By C.S. Thompson
The host and his guests:
Den’ma- the host, a retired imperial magistrate, calligrapher and classical poet who lives on the planet of Torn.
Jian- an imperial knight, hero of the Ghovin Bridge incident, and founder of the Wayfarer's Institute, an academy for the education of a new order of warriors.
Tarleg- a member of the Stern Companions, an order of imperial knights headquartered on Qarth.
Hargon- a warrior of the Sworn Brothers, the order of imperial knights from which Jian seceded to found the Wayfarers.
Fennec- a warrior priestess of the Grim Sisters, and an official of the Department of Militant Orders in the imperial government.
Tres Fay'el- an ambassador of the Gerrec Republic, on a mission to observe and report on the empire's methods of resolving internal disputes for her superiors back home.
The six faces around the conference table were uniformly stern, and a grim atmosphere suffused the room, although the proceedings were informal. Den'ma, whose home this was, did not seem anxious in the least, but he couldn't escape the aura of the occasion completely. He touched his pipe to his lips in silence.
An imperial magistrate, though long retired, Den'ma was also a member of the mandarins, the elite intellectual class of the Tene Dynasty's empire. He was famed throughout the empire as a calligrapher and poet, a kind of civilized hermit on the planet of Torn. Some of the most important philosophical debates of the past few decades had occurred in his study, and for this reason he was especially respected as a host and mediator. When an old friend in the Department of Militant Orders had asked for a favor, Den'ma had happily offered his house as a neutral ground. Now that the parties to the meeting were actually gathered, he wondered if the tranquility of his life would be disturbed too greatly. The representative of the imperial government looked nearly ready to execute someone, her dark eyes scanning the room for any hint of defiance.
Her name was Fennec Ataryul, and she was a priestess of the Grim Sisters, a religious order of particular asceticism. Her face was painted white and her head was shaved, and religious symbols were etched into her skin in blue. Her eyes were like pools of ink, both mysterious and intimidating.
The woman seated next to her was Tres Fay'el, an ambassador of the Gerrec Republic, which was an autonomous imperial protectorate. Dressed in the barbaric furs of her eccentric people, she had her white hair braided and tied up in an extravagant knot above her head. She was here to observe the proceedings, seeking to learn more about imperial customs for her masters back home.
The three Imperial Knights looked especially severe in their red dress uniforms covered in ribbons and medals. They wore swords at their hips. Hargon and Tarleg had clipped gray beards, eyes as flatly silver as the ocean in winter. Jian was a younger man, but he gave the same impression of stoic discipline, tinged with a youthful idealism he had not grown out of. All three of them seemed to be staring off into the distance, remembering old battles and old wounds- a habit referred to as long eyes by most civilians.
Unlike the friendly symposia for which the house was renowned, this gathering was not held in the study, but in a nearly empty conference room. A painting by the great artist Zhatur adorned one wall, but its portrayal of a seemingly uninhabited city did nothing to lighten the mood. The other walls were bare and windowless.
"With your permission, my good friend Den'ma..."
Fennec bowed to the host of this meeting, and he bowed in response.
"Please do as you wish," he said, "I am merely an observer here."
She shuffled her papers and turned to the others, and the dark severity of her gaze seemed to reach out and strike them.
"Recent events are entirely unacceptable to His Majesty's government, and any continuation of these disorders will be punished quite harshly. I reviewed all the files on my way over here: more than a dozen incidents of unsanctioned duels, nine of them with sharp swords and the others with pulse pistols; and a brawl in the streets of Darit that descended into a firefight. If you have been operating under the belief that we would sanction such nonsense, you were incorrect. You have tested our patience."
None of the men responded immediately, but the tension was evident. Old Tarleg's jaw was clenched, and Hargon glowered sternly at her. Jian alone looked calm but determined.
"We will not address the rights and wrongs of your specific actions," Fennec went on. "Because this is not a court, nor I a judge. But before you go into a long speech about your ancient privileges, the duties of your position and so forth, please allow me to summarize. This young man has seceded from his Order, founded his own Order and his own academy, and presumes to teach young candidates for the rank of knighthood. Your Orders objected. In an effort to either punish him or intimidate him, you began challenging his knights to single combat. They accepted those challenges in an attempt to prove themselves. And here we are today. Have I missed anything significant?"
"The affiliation of this... deserter with a heterodox philosophical sect," said Hargon. "A sect that has nearly been banned by Imperial decree."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Nearly been banned? What an interesting phrase. I was unaware that you were one of His Majesty's intimates, to be so familiar with what he has almost decreed. But we will leave that aside. I understand perfectly well that you knights have your customs. No new Militant Order can be founded without trial by combat. Never mind the fact that such a thing had not happened in a good few centuries. It has happened now, and you dusted off your ancient books of chivalry and went straight to battle. You felt honor-bound, for whatever that's worth. I will not comment or criticize- but it ends today. Otherwise the specter of exile hangs over each of you, as the representatives of your respective Orders. You have been warned.
"As for this Wayfarer's Order, whether heterodox or otherwise, the Department of Militant Orders has dispatched me to measure it. To ask questions of young Jian here, and to weigh his responses. You will both be permitted to do the same. At the end of this conversation, we will make a pronouncement, and the Wayfarers will either be welcomed by you as brothers- or dissolved without appeal. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, your eminence," said Jian. The others nodded."Very well then," said Fennec. "I see no point in delay. You have accused this young man of being a heretic, of affiliation with an unusual sect. The empire is thronging with unusual sects, and His Majesty generally does not concern himself with them. Any exceptions are for specific reasons, such as the corruption of the young or treasonous conspiracy. Your personal opinions on the matter are irrelevant- I will make the assessment myself before the end of this night. But I do want to hear about the sect in question, both in terms of its general doctrine and its relevance in this instance."
She nodded toward Jian and beckoned him to speak. "Feel free to proceed at your leisure," she said. "And let's begin."
Jian bowed deeply to her and began his defense.
"I was in this house a number of years ago, in the company of our good friend the magistrate Den'ma. He was hosting one of the symposia for which he is famous, and I was invited along as a sort of favor to my honored father, who was serving at the time as an Imperial ambassador. The topic of the conversation happened to be poetry, but as the evening went by we went far afield, and one of the many concepts that came up was 'the Balance of Forces.' I can still remember the exact words with which it was described: 'The core theory of the Balance of Forces is this: the esoteric and the exoteric in opposition and unity.'
"The Balance of Forces was described as an ethical concept, as an aesthetic stance, and as a way of life. It was explained, further, as an aspect of Mythorealism, the so-called 'heterodox philosophy' to which Hargon refers. I can still remember how that movement was described as well, because it was a profound moment to me: Mythorealist ethics holds that one’s moral duty is to incarnate heroism. Not to live in a childish fantasy of make-believe, but to embrace one’s actual life in a heroic spirit, incarnating the myth of the hero in the waking world.
"My life has never been the same since I heard those words. I had been educated according to the basic standards of the mandarin class, and I had been through the rigorous training of the Sworn Brothers. I had already experienced combat, and I had my first wound. But until that day there had been something lacking. I felt that the training of the Sworn Brothers, although thorough enough in practical matters, had not prepared my spirit adequately for the life I had chosen.
"The consequences of insufficient preparation were plain enough- the suicide rate of Imperial Knights is one of the highest for any profession, and our desertion rate is a shameful secret. It's a lonely task we perform. On my last mission before the symposium I had felt myself waver, daunted by the sheer monotony of months in space, traveling futilely from one star system to another in search of my quarry. It was not surprising to me that some knights faltered. I had already wondered about the reasons for this, and if anything could be done about it. When I heard that description of Mythorealism, I had my answer.
"Our task is a sacred task, and our mission a spiritual one. Young knights must be trained to understand this, and their spirits must be disciplined. When the spirit of a man is broad and deep, strength wells up from deep within. Those things which are most difficult become most easy. The impossible becomes possible."
"It doesn't surprise me at all," said Tarleg, "That you experienced such a crisis. The Order of the Sworn Brothers has long been lax. But the Order of the Stern Companions has not neglected the spirit. We purify and discipline it through harsh training. This has always been our way."
"Excuse me," said Tres Fay'el, "But I am slightly confused. We have no orders of knighthood in the Gerrec Republic, so I'm not sure exactly what it is you're talking about. What purpose does your knighthood serve?"
The others looked from side to side at each other, confused. The Gerrec were a barbarian people, of course; they did not understand. But some things are difficult to explain. Then Jian stepped in.
"The Imperial Knights are an ancient order, dating back in their earliest incarnation to the days of the Zu. Their purpose in all these centuries has remained the same, and in the dark years of the Interregnum they continued their service, providing in some cases the only barrier between order and chaos. We have been described as a police service, but that is not correct. What we truly are is a pack of hunters. The Emperor rules over a thousand star systems, and the customs and laws in each system vary. It is easy enough for wicked men to commit crimes in one system and slip away to another, disguised by the anonymity of trillions of citizens. They would go unpunished if it were not for us. When we are given a commission we carry it out, pursuing our quarry across the galaxy until we capture or kill them. If we cannot find our prey we do not return, remaining out among the countless worlds to wander forever- even after death, as the legends would have it. It's a hard life and a solitary one, but it is freely chosen. Its difficulties require the most thorough training of any profession in the empire. To be an Imperial Knight is to be a soldier and a diplomat, a bounty hunter and a kind of a monk."
Tarleg snorted at this last point. "That depends on the Order."
"I did not say that to provoke you," said Jian, "But the fact remains. The Stern Companions may be the most ascetic of the established Orders, but the life of the Sworn Brothers and the Wayfarers is still a spartan one. This is inherent to the nature of our service."
"If I may interpose," said Tres Fay'el, "I do not mean to lead you off track, but I am slightly confused. Why are there all these separate Orders in the first place? Surely a single Imperial Knighthood would be more efficient, more unified in its purpose?"
"Allow me to answer her," said Fennec, "A brief history of the various Orders would indeed be helpful.
"There was, originally, only a single order of Imperial Knights, the Old Order as it has often been called. They were founded by the will of Taseday III, one of the Zu Emperors of the latter years. He could tell that the Empire was crumbling and he wished to forestall it, or at least to provide some measure to alleviate the suffering. The knights were his answer.
"The Zu Dynasty fell, of course, and the empire disintegrated, surviving only as a memory and an ideal until the Tene Reunification. During the long years of the Interregnum, there were fragments of the ancient culture- the Sual Literati, for instance, and the Poet-Administrators of Ghota, both of which maintained the traditions of the mandarins. The Imperial Knights survived as well, but as there was no longer an emperor, they were no longer unified. The fragments of the Old Order developed independently, evolving slightly different customs and rituals as the decades passed.
"The Stern Companions, for example, were based in the Qarth system, where the harsh environment breeds harsher men. They are known to be puritans, strict followers of the Koyaptic Church. The Sworn Brothers, on the other hand, were based on Sual, and their outlook is as a consequence more secular. There are several other, smaller Orders as well, each derived from a surviving fragment of the Old Order or a splinter group. When the Tene Dynasty re-established the imperial throne, it recognized both the fragments of the mandarin class and of the knightly orders as legitimate. But the various factions were too distinct from each other to be reunified."
"Ah. I understand now," said Tres Fay'el. "Please continue with what you were saying."
Jian glanced over at Fennec, who nodded to him. "Very well," he said. "Now where was I?
"I had been exposed to the basic concept of Mythorealism, but I had not yet learned enough to truly understand it. The topic is vast and has multiple aspects, from the Zed Trees of Relationship Theory to the weird poetry of the School of Silence. I felt that in Mythorealism I would find some answers, some key to a new way of educating our novices, which I would then be able to bring to my fellow Sworn Brothers as a needed reform."
"Such arrogance!" said Hargon, but Fennec silenced him with a look. Not even a veteran of the Imperial Knighthood would wish to anger one of the Grim Sisters, who practiced hand to hand combat as a religious vocation. Jian continued.
"I traveled to the School of Silence and I studied their poetry, and the methods of meditation and self-discipline with which they train their disciples. I sought out an expert on Relationship Theory at Char University, auditing courses till I knew every aspect of the Zed Tree and its implications. I sought out a hermit sage in the wilderness of Tayul, who was said to have mastered the Balance of Forces as no other man living. And while I was doing all these things I fulfilled my commissions, successfully capturing every one of the criminals I was sent to hunt down.
"I spent many hours in Mythorealist Meditation, examining every aspect of my vocation along the branches of the Zed Tree. After three years of such meditation I was granted a vision."
"A vision?" said Fennec skeptically. "Of what exactly?"
"Of a great institute for the education of warriors, but unlike any other such institute in the Empire. Of a place for men and women who exemplify the Balance of Forces; who incarnate heroism. Of an education built around such principles from its inception."
He reached into his pockets and produced a diagram.
