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CHAPTER 5 - FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH

"No!"

"I was only..."

"No!"

"Could you just..."

"No!"

"How about we..."

"No!"

Max sat back in his wooden chair, silently pondering the wolf-man opposite him.

"I see we need to work on our discussion skills, don't we?" He said, after a few moments. "In case you didn't know, a civilised conversation is more than just you flatly disagreeing with everything I try to say."

"But I know what you're going to say." Draig pointed out. "By disagreeing before you say it, I simply save time."

"You're just being stubborn." Said Max.

"So what if I am?" Draig grumbled.

"Look, just have some chocolate!" Max said.

"No!"

Max picked up a piece of chocolate for himself and popped it in his mouth. It tasted a lot better than any of its like back on Earth.

He had to admit it was a nice place they found themselves in. It was warm and sunny, and the city they'd arrived in was very pleasant and beautiful, tall buildings and spires of gleaming steel and white stone.

They were currently sat at a table of an open-air cafe on a wide market street lined with tall trees. They'd arrived on this world a few hours before, but had received nothing but warm greetings and friendly smiles from the natives.

The natives of this particular world were a race of humanoid, bear-like creatures, all with short brown fur. Clothing among these beings seemed to be kept to a minimum, loincloths or shorts were the most many of them seemed to wear.

But anyway, it was always a pleasure to find somewhere nice.

When they'd arrived at the cafe, the waiter had recommended they try the local chocolate, it being a delicacy. Max had accepted. Draig had refused outright and Max had no idea why.

"Just try some." Max tried again. "It's not as if its going to cause trouble, or anything."

"You'd be surprised." Draig mumbled.

"Oh, come on." Said Max, innocently. "It's not like we get into trouble a lot."

Draig simply glared at him.

"I'm serious." Said Max.

"What about Granal Trakai?" Said Draig.

"That was four worlds ago, that hardly counts!" Max protested. "Besides, just one incident..."

"Then there were those fire-worshipping religious fanatics you just had to criticise." The wolf-man continued. "I still can't believe we got out of there okay."

"Well..."

"And there were also those singing animals on that jungle world." Draig was saying. "The ones you thought looked so amazing but turned out to be both vicious and carnivorous. And the less said about the sabre-toothed rabbits, the better."

"Okay, you've made your point." Max sighed. "I just can't understand why you don't like chocolate."

"It's... personal." Draig grumbled, looking away.

Max frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The wolf-man didn't answer.

"You're not... afraid of the stuff, are you?" Said Max, carefully.

"No, I am not!" Draig growled in protest at such an idea.

"Okay, then. What is it?" Said Max.

"It's embarrassing." Said Draig.

"Hey, I'm your friend." Said Max, seriously. "And I'm the Traveller. You can trust me."

It took a moment for Draig to speak up. "It's just that chocolate, any chocolate, has a very strong effect on my people."

"What sort of effect?" Max asked.

"You don't want to know."

"Yes, I do." said Max, firmly.

The wolf-man paused, and then spoke. "It acts as a very powerful aphrodisiac." Draig explained. "It can cause massive hormonal imbalances, leading to uncontrollable rages of a sexual nature."

Max thought about this.

"Okay." He said. "That just brought up a scary image in my mind that will haunt my darkest nightmares for many years to come. So we'll never speak of it again." He pulled the plate of chocolate pieces away from Draig. "And no chocolate for you."

"I was right, wasn't I?" Said Draig, smiling at Max's discomfort.

"About what?"

"You didn't want to know."

Max sighed. "Yes, you were right. I didn't want to know."

They lapsed into silence, enjoying the bright sunshine from the twin suns adorning the sky. Max's gaze wandered about the market street. He watched the various furry natives going about their business. He was glad they'd arrived at a place where they could relax for awhile without having to deal with danger at every turn.

"May I speak with you, Traveller? It is matter of extreme urgency."

Max sighed. So much for just relaxing. He looked up into the fur-covered face of the being standing beside him. A part of him had come to think of the locals as humanoid grizzly bears, and this one certainly looked like it.

This particular bear was about six feet tall, dressed in sandals and shorts. He had a very intense look in his eyes.

