Elysium

Chapter 18: The Mameluke Fish

The Skull Princess was not one of those strategists who would, like chess players, make one move first, and then another. She was fully capable of doing many things simultaneously, to throw the entire agenda on. Therefore her war did by no means get interrupted by the minor operation of getting her daughter freed from our island. Our part of it all was but a side show, as we were yet to realize.

Chess players often end up losing their real-life wars in that exact way: they still concentrate in a chain of moves, one move at a time, while their adversary already operates somewhere outside of the chessboard and thrusts a dagger into the chess player's back. For such backstabbing, the Skull Princess had her operational commanders as well as her tactical improviser Ramez.

Yet this was how someone else operated, too – someone, who would turn out to be, in a way, the main adversary of the entire game.

*   *   *

In the morning, we discussed killing people. We had hardly left the shade of the large bush, age-old and crooked in a pretty way, and gathered to the campfire where Turhan and Kunhan were cooking tea. I wasn't sure from where the topic had crept among us. Maybe it reflected the previous day's events in Lymy.

"People die", contemplated Killie at his cup of tea. "No difference whether their life is taken by another man or something else. Disease, a beast, an accident. The most terrible of deaths would be just to waste away to the ailments of old age."

"But someone who dies prematurely", claimed Brynhilde, "cannot fulfil their task in this world. They might be important to other people. They might be important to the things they do."

Killie shrugged.

"Then someone else takes care of those people or those things. If they're important."

"If a person has a chance to prepare for their death", argued Bry, "they can also prepare things properly for their close ones. They can finish what they were doing, or at least leave it for someone they trust."

"Brynhilde is right", said Max, and again I saw Bry's eyes were lit up by Max's appreciation. "Someone who anticipates his death can at least make sure those who believed in him can pick it and continue from where he left."

I knew Max was speaking about the Grand Master, even though he didn't mention the name.

"A man should prepare for his death anyway", said Turhan. "If one finds death in an adversary's weapon, at least one has fought. Or done something that matters."

"In other words, when you kill your enemies", cut Mary in and sat down next to me with her teacup, "it means they have done something that matters."

"They've fought us", Turhan blurted. His brother was still working with the field kit. "They've chosen their way, and we've chosen ours. Killing isn't wrong in itself. It's wrong if it's done without honour."

"The rules of the Secret Brotherhood accept killing a human being in four cases", said Max. "Those are the cases we consider honourable."

"The rules of your Brotherhood don't apply here", said Killie. "Here it's the laws of the Resistance."

"I want to hear", threw Brynhilde in, and exchanged a meaningful glance with Max. "Tell us about those four cases."

"Roland can tell better than me", said Max, in an unusual expression of modesty. "He's the Master of Lore, after all." Max beckoned at Roland with his hands, as if to highlight the latter's genius.

"Very well", said Roland, having glanced oddly at Max. "Firstly, we accept killing for self-defence. I guess there's not much difference between us there. Secondly, for the defence of those who cannot, for the moment, defend themselves." Roland cast a glance at our escorts, who were still nodding approvingly. "For a third, to prevent a greater evil. I mean, an evil worse even than taking a human life."