"What you see here in front of you is a Zed Tree, created as a result of that vision. The core principle of the Balance of Forces is built into a lesson plan, designed to expose the young novice to every aspect of a complete adult life, humanity at its fullest potential: the esoteric and the exoteric in opposition and unity.
"The finished product, or the goal of this lesson plan, is stated at the bottom: the education of an Imperial Knight. In line with the Balance of Forces, this system of education has both exoteric and esoteric aspects, and each of those aspects is further subdivided into the exoteric and the esoteric, and then subdivided again.
"When analyzing the exoteric aspect of a young Imperial Knight's education, we have the exoteric skill of combatives, in which every knight must be more than proficient. And we have the esoteric skill of tracking, which is still a practical skill but a less direct one, a more cerebral and intellectual skill.
"And when analyzing the esoteric aspect, we have the exoteric side, which is culture. Every Imperial Knight is expected to be cultured, because his duties will bring him in contact with officials and mandarins, and he will be expected to mingle and be comfortable with all ranks of society. And we have the esoteric side, which is spirituality- an aspect we have too often neglected to our cost.
"Returning again to the subject of combatives, we have practical martial arts such as gunfighting and hand to hand. This is the exoteric side of a martial education. And we have the esoteric side, which is swordsmanship- an aspect which is essentially given lip service in the other Orders, treated as a merely symbolic accomplishment, although it is much more than that.
"When considering spirituality, we have the exoteric aspect of cultural refinements, without which no man can attain genuine depth: skills such as drawing and painting and music. And we have the esoteric aspect, which is meditation- in this case the Mythorealist Meditation which I have already mentioned.
"The exoteric side of tracking skills is called 'practical tracking,' and it includes such necessary accomplishments as research and investigation, hostage negotiation, and interrogation. The esoteric side is diplomatic skills, without which the Imperial Knight would find his job impossible.
"The exoteric aspect of cultural studies is Martial Virtue, including a study of the chivalric code of the Imperial Knights, the Balance of Forces as a way of life, and Mythorealist ethics. The esoteric aspect is classical learning, including such subjects as classical poetry, the ancient languages and philosophy and hermeneutics.
"I presented this proposal to my superiors in the Sworn Brothers, but the proposal itself was rejected, and I was excommunicated. I had not anticipated such a reaction. It seems that my interest in the subject of Mythorealism, and my attempt to create an educational system modeled on its teachings, was interpreted as both heretical and rebellious. Such was never my intention. After a period of service in the Imperial Starfleet, particularly during the Ghovin Bridge incident, I became convinced that I must act. The Powers would never have shown me such a vision frivolously, or filled my heart with this one dream if I was intended to let it die.
"After a further period of meditation and consideration, I lodged my formal appeal with the Department of Militant Orders, and founded the Wayfarer's Institute and the Wayfarer's Order. It took the established Orders some time to notice us, but as soon as they did notice us, the challenges started. Everything that has happened since then is already known to you."
"So much for the basic facts," said Fennec. "Are there any questions at this stage?"
"Indeed there are," said Hargon.
"Then proceed."
His face darkened as if he was preparing himself for battle, and his brows furrowed. "How is it that an excommunicated heretic like yourself, cast out from your own Order for insubordination, would even dare to do a thing like this? Have you no respect for your vows? No respect for your ancestors? And what possessed you to present us with such a proposal in the first place? The Orders of the Imperial Knighthood are an ancient tradition. We do not concern ourselves with passing fads!"
"I have the greatest respect for the traditions of knighthood," said Jian, "And I pray that I have never dishonored my ancestors and that I never will. I would call your attention to some words by Tioch, a great priestess of the Congine Order, on the Balance of Forces:
'In the conflict between tradition and innovation, the balance of forces favors both. It requires those who would change the outer form of a tradition to preserve its spiritual core, maintaining an essential continuity through every change. It makes an equal but opposite demand on the guardians of unchanging traditional forms- that they keep the spirit of their work alive and fresh, renewing it with every passing generation though it remains externally the same.'
"I will not comment on the second aspect. As I am no longer a Sworn Brother, it is no place of mine to pass such a judgment. It may be that you have kept your spirit alive and vital, and that I was simply out of sympathy with it, or that I serve another spirit altogether. And I have never been a Stern Companion, so I cannot comment on the state of their tradition either. I can only comment on what I have done and why I have done it.
"The central mission of the Imperial Knighthood is the same in all Orders: to hunt down the wicked and capture or kill them. We hunt only the most depraved of men; human monsters. The Imperial Knights do not concern themselves with petty thieves, still less with traitors or simple dissidents. We are predators who hunt only predators. This is the sacred task that our founders passed down to us, and it is still upheld by the Wayfarers as it is by your own Order, so there is clearly a continuity between your mission and ours.
"As for the Code of the knights, these things differ. The Code as it has been preserved in the Sworn Brothers reads as follows:
"This is a noble Code, and we do not deny it. With these precepts, the Sworn Brothers have distinguished themselves, hunting down many quite ruthless criminals. Much of our own Code is the same as yours:
"It is my contention that the spirit of our honored fathers remains in these words, as different as they may be from yours. We have not turned our backs on the tradition. As for my vows to your Order, you yourself released me from them, but despite that fact I have not betrayed you. The secrets of the Sworn Brothers remain as secret they ever were."
"Do you expect us to believe that?" asked Hargon.
"Believe it or not, it is still the truth. Our initiation is different from yours, as are our honors and other ceremonies. Those things which I was shown in confidence, I will take to my grave.
"My primary point, however, is this. I am not one of those who disregards tradition for the sake of narcissistic display, like the Unfettered Poets I heard so much about in this house so many years ago. I believe above all in continuity, in the passing on of a living tradition like a living flame. Only in this way can any culture hope to perpetuate itself, and a culture that rejected tradition would be as doomed as one that rejected childbirth. But is our goal simply to pass on the tradition itself, or to pass on its essence, that thing which makes it both beautiful and useful in the first place? I do not worship change, as so many seem to. I am not a believer in pointless novelty. But if a change needs to be made, then let us make it- while maintaining the spiritual core of the tradition in a new form. That is what I have attempted to do with the Wayfarers."
"There remains the question of your arrogance," said Hargon. "Your presumption in ever bringing this to us. The training methods of the Sworn Brothers have been the same for many centuries. How could you possibly think to improve on them?"
"I hope to demonstrate that today. With the permission of Fennec, I would like to continue. It is my belief that when I explain our method, you will see its advantages."
"I should like to have a basis of comparison first," she said, "So I can know exactly what it is you are improving on. Or trying to improve on, at any rate. Let the Sworn Brothers step up first. I would hear about the training methods they use with their novices."
Hargon sat up in his chair, his face stern. "Our method, as I have already said, is an ancient one. The Sworn Brothers derive from the Old Order by a direct route. When the Zu Dynasty fell and the Interregnum began, the Imperial Knights of the Suali system banded together, vowing to stand against the chaos and preserve their traditions. We designated ourselves as the sworn defenders of the Sual Literati, the last remnant of the mandarin caste in the entire province. The Sual Literati were preserved by our efforts, paving the way for the Reunification. Our close relationship with them continues to this day.
"Before a young man can present himself as a candidate for knighthood, he must have passed the first level of the Sual Examinations. These are one of the accepted forms of the Imperial Examinations, so an Imperial Knight of the Sworn Brothers is by definition a mandarin, albeit of the lowest rank. This is by no means an insignificant accomplishment, placing our soldiers among the intellectual elite of the empire. But we are warriors after all, not sages or poets. As all of our novices have a mandarin education before they even apply to us, we concentrate their training on the practical aspects of their chosen vocation- aspects which are complex enough for a lifetime of study.
"Twelve skills are considered essential for any Sworn Brother to master, and we refer to them as the Twelve Pillars. These Twelve Pillars are as follows:
"The education of an Imperial Knight requires four years, in the course of which the Twelve Pillars will be thoroughly mastered. The young novices live in dormitories at the Sworn Brother's Novices Institute, a campus of several buildings provided for us by the Literati.
"The first year is given over entirely to Gunfighting and Hand to Hand Combatives. Our knights must frequently do battle alone, without the assistance of local law enforcement and sometimes in defiance of it, so they must be superb at these aspects of their vocation. Four hours a day are given to Gunfighting practice, including time at the shooting range, in special tactical courses, and in the legal and ethical questions raised by the use of force. Four hours are also given to Hand to Hand Combatives, concentrating on methods of immediately rendering an opponent helpless through either pain compliance or unconsciousness.
"In the novice's second year he is introduced to Bladed Weapons, including the wide variety of knives that are used across the empire, as well as our traditional fencing practice with the Imperial Knight's dress sword. That practice will continue for the duration of his study. He is also taught the skills of Swimming, Leaping and Running, but the bulk of his time in the second year is focused on the Navigation, Piloting and Servicing of Small Spacecraft, as it is in such a craft that he will hunt for his prey. Two hours a week are provided for Bladed Weapons practice, and two hours a week for Swimming, Leaping and Running. Navigation and Piloting is studied for four hours each day, with a further two hours each for Gunfighting and Hand to Hand Combatives.
"The third year of study is devoted to Interrogation, Research and Investigation, and Hostage Negotiation. These, too, are practical skills, without which he could never hope to find the men he searches for. Two hours a day are given to each of these three classes, as well as an hour each to Gunfighting and Hand to Hand, and two hours once a week to Bladed Weapons.
"The final year is traditionally somewhat easier, as the emphasis is less on physical skills and more on the mind. Two hours are given each day to Diplomacy and Formal Etiquette, and two hours each to Cultures of the Empire and Alien Cultures, The Seven Great Languages of the Empire, and Imperial History, for a total of eight hours a day of study. Two hours a week are devoted to Bladed Weapons, two hours to Gunfighting, and two to Hand to Hand.
"This is, as you can see, a grueling course of study, but I am quite confident in the results we produce with it. The Sworn Brother is the finest gunman in the empire, the most formidable hand to hand fighter, and the most relentless tracker.
"I see no basis for any so-called reforms."
"Very well then," said Fennec. "I would hear from you, sir." She looked at Tarleg. "Your colleague from the Sworn Brothers has described their training for us. What can you tell us about the Stern Companions?"
"We are a rather different Order," he said, "And our methods reflect that. The planet of Qarth is unlike Sual, and the knights we create there are a different breed. Qarth is, as you know, a stronghold of the Koyapti, who gained the favor of the Zu emperor Borseday many centuries ago. He encouraged the nobles of his court to take up that faith, and many of them heeded the call and went to Qarth on pilgrimage. When the Zu Dynasty fell, there were a number of knights there, and they attached themselves to the Koyaptic Church in the years that followed. These knights became the Stern Companions. We are recognized as a Militant Order by your department, but as a monastic order by the Koyaptic Church, a custom we speak of as the 'Dual Service'- to the Emperor and to God.
"Qarth itself is a desert world, and sparsely populated. The northern and southern regions of the planet are covered in ice, and the central belt is a dusty wasteland, though terribly cold. If we wish to exist at all there we must be expert hunters, for the fierce creatures of the wasteland cannot be domesticated, and all attempts at husbanding them have proven futile. The nomadic tribes of the central belt are all hunters from the cradle, providing them with an instinct for the chase that no training can instill.
"They are also most expert warriors, excellent shots with rifle or pistol, ruthless guerilla fighters, and masters of the blade. Such skills are bred into them through tribal warfare, and a young Qarthi brave of fifteen is already a combat veteran or a casualty.
"Such cities as there are have grown up around the monasteries, where the desert warriors come to trade with each other and to worship during times of truce. When any warrior wishes to retire, either because of old age or defeat and disgrace, it is customary for him to renounce the world and enter a monastery. In his first few years at the monastery, he receives a mandarin education, being graded up to the First Examination before assignment to a particular order. Those who still have a taste for hunting and fighting end up with us.
"The instincts of a hunter are bred into us from birth, and the techniques of tribal warfare are part of our heritage. We require no additional training in such matters as these. Therefore we have only Seven Pillars, rather than the Twelve of the Sworn Brothers:
"One hour a day for each of these subjects is considered sufficient, with the remainder of the time devoted to prayer and asceticism, or to combative practice with the other novices. Our brothers sleep in communal dormitories on couches of stone, and they are expected to spend most of the night in prayer and meditation. The spiritual aspects of martial practice are attended to in this way, giving the lie to any charge of neglect. Our warriors are soldiers of God, and we don't forget that."
"How do you prepare your novices for the outside world?" said Fennec. "They've never seen it. A tribal warrior of the Qarthi wastelands is ill prepared for space travel, no matter how many hours of class time he might have put in. Are all your members from among the Qarthi?"
Tarleg shook his head. "There are volunteers from other worlds. They are sent for three years to live among the nomads, hunting and fighting with them, before they enter the monastery. When we send a new knight out on his first commission, it is customary to pair him with an older knight with much experience of interstellar travel."
