign of jewelry. His cloak was of the finest wool and its buttons sewed with expert precision, like a line of soldiers marching off to battle. His hair was brown and a bit rumpled from the windy evening breeze and his eyes were plain brown. There was nothing in the man to suggest a powerful mage but that might not mean anything.
He looked at her with those plain brown eyes and seemed to take in every part of her, “It is a fair question. The answer is that people are, by and large, quite self-destructive. Think back to all the people you’ve known over your lifetime and their penchant for making decisions that are detrimental to their life.”
“That doesn’t make sense. We do everything to better ourselves,” said Milli taking a step forward and clenching her fists somehow angry although she didn’t know exactly why.
“The rational thinker does, yes,” replied the man. “That is true and that is why I am here today to ask for your help. The First Citizens suspects that you are, like he, rational thinkers. Sadly, most people are unreasoning thinker and they make decisions based largely on what they want to be true. That is if they give it any thought at all. For the most part people are happy to repeat the musings of someone else and save themselves the effort of thinking. This naturally means that they are simply doing what is in the best interest of whoever told them how to think in the first place. Anyone who does things in someone else’s interest is, by definition, self-destructive.”
“There is some truth to that,” said Petra, as she walked over to the man and looked at him closely. “You have the bearing of a noble, not a messenger.”
“Can I not be a noble messenger?” he said with a laugh. “You have the bearing of an intelligent woman who preys upon the weaknesses in others while pretending to be a witchy woman.”
“Pretending?” said Petra although she smiled broadly despite herself as she realized the compliment.
The man shrugged, “Well, perhaps you can do a bit of magic. Many witches can brew tonics and the like, but it is the love potions and curse dolls that provide the vast majority of their income. Thus, proving my original point, I might add.”
Petra nodded her head and put her hand on her chin, “People do make poor decisions all too frequently. I see it all the time in my line of work. It never occurred to me that it was because they wanted to sabotage their own lives or that they were doing the bidding of someone else without regard to its effect on their lives. I’m not sure I completely agree with you on the matter, but I do see the truth of the argument. I would much like to meet the First Citizen and discuss these matters.”
“He is an extraordinarily busy man and cannot personally attend to every occasion, no matter the importance,” said the messenger. “But I will make certain he knows your desires. Perhaps, if our arrangement proves fruitful you will have that chance someday.”
“I don’t get it,” said Brogus lagging a bit in the conversation, his eyebrows close together and his nose wrinkled up. “Why would you trust us if you think we’ll only do what’s good for us?”
“It is not an easy thing to understand,” said the man with an easy smile as he looked towards Brugus. “It took me many years and many discussions with the First Citizen to fully understand the value of his philosophy. He only asks people to act in ways that will benefit their own lives. By working to benefit my life I end up helping those around me. Those people in turn act in their own best interest which serves the entire nation.”
“Now see here,” said Petra suddenly jumping back into the conversation. “There were rulers in Das’von before Corancil conquered it. Many men died in the wars that led to his rule. The previous kings faced death or exile. How is it in their interest to have died in this fight?”
“They did not surround themselves with people who could be trusted to act in their own self-interest and thus they suffered. There will be conflict. There will be winners and losers in life. The First Citizen makes decisions that will be to his benefit and picks allies who will do the same. What more can anyone do?”
“I still don’t think that it applies completely,” said Petra shaking her head as her voice trailed off into silence.
“Postulate your objections then,” said the man with the same calm expression of absolute certitude. “There can be disagreement as long as both sides listen. Just because you try to make the best decision doesn’t mean that you always will do so. Knowledge is as important as action. Academics enjoy verbal jousting while men… and women… of action prefer activity to thought. The true ruler, the builder, the doer of deeds can be either a thug or a man of rational self-interest. The thug will build, will create, will attract followers but their foundation is built on mud. A man who drinks wine at all times because it tastes good destroys himself. The rational man drinks enough to sustain himself and surrounds himself with those of a similar ilk,” this last came as the man stood up straight, revealing a greater height than he first projected, and his plain brown eyes seemed to shine with passion. His jaw was firm and his hands were now clasped strongly together behind his back.
“I… I… let me think about it,” finally lapsed Petra and none of the others said anything either as the room