"I see," said Fennec. "And how effective is this practice?"
"Culture shock is a problem for us, " he admitted. "Some of our young knights have serious difficulties. But the way of faith is difficult by its very nature. If all men could tread it easily, then all would do so."
She nodded gravely at him. "Well said. So as I understand it- and you may correct me if I am wrong- the greatest difference between the Sworn Brothers and the Stern Companions is that of the secular life versus the religious life, but your overall mission and training are broadly similar."
"We are as different as night and day, your eminence. The Stern Companions are not merely religious, but warrior monks sworn to poverty, chastity and obedience. The Sworn Brothers are another matter, allowing their members to drink and gamble to pass the time, and even to visit the prostitutes of the pleasure quarters in every world they touch down on. It is not so much a question of religious and secular, as it is of asceticism versus hedonism. Our ways of life are utterly different."
"I object to the generalization," said Hargon, "And the implied insult. We do not instruct our soldiers in how to spend their time, so long as they do nothing to disgrace their vows or forfeit their commissions. It is a difficult and solitary life, as Jian has said. Furthermore, the quarry we hunt is often found within the pleasure quarters, in which we would be most conspicuous if we held aloof like monks. But our knights are no hedonists."
"What of the Wayfarers?" said Fennec, "Where do you stand on this matter? Do you follow the custom of the Sworn Brothers, or does your spiritual orientation forbid such indulgence?"
"We follow the Balance of Forces," said Jian. "As in everything else. In order to maintain the purity and the simplicity of a spiritual life, we instruct our warriors to remain chaste and impoverished, shunning all luxury as they would a disease. Their quarters are unadorned and their furnishings are spartan. They carry only simple food, more nourishing than delightful. The ideal here is to be both simple and flexible, not requiring any particular thing, but content with everything. The Imperial Knight must live in solitude, so all distractions which might make solitude easier are enjoined as corruptions. He who can find some distraction from his solitude will find it intolerable, but he who is forced to come face to face with it will learn to accept it. This is something that I have seen for myself, and I believe it to be true. Boredom and despair are closely related, for it is the mind's inability to sit quietly with itself that is at the root of both. We train our knights to be impervious to either, fully engaged in the task at hand if there is work to be done, and fully engaged in quiet sitting at all other times.
"If he wishes to study he is encouraged to do so, and many knights bring books with them on their travels so they can expand their knowledge. If he wishes to train, that is also encouraged. But he must always ask himself, 'why am I doing this?' If the answer is only to pass the time, then he should sit quietly instead. Those who never do anything to pass the time are never bored. They find an effortless joy and ease that wells up inside them, providing the esoteric opposite to their apparent stoicism.
"As is always the case in the Balance of Forces, one aspect is manifest and the other is hidden. The monastic simplicity of our daily life is the manifest force, while the intoxicated joy of our spirits is the hidden essence. But there are circumstances where the two must reverse.
"There is no surer route to corruption than addiction to pleasures, and it has been truly said that anything that gives us pleasure is potentially sinful, because it is so easy to make a petty god out of whatever pleases us. If we become possessed and entrapped by our pleasures we are spiritually lost, servants of primitive needs that can never be satisfied. We will go on chasing those needs until they ruin us or kill us.
"But there is a time for celebration, and a time for pleasure. The harvest operators of the grain fields on Tunomora are some of the hardest workers in the empire, frequently working more than sixteen hours in any given day. Yet at their Harvest Home festivals they are totally uninhibited, drinking and singing for the joy of it, and carousing till the dawn.
"Celebration is a gift of God, and we should not disdain it. But it is enjoyed most thoroughly by those who have earned it, those whose hard work and sacrifice have been given whole-heartedly. For this reason we do not require our knights to refrain from festivities, when their duties bring them to a time and place where celebration is appropriate. At such times their joy becomes manifest and their stoicism is hidden, remaining within as a balancing force to observe and command. Though he may drink and celebrate to match the liveliest of his companions, a knight who remembers the Balance of Forces will never disgrace himself. His hedonism will be as sober as his asceticism was intoxicated. So we always contain both aspects at the same time, but which aspect is manifest depends on the circumstance, and is always expressed in the appropriate circumstance. That is our way."
"I see," said Fennec, "And I follow your logic. But I think we have chased this thread a little too far, and the purpose of our gathering here is at risk of being forgotten. I think it is time we heard a little bit more about the application of your theories to the education of your novices. What is your daily schedule at the Wayfarer's Institute?"
"It is as strict and demanding as any of the other Orders," said Jian. "The first hour of every day is spent on Practical Combatives, including the subjects of Gunfighting and Hand to Hand Combatives, Knives and Other Small Weapons and the skills of Swimming, Leaping and Running.
"The second hour is spent in meditation, tracing out the permutations of the Zed Tree through the Mythorealist Meditation I mentioned previously. In this way we address the two extremes of our Zed Tree at the very beginning, the most practical of our exoteric skills and the most occult of our esoteric practices. The entire schedule follows the same logic, pairing in every two hours a set of opposites- one skill from the exoteric side of our curriculum, and one from the esoteric. Thus we manifest the Balance of Forces throughout the day.
"The third hour of every day is spent in studying Swordsmanship, a combative skill of a more esoteric nature, but a combative skill nonetheless. The fourth hour is given to Cultural Refinements, specifically the game of Bota, the skills of Drawing and Painting, Dancing, and Music.
"The fifth hour of the day is Practical Tracking, including the subjects of the Navigation, Piloting and Servicing of Small Spacecraft, Interrogation, Research and Investigation, and Hostage Negotiation. The sixth hour is Classical Learning, including a study of the Classical Languages, Classical Poetry, Philosophy and Hermeneutics.
"The seventh hour is assigned to Diplomatic Skills, including Critical Thinking, Formal Logic and Debate, Diplomacy and Formal Etiquette, Cultures of the Empire and Alien Cultures, and the Seven Great Languages of the Empire. The eighth and final hour of our study day is for Martial Virtue, which we teach through a study of the History and Legends of the Empire and the knighthood, the Chivalric Code of the Imperial Knight, Mythorealist Ethics and Martial Virtue as an Ethical Balance of Forces.
"The rest of the novice's time is spent as he pleases, though novices are encouraged to do nothing that is a mere diversion. Most prefer to spend it in either informal combative practice or in meditation, or in studying for their various subjects. Many play Bota with each other, paint landscapes, or compose poetry."
"You do not consider these to be diversions?" asked Den'ma.
"I do not. A diversion is something that is done merely to pass the time, a deliberate attempt to kill some small portion of one's life as softly as possible. The mere thought of diversion ought to be horrifying, implying as it does that life is better spent asleep. A fundamental principle of our approach is to be alive and awake, fully engaged at all times in doing things that are worth doing, or simply sitting in quiet thought if there is nothing to be done. As poetry and painting and Bota are all worthwhile in and of themselves, they are not diversions- unless, of course, they are practiced in that spirit. But we encourage our students to shun that spirit as a symptom of corruption."
"Your approach seems, in some respects, to run counter to Doesdion," said Den'ma, referring to the great sage and author of the Analects, who had founded the mandarin class before the days of the Zu Dynasty. "Refined leisure is the mark of the gentleman, and the arts you name are expressions of that refinement. A gentleman does not pursue the arts because they are useful, but because they are beautiful."
"But the martial gentleman is a unique breed, and Doesdion himself acknowledged that much," said Jian. "Let the scholar study and the soldier fight, but he who studies should be familiar with war, and he who fights with art and literature.
"In any case, the worth of such things lies not in their usefulness, but in the fact that one is fully alive and awake when one is engaged in them. This is the essence and cause of their beauty, is it not?"
The magistrate bowed slightly. Jian had the strange feeling that the objection had actually been raised in order to assist him, to give him the opportunity of expanding his case."I would like to hear more about the details of your curriculum," said Fennec. "Specifically, a breakdown of the individual courses of study, beginning with your approach to the combative arts."
"I'd be happy to do so," said Jian. "The first year of Practical Combatives is spent on Gunfighting, as it is the combative skill our knights are most likely to need in the pursuit of their duties. The standard automatic weapons and pulse pistols are both studied in detail, with some attention paid to more exotic firearms in case the occasion of using them should ever arise.
"We begin on the target range and spend a lot of time practicing there, as accurate shot placement is a fundamental skill. Stationary targets at various ranges are used at first, but we go on to use moving targets, flying targets, and targets hidden among 'civilians.'
"When the novice has demonstrated that he can select his target correctly and hit it accurately, he moves on to the study of point shooting, or hitting a target from the draw when there is no time to use the sights. He is placed in various situations such as low light or very close range, or drawing and evading when his opponent has the drop on him. When all of these skills have been mastered, he is assigned a pulse pistol with a low charge in order to practice gunfighting against his fellow students. The pulse in these training pistols will induce unconsciousness, along with a level of pain traumatic enough to produce genuine fear. This phase of our gunfighting training prepares the novice for the stress of combat, as he will experience some measure of the fear and pressure of an actual gun battle.
"The second year of this course is Hand to Hand Combatives, which is less likely to occur than a firefight but still entirely possible. The first aspect we study here is weapon retention, as the men we hunt are desperate enough to try anything and too many knights have been killed with their own firearms to be complacent about this aspect. From there we move on to a more general study of the topic, basing our combative approach on a principle of swordsmanship: To Hit and Not Be Hit.
"An opponent who is on the ground and immobilized cannot do anything to hurt you, so rather than teaching our novices to box with the enemy we teach them to put him on the ground and out of action as rapidly as possible. The technical basis for this approach are those techniques which have been proven in combat, which are simple enough to be performed under intense stress, and remembered with ease. We begin with a simple demonstration and slow-motion partner practice, but we increase the pressure by increments until the student is performing at real-world speeds, dropping and immobilizing a committed and extremely aggressive attacker. By the end of the second year he should be proficient in our method of Hand to Hand Combat, allowing him to move on to the study of bladed weapons in his third year of this course.
"Bladed weapons and improvised weapons are for situations of desperation, when one's firearm is inaccessible or otherwise useless, or when silence is necessary. As we hunt only the most depraved of criminals, there is no question of excessive force, as there would be for ordinary law enforcement- it's always a case of 'wanted dead or alive.' While it is generally considered preferable to bring the quarry back to serve his sentence, no reprimand will be issued if he is killed in the attempt. It is assumed that if the use of a bladed weapon has become necessary, there is no longer a realistic option of capture. Therefore our blade work is focused entirely on the quick kill, aiming for anatomically vulnerable targets that will produce unconsciousness or death within a matter of seconds. The principle of our knife fighting is the same as that of our hand to hand fighting- to put the opponent down and out as rapidly as possible, without suffering any injury to oneself whatsoever. As for improvised weapons, they can be nearly anything in the environment- from a hot cup of jev to a nearby pen. The important point here is mental flexibility, the spirit needed to adapt anything to the task at hand.
"The fourth year of our Combatives course is for auxiliary skills, those things which might be needed in a foot chase in a variety of environments. Our students are taught the arts of swimming and leaping, running on any surface, and free-climbing any structure.
"By the end of the fourth year, our students are expert marksmen, qualified in hand to hand combat, and proficient with knives. They can improvise a weapon from common objects in nearly any environment, and they can run, swim, climb and leap. But this is only one small aspect of their education."
"The next aspect of our curriculum is Mythorealist Meditation, a contemplative exercise developed from Relationship Theory- specifically from the Zed Tree. The Zed Tree is a kind of diagram for modeling relationships, and the interactions between the dualities present in any situation. The formal use of the Zed Tree can become quite complicated, so the philosophers of Relationship Theory developed an alternative, substituting a relatively simple series of mental exercises for the intricate symbolic method of the Theory itself. This method of contemplation can be applied in a number of ways, by the use of a set of scales containing different dualities- Manifestation and Potential, for example, or Exoteric and Esoteric.
"In the henotheistic theology of the mandarin creed, we have the affirmations and the negations, derived from the Analects and the Book of the Void respectively. So it is that in the affirmations as described by Doesdion, the Absolute Power at the heart of the universe is considered unitary, a single intelligence from which all other intelligences are derived. And it is also considered to be plural, in that it gives rise to the multiple Powers of the various religions, each one of them a fragment of the Divine Name. It is furthermore considered to be the creator of everything, to be ultimately powerful, and so forth and so on. But these things are all denied by the negations, which point out that the true source of everything in the universe is not power as we understand power, for any conception of power we can have would be as limited as we ourselves are. And it does not create as we understand creation, for the sculptor or the painter has only his tools and his talent, but the Absolute is limitless. It is not plural, of course, for discrete things have boundaries, and there is no boundary at all for the source of everything. Nor is it one, for one itself is a quantity and a mental concept, and the Absolute is beyond all quantities and all mental concepts.
"So if one were to apply the affirmations and the negations as a Mythorealist Meditation, one would begin by breathing slowly and deeply while concentrating on the Absolute, the source of everything. After a time you would apply an affirmation, meditating for a time on the Absolute's oneness. And you would apply a negation, meditating for a period of time on its lack of any quantity, on the inadequacy of any mental concept to describe or contain it.
"You would then apply an affirmation to your original affirmation and meditate on its plurality, on the infinite manifestations of the divine throughout the universe. And you would apply a negation to it as well, meditating on the futility of giving names or boundaries to it of any kind. You would apply an affirmation to your original negation, considering at length how the inadequacy of mental concepts to understand the Absolute is a result of its infinite capacity. And you would apply a negation to that original negation as well, meditating on the obscurity of it, on its wordless mystery. The whole purpose of this elaborate process is to form a picture, an understanding of the Absolute from a multitude of perspectives. When the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, then you will have an insight.
"This is the process of Mythorealist Meditation, and it can be carried out through as many as four levels of the Zed Tree at any one time, applying the dualities of the particular scale you are using on that occasion. The scale we use most often is Exoteric and Esoteric, as this is the basis for the Balance of Forces.
"When we consider the duty of an Imperial Knight- as it is conceived, in this case, by the Wayfarer's Order- we find that its exoteric aspect is the pursuit of outlaws, while its esoteric aspect is the creation of heroes, men and women who incarnate the spirit of heroism in their daily lives. The various permutations of exoteric and esoteric would then be applied, creating a broad picture of the role of the knight, in both its apparent aspects and those more occult. And for every aspect we consider, we apply those two aspects, exoteric and esoteric, apparent and occult.
"One example of the exoteric aspect would be practical combatives, the study of those martial skills with which the knight must perform his duty. The esoteric aspect of combatives is of course the study of swordsmanship, a subject to which we give much more attention than the other Orders."
"The Imperial Knight carries a sword on his hip when not on duty, as all three of us are doing right now. And there is a custom among us of practicing fencing, and occasionally even dueling each other with these blades to resolve our differences- a ritual combat with lightly sharpened weapons. However, we do not use the sword in the performance of our duties; it is merely a symbol of our role and status. The sword is not a practical weapon for us, but a symbolic one. For this reason, the other Orders neglect its use, training with the sword as a kind of afterthought. In the Sworn Brothers, for instance, the art of fencing receives scant attention, no more than two hours a week beginning in the second year. All students at the Wayfarer's Institute, on the other hand, must master swordsmanship, devoting an hour each day to its practice. This study begins on their first day at the Institute and continues until graduation.
"The qualities of a well-trained mind are the same as those of a well-forged blade: strength, flexibility and a keen edge. The advantage of all three is easily demonstrated. Life is filled with both dangers and disappointments, and anyone without strength of spirit can expect to be crushed by his circumstances. Yet those who are too strong are invariably brittle- like a blade that is too stiff, they can be broken by too much pressure. A well-forged blade is both strong and supple, capable of bending as the situation requires and yet returning to true. Our thoughts are filled with self-created illusions, images conjured up by our own fear and wishful thinking. Only a keen mind can cut through these illusions, separating truth from falsehood like the sharp edge of a tempered weapon passing cleanly through its target.
"There is a curiously widespread notion in the world these days- that all of us are damaged, sick at heart somehow and in need of fixing, usually with some pseudo-spiritual or psychological regimen. No one who has seen very much of life is without such damage. But I prefer to start on higher ground. The goal here is not merely to become more functional, or only to live a 'normal' life. It is to forge a heroic spirit, one capable of what the knights of the Old Order called 'high deeds,' yet humble and self-controlled at the same time.
"It might seem a little quixotic to even speak in such terms in the modern world, but I’m not talking about some juvenile fantasy of the imagination. The heroic life is simply a different way of experiencing the everyday world, viewing it not through the lens of small-minded fears and ambitions but with a different goal entirely: to be the best and most fully human person you are capable of becoming.
"This is not just a leisure-time activity or a case of narcissistic self-indulgence; still less is it a matter of useless existential navel-gazing. The point is not to imagine that you are a mythic hero or to visualize yourself as an idealized warrior. That would only be another illusion. The point is to actually break free, to transform yourself into something greater than what you have been so far- and then to do so again. To keep doing so over and over again until the moment you die, each time achieving a deeper and more integrated understanding of both yourself and the world. The quest to become truly human and truly free can transform this world of struggle into something wonderful. For many billions of people across the Empire, this is a mediocre and colorless life, a life filled with tepid disappointments and unlived dreams. How, then, can anyone disregard their own development, leaving it to the random effects of unpredictable circumstance? Most of us are not happy and never satisfied. The decision to live deliberately is the decision to be free, to embrace the great adventure instead of settling for nothing.
"So how can the spirit be forged as a blade is forged, tempered into something strong and supple and sharp? There are many different ways to begin the process, but one of the best is to pursue the study of swordsmanship, a physical discipline that hones the spirit through direct and practical challenges. This is philosophy in action, theory welded to practice in a unified whole.
"We practice combatives because they are part of our work, but that is ultimately only one aspect of their actual purpose. Our encounters with physical violence are often separated by months or years, but there are other enemies we all face every day- enemies such as despair and boredom and egoism, self-indulgence and apathy, malice and greed. He who conquers himself can conquer any enemy.
"Theory without practice remains merely theoretical, and practice without theory often amounts to nothing more than physical skill. But theory and practice combined can produce transformation. The great fencer Dorinek Aqayar of Sual, who was a member of the Sworn Brothers, had this to say:
'The swordsmanship of the modern era is freed from application, freed from the mundane demands of practicality. It has finally become an art, and like all arts its true purpose is spiritual expression. The swordsman chooses from his repertoire of techniques like an artist choosing a color. In the moment of combat, he is truly free.'
"He was talking primarily about technical freedom, the ability of a skilled combatant to do whatever he wants because he knows how and when it should be done. But the statement can also be given a wider application.
"When I’m going about my business during the day, my mind wanders. I’m very rarely just doing one thing at a time and fully experiencing it. I’m also thinking about the Institute's bills and how I’m going to pay them, the conversation I had with one of my instructors the night before, the line that would express exactly what I want to say in the letter I’m writing- any one of a thousand daily things. And how many of those things are in some way heavy.
"But there is no room for any of that on the fencing strip. Your opponent is front of you, and he means to hit you. You can see it in the almost visible energy that radiates from his stance, in the aggressive glittering of his eyes behind the mask. You can feel it in the broken rhythm of his advance against you. He holds a weapon in his hands, and he means to strike you with it. If you don’t want to let that happen, you must strike him first.
"In the fencing bout, you are there and nowhere else. There’s no time for anything else. To disassociate is to be hit. And so the world of your thoughts and fantasies must disappear, leaving only the reality in front of you- your opponent’s blade.
"It doesn’t happen overnight by any means. But it begins to grow in you over time. You start to fence as if you weren’t tied down by your illusions, as if there wasn’t anything to hope or fear but only the moment and what needs to be done in it. You start to fence as a free man.
"That is the reason we give so much attention to swordsmanship at the Wayfarer's Institute. And it is a harsh training that our students undergo. The discipline of training has to be harsh, or it would work no magic. We strip our students down to the bare essentials, and rebuild them from there.
"The essential quality of the Balance of Forces is always a mystery- an inner reality that is both the opposite and complement of the apparent reality. The quality of a good swordsman is exactly the same. On the outside he is calm and quiet, almost contemplative in his balanced poise- but on the inside he is looking for an opening, crouching like a predator preparing to attack.
"When he takes the offensive, the balance shifts, and exoteric trades places with esoteric in the moment of action. He is attacking now, in a fury of movement, but his spirit is calm and controlled behind the mask of his aggression.
"Thus, training in swordsmanship is a microcosm of our entire approach."
Fennec had listened attentively through this entire speech, but now she looked up at Jian and said, "This won't do. Part of the examination is to describe your methods, not merely your rationale, however refined."
Jian looked uncomfortable. "Your eminence..." he began.
"I know exactly what your objection is," she said, "But it's quite irrelevant. There isn't going to be any more feuding after today, so it won't matter if these gentlemen hear your secret principles. If they use them against you then they will be dealt with. There must be a level playing field, after all. The principles of their methods of swordsmanship were published centuries ago, and you can hardly expect to be permitted to retain an advantage over them. You will describe your fencing style."
"Very well," he said. "I will do my best. But I wish for my objection to be formally noted. The principles of the other two schools of fencing are considered mysteries, and they have only become so widely available due to the dishonor of renegade members. They were never publicly forced to reveal their principles."
"Your objection is noted," she said dryly. "Now go on."
Hargon and Tarleg both leaned forward, restrained eagerness glimmering behind their eyes. Their swordsmen had gotten rather the worst of the recent vendetta, and they were determined to find out exactly how their men had been bested. Jian sighed.
"Can the mysteries of any art be explained?" asked Den'ma.
"I see your point," said Jian. "The art is not in words. But I will do as I am asked to do. The secret principle of our style has already been stated, and it is, of course, the Balance of Forces. Every defensive action in our system is also an offense, so that whether a particular technique is a parry, attack, or counterattack depends solely on the distance and timing and the specific circumstances. In every case the opposite action is maintained in the form of potential, so that every manifest attack is a potential defense, every manifest defense a potential attack."
"I will require specific examples from your repertoire," said Fennec.
"There are only five. The first manifestation is a low inside, where the blade slopes down and to the right, with the hilt held high. The left hand is brought up to support the right elbow, and the right foot is placed against the left leg. This position is an ascending cut from the right, or a thrust to the throat, depending on the circumstances. But it is also a parry to the low inside line, and an evasion and counterattack against a cut to the leg.
"The second manifestation is a sloping guard with the sword hand held high, and the blade crossing the body diagonally to close the line to the head. This is an ascending cut from the left, or a thrust to the body, but it is also a parry or counterattack against a cut to the high line.
"The third manifestation is a high inside, in which the blade is angled to the swordsman's left and the point is aimed at the opponent's right eye. This is a descending cut from the right to the left, and it can also be a thrust. Its defensive aspect is a parry closing the inside line.
"The fourth manifestation is a high outside, in which the blade is angled to the swordsman's right and the point is aimed at the opponent's left eye. This is a descending cut from the left to the right, and it can also be a thrust. Its defensive aspect is a parry closing the outside line.
"The fifth manifestation is a low outside, which is merely the fourth manifestation with a lowered point, just as the first manifestation is the third with a lowered point. This closes the line to the outside low, while at the same time it is an attack to the outside low, or a counterattack against a leg attack. Just as in the first manifestation, the right foot is placed against the left leg as an evasion.
"All of our specific techniques derive from these manifestations, and whichever form they manifest in must contain its opposite aspect. So, for instance, if the third manifestation is applied as an attack to the opponent's high inside line, it must be done in such a way as to provide opposition against an attack to your own high inside line.
"One aspect is always manifest while the other is in potential. Thus we always attack when defending, and defend when attacking."
"As an adept of the Grim Sisters," she said, "I can tell you this from experience. What you have described here is really no secret, but the method of anyone who understands combat."
"I will concede that," he said, "But I ask you this. Are such insights normally taught as a fundamental principle, or are they left for the student to discover if he is clever enough?"
"It is generally the latter," she admitted.
"We build this approach into our system at every level, so the student has at least a basic familiarity with it from the beginning, though deeper understanding must come with time."
"The next aspect of our study is Cultural Refinements, and in the first year at the Institute this means the game of Bota. You will all be familiar with this noble game."
Den'ma smiled. "A most elegant pastime," he said.
"Not a pastime at all," said Jian, "With respect, sir. What is the most useful thing that Bota has taught you?"
Den'ma leaned back in his seat and looked off into the distance as if remembering something. "Many things," he said. "The art of strategy, of course, though in the broadest sense. The art of acting broadly and lightly in order to seize a position of advantage as quickly as possible. I once analyzed a game by the great Konym’na, in which he seemed to be in the weakest condition till the very last moment, while in reality he was positioning himself for the decisive conquest- a manifestation of your Balance of Forces, or so it seemed to me at the time."
"And are these things not useful to a knight?"
"I see your point. So the study of Bota is the study of how to think."
"Exactly."
"Excuse me," said Tres Fay'el, the ambassador from the Gerrec Republic, "But I do not know this game. Would you be so good as to explain it to me?"
"If there is no objection from young Jian here, I will undertake to do so," said Den'ma, "As Bota has long been a favorite of mine."
"I have no objection," said Jian.
"Bota is a game of territory," said Den'ma. "It is played on a star map, and traditionally it represents the growth of an empire, expanding its control over many star systems. Flat pieces of smooth glass are placed on the stars, seeking to surround other stars and thus control them. If your own piece is completely surrounded, it is removed, but if it is still next to an open star then it remains alive. To surround and remove enemy stones is of course very satisfying, but ultimately not as relevant to the outcome as the control of territory."
"How interesting," said Tres Fay'el, "But I don't understand. I can see how a game like this would be useful to a general, or to the Emperor himself perhaps, but how otherwise is it useful? The control of vast regions of space is no concern of your knights."
"A general understanding of strategy can be useful for anyone, and the applications of Bota to life are many and varied. A somewhat cliched example would be the situation called 'the caravan,' where a long string of your glass beads is in danger of being surrounded, kept alive by only a single piece, which remains in contact with an open star. There are situations like the caravan in our daily lives, where adding a piece to try to save pieces that are already doomed can only make the situation worse."
"A fact which too few consider," said Hargon darkly.
"Let Jian continue with his exposition," Fennec commanded.
"Thank you for your explanation of Bota," said Jian. "And I think you'll agree- this noble game is no mere pastime, but a manifestation of the art of living. The problems it presents are complex and variable, infinitely subtle in their patterns and changes. To study Bota is to study change, and almost to learn to master it- if such a thing were possible. But I will move on.
"In their second year of the Cultural Refinements course, our novices study Drawing, moving on from there to the art of Painting. We teach only the classical forms of these ancient disciplines, the Old School derived from the Zu."
"What possible use could that have?" asked Hargon. "You don't catch a man by drawing a picture of him!"
"True enough," said Jian. "But don't forget the Balance of Forces. A man who knows nothing except the hunt and the kill, the endless months of interstellar travel and investigation and then the moment of conquest... is such a man able to live as a man, or is he more like a machine?
"What we seek to create at the Wayfarer's Institute is a fully developed human being, not a fighting automaton. Our soldiers are as hard as diamond when their duty requires it, so in the view of the Balance of Forces, it is equally necessary to shape their spirits, making them as refined and elegant as their duties are fierce. And when a Wayfarer is not on the hunt, the opposite applies- the face he shows to the outside world will be quiet and contemplative, while his spirit on the inside is prepared for action.
"A quiet spirit and a warlike deed, that is one of our mottoes. But one of our other proverbs is exactly the opposite- Quiet deeds and a warlike heart. The study of drawing and painting fulfills this principle, allowing a student devoted to combat to know the arts of peace in the same life. And there is an auxiliary benefit as well. Visual artists tend to be keenly observant, and that is a valuable tool for a hunter. When you have created dozens of portraits, trying to capture the inner essence of all those personalities, you start to learn to see through people. Consider the advantage of such a skill in interrogation.
"In the third year of the Cultural Refinements course, our students learn to dance- by which I mean the classical court dances of the Zu, which are still performed on ceremonial occasions on many worlds throughout the empire. The study of dancing leads to ease of movement and an impression of grace, which has benefits both obvious and not so obvious. Ease of movement can help in combat, where he who is most capable of commanding his own body often carries the day. And a sense of grace can open doors, granting entry and gaining confidence in subtle ways.
"In the fourth year of this course, we teach them music, specifically a stringed instrument and two wind instruments and the art of singing. As with our other arts, the Zu Dynasty is our guideline. While there any number of wonderful musical forms in the contemporary empire, both the mandarin class and the institution of knighthood derive from the Zu, and the classical arts of the Zu Dynasty are still considered the standard.
"Our goal with all of these aspects is ultimately the same- we seek to give every student the opportunity to forge a nuanced and balanced personality, to know both the light and the darkness and be adept with both."
"But we never lose sight of the fact that our mission is a necessary one, and for every aspect of our curriculum that could be considered esoteric, there is another that is strictly pragmatic. An hour every day is given to tracking skills, beginning with the Navigation, Piloting and Servicing of Small Spacecraft. Our method of teaching this skill is no different from the other Orders, as the fundamentals are the same for all. The student must be taught how to use his tools, and arguably the most important tool among them is his spacecraft. He will be obliged to pilot this ship on his own, or with one partner at most. He may be gone for years. Although there are occasions when he will be able to bring the ship in for service, there will be other occasions where he has no such option. All issues of navigation and maintenance must be within his power to resolve alone, and he must be capable of flying under any conditions. Although this particular class is only studied for one year, refresher courses are offered at least twice a year for all students.
"The second aspect of Practical Tracking is Interrogation, a basic skill which is absolutely necessary to the knight's duties. Our warriors are forbidden to make use of torture, but there are methods of persuasion and manipulation, up to and including a type of hypnosis, which can be used in extreme cases."
"No torture?" said Tarleg. "I don't understand. Nobody likes to use harsh methods, but there are times when we must. Some members of the criminal underworld belong to secret societies, organizations such as the Shadowlords or the Shining Door. Such men are oath-bound to reveal no secrets, and only the harshest methods of interrogation will suffice to break them."
"We aren't trying to break anyone," said Jian, "Except our quarry. What use is it to beat a man until he answers your questions, only to find out months later that he has sent you in the wrong direction, and that the man you hunt is nowhere near? That is essentially the same mistake as surrounding an enemy army too thoroughly on the battlefield, leaving it no hope of escape and no option except defiance. If you leave a route of escape, the enemy will take it, and your own army will take the field with fewer casualties. So it is with interrogation. Our method is to create a situation where there is pressure in a certain direction, but where the option of maintaining one's life undisturbed is held out as a reward- a reward for timely and accurate information. We have various methods for creating such scenarios.
"For instance, in a recent case, we were tracking Dol Qenareq, the infamous bandit king. Our agent was questioning a Shadowlord, a man who specialized in black market travel documents. He refused to talk, as his oath demanded of him, and our agent responded by taking out a stack of star maps and leaving them casually on the man's desk. It was then suggested that his superiors might be displeased with him, if it was discovered that he had sold forged papers to such a wealthy client without first extorting a significant tribute. And, of course, he had extorted such a tribute- but he had failed to pass it along. The reward for such a failure would be execution. Our agent excused himself, and then returned a moment later. The stack of star maps he had left behind had been rearranged, and the sector to which Dol Qenareq had fled was now positioned on the top of the pile.
"That is only one of the many methods we teach our students. Manipulation and pressure, yes- but not torture. And there is the hypnotism of the Shell Witches as a last resort.
"Research and Investigation is the next aspect, including a study of forensics and all the usual tools of detective work. Expertise with the bureaucracies of the various provinces, the ability to navigate through public records databases and Mindweb files, all these are essential to fulfilling one's commission. But we also make use of the Zed Tree, in this case in its more complex form, which is a method of expanding intuition to solve questions with minimal information. The question one is working on is translated into an abstract symbol system, and worked through the ramifications of various positive and negative aspects in an established pattern. The goal is to tease out the seeds of the answer that may lie dormant within the question, providing a direction of research when the evidence is minimal.
"Hostage Negotiation is the final aspect of the Practical Tracking course. It is not at all uncommon for the men we hunt to take hostages, hoping to buy themselves a little more time when their situation becomes truly desperate. The Wayfarers do not break their oaths, so methods of negotiation and de-escalation are particularly important- if a cornered enemy demands something we cannot give, we do not promise it to him in the first place. While this can make for a difficult situation, it does have its advantages, as our enemies know that if we do give our word for any reason, they can trust it implicitly. We lose hostages from time to time, but not more often than the other Orders do."
"Your Order is a strange one," said Tarleg. "A weird mix of sin and saintliness. You speak of asceticism and spirituality, but your men drink and carouse like the Sworn Brothers. You do not use torture, but you use the threat of death. You teach painting and dancing like a school for dandies, but you also teach your students how to kill instantly with a bladed weapon. It is almost as if you do not know who you are."
"On the contrary," said Jian, "We do. We are men and women of the Balance of Forces. That accounts for all of it."
"No doubt this will seem just as strange to you, but our next course is Classical Learning, continuing with our theme of creating a balance of the martial and the cultural. The Classical Languages are the first course of study, although all of our students will have a basic familiarity with this topic from their mandarin education. A thorough understanding of the classical tongues is a prerequisite for the study of poetry, as the great poets of the Zu schools did not compose in the vernacular. The first year of Classical Learning, therefore, is devoted to the languages, particularly the Literary language of the Zu mandarins, the Ceremonial language, and the language of the Imperial Court.
"The second year of Classical Learning is devoted to poetry, including the Three Hundred Poems of the School of Heaven and the Infernal Masterpieces. The students are encouraged to study these models intensively, and to compose their own verse in imitation, concentrating on the Old School as the quintessential genre of mandarin poetry, but branching out into more recent styles as well- especially the poetry of the School of Silence. A year is obviously insufficient for them to reach a high level, but the goal here is understanding and appreciation rather than mastery. Once a level of understanding is achieved, the art is yours for a lifetime.
"The study of Philosophy is the next aspect, beginning of course with the great Doesdion. Although the memorization of long passages from the Analects is a prerequisite for the First Examination, we believe it is still best to start at the source. Therefore we study both the Analects and the Book of the Void, before moving on to the various commentaries of the Zu Dynasty, and the philosophical works of other schools such as the Yail Brotherhood and the Perigrinatio. In the second half of the third year we focus on Mythorealism, which makes use of all these sources, and others as well.
"In the fourth year we go on to Hermeneutics, the art of textual analysis and commentary. And here we return to the same texts of philosophy, on which every student is expected to write a gloss. The method used is that of the Zed Tree, rather than the more familiar Triadic Reading, or the method of the Congine priesthood. Using the chart of the Zed Tree as a guide, the student is expected to draw an analysis up for every chapter under consideration, tracing out the exoteric and esoteric layers of meaning, the author's apparent and hidden motivations, or the positive and negative consequences of the author's ideas."
"The study of Diplomatic Skills is our next subject, because an Imperial Knight might be obliged to meet with powerful people in the course of his duties- ambassadors and provincial governors and law enforcement officers, people with local power who might make his task either harder or easier. The first subject in this course is called Critical Thinking, Formal Logic and Debate, and it focuses on creating the kind of thinker a knight needs to be- both flexible and intellectually rigorous at the same time. We teach both classical logic and newer forms derived from Relationship Theory, which are actually somewhere in between logic as such and intuition. We teach the novice to avoid logical fallacies, and particularly to ferret them out of his own thinking. And we teach the novice to debate and defend his opinions when he has to.
"Of course, the ability to articulate and defend a position is meaningless, if it is not coupled with the ability to communicate one's respect for the other parties to the conversation, and to avoid giving needless offense due to cultural differences. Therefore our next course is on Diplomacy and Formal Etiquette, concentrating on the traditional expressions of the mandarin class, which are accepted as the standard for formal etiquette throughout the empire. Again, these are topics with which the novice will be broadly familiar, but a more detailed examination of their nuances is an important asset for an interstellar traveler like an Imperial Knight.
"From there we go on to a study of the various Cultures of the Empire and Alien Cultures. There are obviously far too many cultures in our empire for us to do more than scratch the surface, so primary attention is paid to the seven great societies with interstellar reach and significance, from which the bulk of the mandarins and other imperial officials are drawn: Char, Tolayon, Sual, Ghota, Eraptor, Poreta and Tryn. And the primary alien cultures we study are the Telpid and the Chu.
"Lastly, we study the Seven Great Languages of the Empire, utilizing the most advanced language-acquisition technologies available, with the goal being to impart basic skills in all seven languages within the space of one year. These languages are the Vernacular dialects of Char and Tolayon, which are of course derived from the Literary language of the Zu mandarins and therefore highly similar to each other, and the Suali, Ghotan, Eraptori, Poretan and Trynite tongues, which are the native languages of those planets as they have developed under the influence of the Zu Literary language.
"Equipped with the tools of critical thinking, logic and debate, diplomacy, etiquette, knowledge of the various cultures of the empire and its nearest neighbors and the Seven Great Languages, our knights are capable of moving in any circles with self-assurance and confidence."
"The final hour of the study day is always spent on Martial Virtue, beginning with the History and Legends of the Empire and the knighthood. A myth is not a mere fable as is often believed, but an essential story about the deepest truths. Myths are more true than facts at the level of our dreams, and it is at the level of our dreams that we make our decisions. When we decide what myths to live by, we decide who we are.
"The novices spend the first year reading legends of history, beginning with the Deeds of the Founders, the great epic of the establishment of the Zu Dynasty by the warrior empress Zu'Qorinay. They move on to study the Elder Chivalries, the legends of the Old Order from which all the Orders of knighthood derive. They read the Journey of Shaharat, the popular fantasy about the adventures of that knight. And they read the High Deeds of the Latter Days, a collection of stories about the knights of our own era.
"Having been exposed to the deepest values of our vocation and culture, to the poetry with which we understand the world, our novices are ready for Chivalry itself. The second year of the Martial Virtue course is spent on its study, beginning with our own Code as it is the one they will live and die by:
"We then move on to the other Codes, from the Old Code of the Old Order to those of the Sworn Brothers and the Stern Companions. The Old Code, of course, reads as follows:
"We return to the legends we have already been studying, and examine them critically in the light of these codes. Not all knights have been equally chivalrous, either in our own time or before. Shaharat, for example, although heroic, was frequently dishonest, and the knights of the Old Order were sometimes brutal. Our goal is not to create naive idealists, but warriors who can make complex ethical decisions autonomously. To this end even the greatest heroes of our tradition are examined critically, and their flaws and failures are acknowledged as such. By this process of discussion and debate with his peers, the novice learns to apply the lessons of myth with a critical mind, and to strive to outdo even the great heroes of the past when it comes time to make his own mark through his own deeds.
"The next step is the study of Mythorealist Ethics. I have heard it said that the ethical goal of Mythorealism is the incarnation of heroism, and I have repeated the phrase myself. But the reality is rather more complex. The ethical component of myth is not restricted to the heroic, even though that is the primary aspect of concern to our novices. The realm of myth is the fundamental realm, the world of deeper truths too profound for easy explanations, and therefore expressed through symbol and poetry. As is so often the case we make use of the Zed Tree, examining some of the aspects of the mythic realm through that method."
He sketched out a diagram for them to examine.
"Now this is by no means the only possible version, and other versions of this Zed Tree have in fact been created. But this should give you an idea of our examination of ethics.
"A mythic exemplar is a figure from mythology, whose deeds, decisions and way of being can be incarnated in our lives. There are a great many mythic exemplars- so many, in fact, that they could never be numbered- so this list should certainly not be considered complete. But if you will examine the second line of the Zed Tree, you will see that the two aspects we are primarily considering here are Courage and Wisdom, which might be considered the two most essential qualities in the life we lead. Now the exoteric aspect of courage could be named as the Warrior, while the esoteric aspect is the Outlaw- two familiar figures from many legends. The exoteric aspect of Wisdom could be named as the Sage, indicating that wisdom which is within and in service to the community. And the esoteric aspect could be described as the Outsider, referring to those types of knowledge and power that are expressed on the fringes of the community or even outside it.
"The exoteric aspect of the Warrior could be named as the Hero, the outright and simplest expression of the heroic ideal. The esoteric aspect is the Warrior Poet, a hero who exemplifies certain aspects of the Sage or Outsider.
"The exoteric aspect of the Outlaw is the Heroic Bandit, such characters as the famous Darinat of Tol Perul, who supposedly so impressed the knight Corayidin that the latter actually refused to fulfill his commission, living the remainder of his life in exile as a result. And the esoteric aspect might be named the Berserker, referring to those reavers and pillagers who stand utterly outside established society.
"The exoteric aspect of the Sage could be named as the Philosopher, the wise man or wise woman who gives counsel in time of need. And the esoteric aspect might be the Mystic, the almost deranged prophet or visionary on an inward journey.
"The exoteric aspect of the Outsider could be named as the Hermit, a sage or wise man who has withdrawn from society. And the esoteric aspect can be referred to as the Sorcerer, whose pursuit of forbidden wisdom lies outside the world of humankind.
"As you can see, these are all characters who appear frequently in mythology. And various aspects of our decisions might incarnate any of them. Bearing in mind that when we decide what myths to live by, we decide who we are, the student is encouraged to ponder these aspects in the light of his or her own decisions. One way of doing this is as a Mythorealist Meditation, examining a particular situation as if it was destined to become a myth or a legend. What is the path of wisdom in this situation and what is the path of courage? What would the Philosopher counsel and the Mystic prophesy? What dangers would the Hermit warn of? What delusions and enchantments would the Sorcerer seek to ensnare you with? What would be the Heroic course of action? What would the Berserker do in the same scenario?
"The goal is to form a broad view of the situation by considering multiple aspects, as is always the case with the Zed Tree. But this is only one way of approaching such issues, not the only one. Every level of the Zed Tree is identical to every other level, so the fundamental nature of any particular question is contained in the second level just as much as the fourth. The second level of any Zed Tree contains two elements, in this case Courage and Wisdom. The Balance of Forces is about manifesting both of them.
"Another Zed Tree could be created to describe the concept of ethics in general, the various ethical systems that have been developed and acknowledged throughout our history. And here one would probably decide to divide the second level into Strength and Compassion, for Strength and Compassion are the essential elements of every ethical system I can think of. The ethical systems of the empire do not vary in this essential fact, only in the emphasis they give to the elements in question.
"The Yail Monks of Poreta are on the extreme side of emphasizing Compassion, at least as far as their official doctrine is concerned. They eat no meat and commit no violence; not even in defense of others or of their own lives. When offered any violence they meekly endure it, believing it a far greater evil to cause suffering than to experience it. Some members of the Yail Brotherhood, however, engage in nonviolent resistance to evil- non-cooperation, as they call it. Their actions combine strength with compassion, creating a balance.
"They are also known for doing deeds of charity, applying their compassion in the world by helping others. And a very small minority of them seek actively to prevent evil, by means of force if necessary. These are all aspects of their ethic of Compassion.
"The ethic of Strength can be subdivided into two aspects, of which one is raw force, or Might, while the other is Protection. Might taken to its greatest extreme is the ethic of Conquest, the glorification of militarism and war. The philosopher Garridan is the most famous proponent of this, with his books idealizing the glory of struggle and the triumph of the human will. But there is a less extreme expression of Might, and this is the use of force for self defense, which few outside the Yail Brotherhood would find morally objectionable. As for the aspect of Protection, this can take the form either of destroying evil or protecting others from it, both of which are elements of our duty as knights.
"The core truth of all these aspects, however, can be found on any of the levels, so considering them from the standpoint of the second level is as valid as from the fourth. And here we find that, broadly speaking, there are two ethical standpoints we can take toward the world. There is the ethic of Compassion and there is the ethic of Strength, the perspective of minimizing suffering and that of valuing the will to live, which is in the last analysis a will to struggle and conquer. These might seem to be completely opposite, and indeed it would be hard to imagine two philosophies more diametrically opposed than those of Garridan and the Yail Brotherhood.
"Most of us shy instinctively away from either ethical extreme in actual life. We may admire and be deeply moved by the humility and pacifism of a Yail monk, but something tells us that there are times when one must use force, times when the only way to prevent a greater evil is through raw violence. (Historically, even the Yail monks must have agreed, for many of their temples maintained private militias.) By the same token, something in the spirit thrills upon reading Garridan, at the sheer energy and aggression of his adoration of struggle. Yet something also tells most of us that his vision is dysfunctional, that a life based on the selfish use of undiluted power could lead only to misery. The balance of the two is attained in chivalry, not in any of the specific codes as such but the general concept- the way of life that is referred to as martial virtue.
"This third way is the Balance of Forces of the other two. It is, in fact, a more mature, flexible and realistic conception of ethics than the other two, and it retains the advantages of both, which is a little ironic as it is so often considered by those outside our Orders to be the epitome of unrealistic romanticism. The Code we follow in the Wayfarer's Order sets out the need for ethical balance, a refutation of either ethical extreme: I will defend all weakness, wherever I find it, showing weakness to those who are weak, but strength to the strong.
"This is the principle our students study in the fourth year of the Martial Virtue course, seeking to internalize it and understand it deeply. Weakness to the weak, and strength to the strong. Here, strength and gentleness are combined in one, and each virtue is applied to its proper circumstance. When it is time to be gentle then our knights are gentle, but their potential for courage remains within, as a balance and a watchdog. And when it is time to be strong, then our knights are strong- ruthless, even, when they have to be. But their compassion remains inside, guiding their courage and protecting it from any excess. It is the Balance of Forces."
"This is all very interesting," said Hargon dryly. "Perhaps a little too interesting, when you consider the context. Your exposition of systems of morality and honor was a thorough one, but you neglected to mention the fact that you yourself are a rebel, a heretic in defiance of your own community. So how can you speak of honor in the first place?"
"Indeed," said Tarleg. "I agree with my colleague. No man has the luxury of a private conscience, or at least not of a merely private conscience. Honor is not a matter of personal opinion. We celebrate those knights who disregarded their pride, submitting to the law of duty with their heads bowed. The fate of all men is to bend the knee, but he who surrenders to God willingly need never taste defeat. To create your own Order and your own curriculum, turning your back on the community that taught you- there is no honor in this."
Tres Fay'el stifled a laugh, an expression of incredulity on her face.
"Did you have something to add?" asked Hargon coldly.
"No disrespect is intended," she said, "But this is all very foreign to me. The Gerrec Republic is a democratic society, and all this talk of submission would seem bizarre to my countrymen. The life of the community is important, yes, and we do have our own conception of duty- but we value the individual. On Gerrec it would never be considered dishonorable to go your own way."
"You must understand," said Den'ma tolerantly, "The empire of which we are citizens is an ancient one, and our culture has been continuous since the time of the Commonwealth. So much has been passed down to us from so many centuries, that we of the empire have an affinity for the past, a special reverence for anything old. New ideas are obliged to prove themselves, which is not to say that we reject them outright. It is simply that we must be convinced of their worth."
"And in some cases, of their lack of worth," said Fennec. "The Infernal School of poetry was eventually accepted, despite its early suppression by the Zu emperors. But the Forbidden Science remains forbidden, and the passage of many centuries has not changed that fact. The movement to which Jian subscribes has been developing for many years, forming together into a coherent whole from several once-disparate parts. It is now in a time of transition, seeking a foothold amongst the mandarin class from which it may spread throughout imperial society. As such, my duty today is a grave one. If the Department of Militant Orders should grant official approval to the Wayfarers, then in some measure this will be seen as an approval of Mythorealism, removing the taint of heresy and imperial displeasure. I am fully empowered by His Majesty to make this decision, but it is certainly not a decision to be taken lightly. If my decision should be made in your favor, are there any plans to expand your concepts beyond the halls of the Wayfarer's Institute?"
This was obviously a significant question, and perhaps a dangerous one. Even if she was on the verge of granting official approval, that decision might be reversed in an instant if Jian's answer was unsatisfactory. It was one thing to grant approval to an elite if eccentric Militant Order. It was another thing entirely to approve of the dissemination of unorthodox ideas to society at large.
But Jian did not choose to play it safe.
"The phrase 'warrior-poet' has been proverbial from ancient times, and while laughable when used as a mere cliche, it contains a profound insight. The world we live in is a world of struggle, and war in one form or another is our natural condition here. But this is also a world of beauty, a world of poetry. Let us master both then, and be fully alive, competent both with conflict and harmony, dark and light.
"This is a myth, of course, or a Mythic Exemplar- the legend of the swordsman and artist, the warrior-poet. When myth incarnates in the waking world- that is the definition of Mythorealism. There are many myths that we might incarnate, some heroic and some monstrous. Some are even heroic and monstrous at the same time. Without falling prey to romanticism or idealizing violence, we work to incarnate this particular myth and live better lives in doing so.
"The method of the Wayfarer's Institute is for Imperial Knights, but its advantages are not restricted to them. I would eventually like to see it expanded, with the creation of a Mythorealist Academy to which any citizen can apply, even those with no connection to the mandarin class. The particular curriculum would of course be different, perhaps something along these lines."
He sketched out a diagram.
"Each of these aspects would be further subdivided, including various specific subjects:
Self Defense:
Arts and Music:
Maths and Sciences:
Poetry and Philosophy:
Logic and Debate:
Myth and History:
"We have received a number of requests already for such a program, but no separate school has yet been created- the Wayfarer's Institute alone is an epic task for one lifetime. What we have been suggesting for the time being is private study, consisting of a combination of learning and practice. The student should seek instruction in and practice the following:
"He should, at the same time, study the remaining aspects, reading a book on each subject until the list is complete, and then starting again at the beginning of the list and repeating the process as many times as desired:
"When I say that the student should read books about Martial Virtue, I am referring to the traditional books on that topic that have been passed down by great warriors of the past, such as the Faces of Chivalry of Cor Harmadien, or the Grim Sisters' own Notes on the Path of War.
"The idea of these study lists is the same as that of the Wayfarer's Institute- to create students who exemplify the Balance of Forces, men and women who are familiar with art and music, comfortable with philosophical issues and critical thought, and competent to defend themselves or others in times of need. Well-rounded, complete human beings who are alive and awake."
"You are... a bold man, Jian," said the Grim Sister quietly. It was impossible to tell from the tone of her voice if this was a compliment or a condemnation.
"I thank you, your eminence," he replied. "But I am not yet finished. My colleagues Hargon of the Sworn Brothers and Tarleg of the Stern Companions raised a question, an issue which may appear bizarre to the honored ambassador, but which I consider entirely legitimate. The issue of public morality and private morality, or how far a man may go in critiquing or defying his community, is an important one. I beg your leave to reply to them."
"Very well," she said. "But remember this- everything you say here will bear on my decision. Even if I am inclined to think well of your Institute, any expression of a radical nature might be very much against your interests."
"I am confident in your eminence's judgement," he replied.
"Moral validity is not as simple a matter as my colleagues have presented it," he went on, "But is actually one of the most vexing problems we face in this life. Most of us feel very strongly that certain things are morally right and others wrong, and we tend to assume a universal validity for these moral intuitions. That there is no rational basis for such an assumption is easily shown, as people raised in different cultures will have entirely different moral intuitions and be equally convinced of their universal validity.
"For instance, a person raised within the mandarin class will be likely to believe that it is wrong to kill a man because his brother stole something from you. However, a person raised among the Vodlani people might very well feel morally obligated to kill a man because that man’s brother has stolen something from him. So where do these conflicting moral assumptions derive from, and do any of them have any validity? Should we generally obey the moral assumptions of our own society, and if so, why? Are there circumstances in which we should not? What should our attitude be toward the moral assumptions of others? Is it ever valid to refuse to tolerate them, and if so, on what basis?
"Individuals, families, communities, cultures and nations all share three things in common- they seek to survive, to perpetuate themselves, and to thrive, usually in that order of priority. A man in a desert climate will meet his need for survival best by adapting himself to his environment, resting when necessary and avoiding hard work in the hottest part of the day, while a man who lives in primitive conditions in a mountainous environment will be obliged by his circumstances to spend many hours of the day laying firewood aside in preparation for the winter. The problems they face are different, and their solutions are necessarily different as well. Similarly, every social group in the empire and beyond it possesses a local culture formed in response to its local needs and problems. The social group will develop expectations for its individual members that maximize its own ability to survive and perpetuate itself. At the bare minimum, these expectations will allow the group to go on. Ideally, they will also allow the individual members of the group the highest possible degree of personal satisfaction, fulfillment, happiness and so forth- in other words, to thrive as human beings. In any case, each member of the group is raised with these expectations from birth, as variously interpreted by their respective caregivers- for no two families share precisely the same culture. As these group expectations are modeled and taught to us from the earliest age, they form one of the most fundamental layers of our personality- a layer so fundamental it appears self-evident, causing us to think of it as our moral intuition or instinctive sense of right and wrong. In other words, our 'moral intuitions' are actually the core values of our society, the set of expectations without which our social group could not survive. As no two social groups share exactly the same history and circumstances, no two social groups share exactly the same morality.
"The empire is made up of a tremendous number of social groups, and within any group there are innumerable smaller groups, some of which overlap while others do not. For instance, the same person may be a military officer, a member of the mandarin class, an inhabitant of a certain planet, a member of a certain family, and a native of a particular city. Each of these groups will have a set of expectations of its own, none of which will be exactly the same as the others. Each group seeks to survive and perpetuate itself. The inevitable result of this is ethical tension between the conflicting expectations of the various groups. For instance, in the example given, the soldier might be expected to come home for the Feast of All Hosts by his wife and children, but his commanding officers may expect him to remain on base. If he decides to obey orders and remain on base, he is likely to feel guilty for disappointing his wife and children. Guilt, therefore, is the emotional discomfort caused by the sense that one has violated a group expectation. It is also possible that his wife and children will not be understanding of the position he is in, leading to a family argument. Conflict is frequently caused by the contradictory expectations of different social contexts. If, on the other hand, he disregards his orders and goes home without leave, there will be consequences in the form of punishment from his military superiors. Social groups maintain their cohesion by punishing those who violate their expectations.
"Apparent moral universals are largely practical in nature. In most cultures it is a violation of group expectations to murder one’s neighbors. It would obviously be very difficult for any of us to survive and lead satisfying lives if we were in constant danger of being murdered by everyone else. Therefore most cultures make the commandment against murder a fundamental moral principle. However, nearly every culture accepts certain circumstances where this law does not apply- where it may be acceptable or even praiseworthy to kill someone. The precise circumstances will vary widely based on local conditions, but the underlying reason remains the same, which is the ability of the group to function and perpetuate itself.
"The validity of my moral intuition is in the survival of the social group of which I am a member. My conscience tells me that something is wrong because the experience of my society has shown that such a behavior would contribute negatively to its long-term survival. Therefore, while I may be intellectually aware that my moral intuitions would be different if I had been raised in a different culture, that is irrelevant because the morality of any other culture would have been shaped by different local circumstances and history and would therefore necessarily be different. If we wish for our family, community, culture and nation to survive and thrive, our default position must be to obey the demands of our conscience to the best of our ability. In the absence of a compelling reason to do otherwise, we have a practical obligation to trust our moral intuition.
"However, is there a basis on which we may legitimately critique the moral assumptions of our own community? I believe there is. If the goal of the both the individual and the social group is to survive, to perpetuate and to thrive, then the moral assumptions of our social group are legitimately open to criticism on those grounds. For instance, if my society considers it morally acceptable to drink excessive amounts of alcohol, but I can show that the result of this will be a large increase in fatal accidents of various kinds, then my criticism is a valid one because the prevailing ethic contributes negatively to group survival. I will have demonstrated that the prevailing ethic is dysfunctional from a survival standpoint.
"My society might consider it morally unacceptable to be homosexual because homosexuals do not reproduce and are therefore perceived as leading an 'unnatural' lifestyle- which is in fact the doctrine of the Koyaptic Church, and widely believed in areas of the empire where that sect predominates. If I can demonstrate that it is part of the natural order of things for a certain percentage of every generation to be homosexual and not to reproduce, and that it does not harm the ability of the group as a whole to perpetuate itself, then my society may change its judgment over time. I will have demonstrated that the prevailing ethic was unnecessarily restrictive.
"My society may consider it morally acceptable to hold slaves, as some of the systems of the Commonwealth did before their incorporation into the empire. If I can argue that a slave-holding society allows a small percentage at the top to thrive, but only at the expense of the great majority who are not allowed to thrive, then I will once again have demonstrated that the prevailing ethic is dysfunctional.
"Within the framework of a larger culture, there are always a large number of partially overlapping subcultures, each with its own set of expectations. For instance, a Suali-speaking imperial citizen of the Koyaptic faith will be a member of both the overall imperial culture, the subculture of his Suali-speaking community, and the subculture of his Koyaptic faith. Note that some of these contexts are present from birth and some are a matter of voluntary association.
"Furthermore, even those which are present from birth are subject to a certain extent to voluntary association. The person in our example did not choose to be born in the empire or to be raised as a Koyaptic and a Suali speaker. He can choose, if he wishes, to adopt Poretan as his primary language, move away from his home system, and become a Yailist, all of which involve a deliberate change of ethical allegiance- they would all involve the rejection of a particular set of values and their replacement by another. As guilt is the feeling of discomfort caused by the sense that one has violated a group expectation, it is likely that any such change of allegiance would be psychologically traumatic, but it is possible. It is likely, however, to be only partially successful. Raised with a certain set of moral assumptions from birth, such a person would be unlikely to ever leave them completely behind, or even to be fully conscious of which aspects of his world-view remained the same even after his change of allegiance.
"Some subcultures are more obviously a matter of voluntary association, and these usually involve a moral critique of the dominant culture and its values. For this reason such subcultures are often referred to as countercultures. Because one’s participation in a counterculture is voluntary, it can be engaged in to a greater or lesser degree, and for a longer or shorter period of time.
"With all of the different subcultures and countercultures existing as part of a particular culture, some level of tension and conflict is inevitable. If the culture as a whole is to survive, perpetuate itself and thrive, it must develop a method for resolving this tension. Its options are generally two:
"The subculture also has two options, which are mirrors of the two above.
"In other words, peace or war. Totalitarian, homogenous cultures choose option one, ruthlessly destroying all alternative communities within their midst- and, by extension, the rival moral systems they represent. This can take the form of the suppression of countercultures, the suppression or destruction of minority ethnic communities, the insistence that all the members of the broader culture speak only one language, and so on. Our own empire has gone through such convulsions from time to time, although generally speaking such a spirit is contrary to our established traditions.
"Each of these rival moral systems, after all, is in effect a critique, a different way to survive, perpetuate and thrive. In such a war, the advantages are all with the dominant culture, though subcultures can be surprisingly resilient and difficult to eradicate. Pluralistic cultures have generally come to a consensus that allowing a broader range of cultural and ethical expression is beneficial to the culture as a whole, and that tolerance of different views is in itself a moral value- in other words that it makes the society more functional. This is the spirit encouraged by His Imperial Majesty, who reigns over countless thousands of cultures in such a way that nearly all may thrive.
"Subcultures that choose the first option may do so for reasons that are ideological, predatory or both. For example, the Deification Faction began as a thorough critique of the dominant culture and its values, a critique so all-encompassing that the conflict between the two became quite bitter, approaching a state of actual war with the Ghovin Bridge Incident. The counterculture was unwilling to tolerate the dominant culture in its existing form, and the dominant culture was unwilling to make the radical changes that were demanded. The resources of the dominant culture were of course far greater, and its use of force against the counterculture was more decisive than the ineffective bombing campaign that the most extreme faction within the counterculture could mount in response. However, neither side achieved total victory. Some of the demands of the counterculture convinced the majority, leading to changes in the core values of the society, but as a whole the values of the Deification Faction were not adopted en masse. The remnant of the Deification Faction abandoned option one, in effect backing away from any serious attempt to force a radical change. Those who still adhere to that faction are now a subculture more than a true counterculture- they exist as an alternative but do not threaten the mainstream. If they had chosen otherwise they would have been destroyed. More or less the same thing usually happens with any political counterculture- if its revolutionary goals are not achieved, the counterculture can only survive and perpetuate itself by switching to option 2, existing as an unthreatening alternative option.
"An example of a predatory subculture would be the Shining Door. What began as a local adaptation to the particular problems of the Praqiri minority in its various ghettoes, became a parasitical and predatory subculture, perpetually in a state of war with the larger society. Members of the Shining Door refer to themselves as soldiers, reflecting their own awareness of this state of affairs. For a young man growing up in a Praqiri ghetto, the values of the Shining Door are the normative values- they aren’t perceived as inherently 'criminal.' Within this subculture there are the expectations one would expect to find in any social group, the most obvious being the code of silence. The phrase 'honor among thieves' reflects this reality. It’s not that outlaws are particularly honorable by any means, only that the underworld is a society with its own norms and expectations, its own conception of moral behavior. The distinction is that the outlaw world is at war with the mainstream world, living off it parasitically by preying on its weaknesses, with at most a limited conception of a shared social contract to which both the outlaws and the mainstream world belong.
"In theory such a small group, self-consciously at war with the world, could not survive. The dominant culture has all the power and resources, and when it chooses to bring them to bear it cannot be resisted. But in practice the situation is more complex. Groups such as the Shining Door fill an economic niche in the black economy- meeting needs that are not socially acceptable but are nonetheless compelling, such as drugs and gambling and pornography. There has probably never been a society without such needs, and so the defiant subculture exists in a twilight state of semi-tolerance indefinitely.
"When it grows too powerful, the state suppresses it, as in the many successful prosecutions of the Shadowlords in the past ten years. When the sense of a threat recedes, the suppression recedes as well, and the gangsters are able to grow and thrive again till they get too powerful, till they threaten the survival of the larger society in some way- at which point they are suppressed again.
"But there are those who are ethically uncomfortable with the suppression of such criminal subcultures, pointing out that the members of the Shining Door are almost invariable enculturated to believe that their actions are normative. How, then, can they be held morally accountable for their actions?
"Moral accountability, however, is only an abstract question in the minds of philosophers. In practical terms it is ruthlessly pragmatic. The standard the dominant society generally applies is based on a simple question- can we afford to tolerate this or not?
"In other words, while a member of the Shining Door might be behaving 'ethically' by the local standards of his alienated group, those standards put his group in a state of perpetual war with the entire rest of the human race. As such, the human race can not afford to tolerate them. A subculture is tolerated only with the implicit condition that it not threaten the survival of the dominant culture.
"The exact same standard applies to individuals. If you choose to defy your society’s taboo against adultery, then people might disapprove of you. You might be ostracized, and your life might be made difficult. In such a society, adultery is seen as a threat to group cohesion and survival, to the extent that society will impose consequences on those who defy the taboo. In another society, adultery might be taken much more seriously, as a threat on the most fundamental level- and such a society will impose the death penalty, or might tolerate your murder by the outraged husband. Another society might be so structured that adultery isn’t seen as much of a threat, and the social consequences are few or ineffective. Another society might not even expect monogamy in the first place. The level of consequence for defying the expectations of the group is directly related to how much the group feels that it can afford to tolerate the dissenter.
"So, what is the specific basis for making the decision to tolerate or not to tolerate? In a world in which no two people will share exactly the same morality (each having been shaped by a slightly different combination of expectations and influences), when am I justified or required to say No?
"Obviously when we do not all share exactly the same values, it is in the interest of everyone for us to tolerate each other if possible. No matter what our different cultures and our different values, we’d all prefer not to suffer loss and oppression. Therefore tolerance is a universal moral value insofar as it is pragmatically possible.
"The men we hunt are genuine predators. With very few exceptions, the man who finds himself on our wanted posters is a man who shares no values in common with the society of which he is a member, existing in a state of war with the rest of his people. Such a person has chosen Option 1 in his attitude to society, and society is pragmatically justified in choosing Option 1 in response. The perspective of valuing pluralism and tolerance above everything else ignores the practical consideration that tolerance pre-supposes a mutual agreement to choose peace instead of war. He who exists in a state of war with me must pay the price, for if I choose not to respond in kind, I will be destroyed.
"Therefore, when dealing with the conflicting moral assumptions of others, I must ask myself the following questions:
"We think of other people or societies as immoral if they do not share our values. But if your neighbor’s moral opinions are different from yours in such a way that they do not greatly impact your ability to survive and thrive, then you can afford to simply think of him as immoral and ignore him. If they effect your ability to survive and thrive to such an extent that the quality of your life would be improved by minimizing contact with him, then you can choose to make it clear that you think he’s dead wrong or even to ostracize him. This is not morally intolerant of you, or excessively judgmental. It’s a survival tactic appropriate to the level of threat he represents. However, you still may not burn his house down. It is only if his values are so different from yours that you cannot survive or thrive without fighting him that you are justified in doing so. For instance, if he believes it’s morally acceptable to burn your house down, and you catch him in the act of trying to do so, then you are justified in using force to prevent him. If he thinks it’s morally acceptable to attack old ladies, and you can step in and prevent him from doing so, then you are morally obligated to take that action- because in a society that tolerated such crimes, no one could ever be safe for long.
"The same standard applies between social groups, and between nations. Murderers within a society are not tolerated because none of us could possibly be safe if they were.
"What my view amounts to is a pragmatic moral relativism, which is to say a strictly limited moral relativism. I believe our first assumption should be that other cultures have developed the moral codes that they have for a reason. Their views of right and wrong represent a balance that allows their culture to survive, perpetuate itself, and thrive- all within the context of their specific history and circumstances. There are some circumstances in which the morality of another culture may be criticized, but if we simply apply the moral assumptions of our own culture we will in effect only be lying to ourselves, pretending they couldn’t do the same thing to us. When 'We’re right because our God says so' is the rallying cry of both sides, then both sides are fools or scoundrels. All too frequently that line is simply a cover for a totally different underlying motivation- namely, 'We’re going to attack you and exploit you because we think we can get away with it.'
"Local moralities will always represent a balance between the different group expectations in that particular area, but the balance should in theory add up to a functional society- one which can at the very minimum survive and perpetuate itself, and ideally one in which the members can thrive as human beings. For instance, a warrior society based on feuding autonomous clans might consider it morally right to steal livestock from an opposing clan in order to add to the herds of one’s own clan. While a visiting foreigner may be morally shocked because he was raised with the belief that 'stealing is wrong,' it is important to realize that cattle raiding is not morally categorized as stealing by the group he is visiting. While he sees their actions as stealing, they might consider his refusal to provide additional wealth for his family in this way as cowardice. There would be no objective basis for either assumption.
"So on what grounds are we justified in morally critiquing another culture or subculture without intellectual dishonesty? If we can present a logically defensible case that their customs have a negative affect on their ability to survive, perpetuate their culture and thrive as human beings.
"And on what grounds are we morally justified in forcefully refusing to tolerate another society? We must apply the same basis that we would to another individual. If their values are so different from yours that you cannot survive without fighting them, then you must fight them. Otherwise you must tolerate them, and if you think that there should be changes in their society then you must seek to persuade them peacefully.
"It is not always a black and white matter to make such distinctions. For instance, it may not seem to directly affect my own survival if a culture on the other side of the empire commits genocide on its neighbors and practices child sexual slavery. However, just as my own society prosecutes murderers in orders to protect every individual member of my society, imperial society is beginning to develop a consensus that some things should not be tolerated anywhere. The mere fact of their toleration would present a real threat to every culture, and by extension to the individual members of every culture.
"The slow expansion of a sense of moral duty beyond the immediate group is one of the most fundamental and positive changes in human history. Great thinkers throughout our history have proposed a universal morality for all humanity, based on the idea that we should treat all of our fellow human beings with the same compassion and empathy we would like to be treated with. The proper mode of appeal for such a universal morality must be persuasion- we must be convinced that we would all be better able to survive and thrive by adopting this morality. To attempt to persuade us by violent force is a ridiculous contradiction, which perhaps explains the glacially slow progress of such a concept. In the meantime, intellectual clarity will help us make better moral decisions on the pragmatic basis I have outlined- the basis I believe people generally already use, but without the clarity needed to do it well.
"There is a Balance of Forces at work here. The individual who chooses to reject or critique some aspect of his community's values must do so in such a way that he never forgets the needs of that society. He must put the community first in his heart even while he is defying it, and seeking to correct its errors through his actions. But the community which places taboos and restrictions on its members (as all communities do), must keep the worth and dignity of every individual member of that community uppermost. It must place only those restrictions on its members as are absolutely necessary for them to survive and thrive, within whatever conditions and traditions have shaped that society.
"The Wayfarer's Order is, in some senses, a counterculture. It was created as an alternative to the other Orders of the knighthood, a place for another set of values to be tested and perpetuated. I have striven in every step along the way to fulfill my duty as an individual- maintaining the interests of the empire and my community as my priority, even while I present an alternative to established ideologies. If you believe, after everything I have said, that the Wayfarers are a threat to the empire, then by all means make the decision you have to make and I will not object. But if you believe that the empire can afford to tolerate us, can allow us to do our duty as we believe it should be done, then I ask you to approve us.
"I thank you for your indulgence. That is all I have to say."
Tarleg's hand strayed down to his belt, the instinctive gesture of a trained swordsman in a moment of tension. Jian pushed his chair back a little as if to ready himself for action. Fennec Ataryul lowered her gaze, staring at the table in front of her as if it held some answers.
Hargon's hands were beneath the table.
"You are a most articulate young man," said Den'ma, "And a far more confident man than you were before, when we discussed poetry once in this same house. Although that was a happier occasion, I want you to know- whatever decision is made tonight, you have my respect."
Jian nodded so deeply in response that it was almost a bow.
"I agree," said Tres Fay'el, "Your exposition has been most interesting. I believe it may hold great potential."
"Thank you," said Jian.
Fennec looked up. "I am sorry to have been somewhat less than forthright," she said, "But I was acting under the Imperial Seal. My specific orders were to examine your words for any hint of treason, and to order your exile if such should be the case. But in the event of finding you to be a loyal subject and your system of education to be a sound one, my orders were otherwise. The matter is thus: His Majesty wishes to learn all he can of what you have to teach, and to see that his son is educated according to your principles. You are hereby officially invited to assume the post of Imperial Tutor, leaving one of your subordinates to supervise your Institute. Take care before you accept or decline- such an appointment is for life."
Tarleg jumped to his feet, and his chair fell away, and Jian stood up a moment after him, his eyes blazing for battle. The Stern Companion's hand was on his sword hilt, but the look on Jian's face was so intense that he paused.
"Consider your next actions very carefully," said Fennec. Hargon moved so quickly he seemed almost to be made of light, his left hand streaking toward Jian's throat. But Fennec's response was not even visible. She was in her seat one moment and out of it the next, her hand clutching Hargon's wrist and immobilizing it with a nerve pinch. The Sworn Brother was holding a dagger. Fennec squeezed her hand and it dropped from his fingers, clattering on the table with an ugly noise. Tarleg sat back down in a hurry.
"This is unacceptable behavior for a guest," said Den'ma.
"It is treason," said Fennec, "And will be punished accordingly. Speak quickly, fool, or be put to the question. What prompted this treacherous attack?"
"The honor of my Order," he said, "Which this heretic betrayed. I demand my right to Trial by Combat."
Fennec didn't seem to know what to say. She let go of his wrist and stepped back a pace.
"This is not a trial," said Den'ma, "And no serving judge is presiding."
"You yourself are a magistrate."
"I am retired."
"If your eminence would consent to allow me to fight him, I will be glad to waive all charges," said Jian.
"The charges are not yours to waive," said Fennec. "But still... it might be better if this matter was kept quiet. His Majesty would find a public trial inconvenient, and the Sworn Brothers would be in a most delicate position."
"I will second my colleague," said Tarleg, "If a second can be found for Jian."
"I will second Jian myself."
No one dared to question the Grim Sister. Her actions in response to the attack had been terrifyingly fast, and her body language seemed almost electric.
"The matter may be concluded in my courtyard," said Den'ma.
Both men were stripped to the waist as custom demanded. Their dress swords gleamed like icicles in the moonlight. Hargon was furious- cold as his steel and self-controlled, but still clearly enraged, pacing back and forth in the courtyard and flicking his sword through the air like a whip. Jian seemed calm, but with a strange intensity, as if black depths lurked just beneath his placid surface. Fennec stood behind him and to the right. Tarleg stood behind Hargon and to the left. Den'ma and Tres Fay'el stood off to the side, watching the proceedings with resignation on their faces.
A statue of one of the Powers looked down at them from among the trees, a stone torch held in its outstretched hand. A bird cried out from somewhere nearby.
"In the sight of the Void and the Powers, you may begin," said Den'ma, using the ritualistic phrase of a formal Trial by Combat. The Tene Dynasty ruled the most powerful empire in the known universe, a single nation state that controlled a thousand star systems. But the custom of the judicial duel had never been abolished, and the preferred weapon for such combats was still the sword. The completely impractical nature of the weapon made it perfect for such an occasion, as it emphasized the separation of the event from normal reality, its existence outside of time and space.
Jian came on guard and Hargon charged, unleashing a fury of attacks as he closed the distance, his blade glittering as if it was made of starlight. The younger man parried, retreating before the onslaught and keeping himself covered, but making no immediate attempt to counterattack. The Sworn Brother paused, breathing heavily and lowering his weapon a little. Jian attacked.
His blade jumped across the open space like an attacking snake, but Hargon's apparent weariness was only a ruse. He slipped the blow neatly and cut again as the blade passed by, his own weapon arcing straight toward Jian's neck.
The Wayfarer dropped, a fall so abrupt that Tres Fay'el cried out, but he was not wounded- he was attacking. Hargon's weapon cut empty air a few feet above his head, and Jian launched a precise cut at his enemy's hamstring, seeking to cripple him with a single blow. But his opponent was as expert as he. To the surprise and amazement of all the onlookers, Hargon jumped three feet in the air, evading the cut completely and landing unharmed. Both men faced each other and took up stances. Hargon took a sloping guard with the blade extended in front of him, while Jian stood in the first manifestation- a low inside, his hand to the left and his point to the right, with his right leg off the ground and against his shin, and his left hand supporting his left arm.
Hargon attacked. From the sloping guard his most obvious target was the inside line, but Jian countered to the wrist with a swooping cut. Both blades shot harmlessly past each other- a clean miss on both sides. Hargon thrust and Jian parried. What happened next was a surprise to everyone. Jian stepped forward as soon as he parried, wrapping his left arm around his opponent's blade from underneath, jerking the sword down to his hip with a wrenching motion and sticking the point of his weapon in Hargon's face.
"Your life is mine, sir," he said.
The man sank to his knees.
"What will happen to Hargon?" Jian asked. "He was a brave knight with many years of loyal service. I wouldn't wish to see him harmed."
He was walking with Den'ma through the gardens, in which a light snow was falling. The ice crunched beneath their feet.
"He will be sent into exile," Den'ma said. "There will be another gathering at my house very soon- a gathering I have been asked to preside over."
"A Ship of Fools?"
"I'm afraid so. They will be sent off to colonize a very distant planet, a place far enough away that they cannot possibly annoy His Majesty."
He was smiling a little.
"Who are the others?" asked Jian.
"Political radicals, for the most part. His Majesty has an experiment in mind. You should ask him about it."
"I never wanted to be the Imperial Tutor. My only wish was to found the Wayfarer's Order and see it thrive."
"It is not about what we want," said Den'ma, "But where we are called. You have been called up from on high, which is perhaps unfortunate. But if you do not accept the call, then another will. And he may not be what you would wish him to be."
"I will do my duty."
"I'm sure you will," said Den'ma. "But that's not why I asked you to walk with me. You see that tree over there?"
Jian nodded. It was an exotic species from some other planet, with leaves that seemed both gold and silver at the same time, and it looked perfectly healthy despite the cold.
"I've been meaning to write a poem about it," said Den'ma. "But I can't quite get the second verse right. Perhaps a literary allusion of some kind..."
"Might I suggest a reference to Chai Meriyed," said Jian, "His Statue With Two Faces?"
Den'ma nodded. The two men walked off among the trees, discussing poetry.