"Sure." Said Max. "If it's urgent."

Across the table from him, Draig rolled his eyes, disapproving. Max simply shrugged in response.

The bear took a chair from an empty table nearby and sat down with them.

"You are the Traveller?" Said the new arrival, an air of suspicion in his voice.

Max held up his hand, with the Traveller Device covering it. "Apparently, I am." He said. "I'm Max. This is my friend Draig. Who are you?"

"My name is Aketh." Said the bear, focusing on Max and ignoring Draig. "I need help. And all the legends say that the Traveller helps those who need help."

"Okay then." Max sighed. "What do you need help with?"

"I am the leader of a small rebel group." Aketh explained. "And I would like your help in making a protest against the oppressive local government."

Max frowned, and saw that Draig was doing likewise.

"No offence." He said. "But I look around and see a nice, pleasant place. Everyone's happy. Clean streets. No crime. I don't see any signs of oppression anywhere."

"Of course you don't." Said Aketh. "Because no one dares start any trouble, or do anything to disrupt the peace. To do so is instant death."

Max looked shocked, but allowed the bear to continue.

"At first, it didn't seem like a bad thing." Aketh went on. "Crime rates had been rising for many years, despite best efforts. So no one objected when the government took a radical step. They abolished the complicated legal system of trials and lawyers and made all crimes punishable by death. Crime virtually disappeared overnight. As you can imagine, it was a popular move."

"But then, over time, those in power began creating new laws. Some objected, but many of my people did not until it was too late, they simply placed their trust in the same government that had solved the big crime problems. It was only after the new laws started to come into effect that anyone really started objecting. It became a crime to disagree with the government. To express yourself freely. To indulge in any literature, art or music not officially sanctioned by the government."

"People started objecting. But they were breaking the law doing so, and were put to death. Almost everyone went quiet after that. Since then, every citizen has been living in fear, not risking their lives by publicly expressing their opinions."

The Traveller took all this in, doing his best to maintain a neutral expression, despite being shocked by what he was hearing. "Suppose that I should believe you," he said, carefully. "What could I do about it?"

"The legend of the Traveller is one of the few things the government has been unable to get rid of, in spite of its best attempts." Aketh explained. " If you were to stand with my rebels and I, we would gain instant credibility. We stand ready to make a public protest against the government at the local administration centre. Will you join us?"

Max remained silent, unsure how to answer. Yes, he wanted to help. But that was only if he was being told the truth here.

"Ah." Said Aketh, noticing Max's hesitation. "You don't know whether to believe me or not. For all you know, I could be the leader of a band of terrorist or anarchists, seeking credibility for the things that I do."

"It is a distinct possibility." Said Draig, suspiciously. Max nodded in agreement.

"You can check the facts for yourself." Said Aketh. "There is a public library down the street, a short distance away. Of course, everything there is written as government propaganda, but the history texts do contain the actual facts. The government is actually proud of what its done."

As the human took this in, Aketh stood. "If you decide to help us, we will be outside the administration centre in one hour. The street signs will point you in the right direction. If you choose not to help us, we will make our protest anyway."

Max looked up at the bear sharply. "Why? If what you've told me is true, you'll all be killed."

"Yes." Aketh nodded. "But we have been in hiding for years. The time has come, I feel, for us to make a stand for our beliefs, no matter how it may turn out."

"But..." Max tried to say something, to try and change his mind. He was interrupted.

"Hold your words, Traveller." Said Aketh. "I have pleaded my case to you. My decision is made. The administration centre. One hour. If you wish to help, join us there."

The bear ambled away before anything more could be said.

Max sat thoughtfully in his chair. Draig looked at him, worried.

"Please, Max, don't get us mixed up in this dispute of theirs." The wolf-man said. "I can tell from your expression that you're actually considering it."

The Traveller didn't answer. He stood silently.

"Where are you going?" Draig asked.

"To the library." Max replied. "I've got some reading to do."

The human turned and walked away, Draig hurrying to follow. The Wolven Knight's instincts were flaring up.

He could sense that nothing but trouble lay ahead of them.

* * * * * *

Max quietly closed the history book he'd been reading, his expression neutral.

"It's all true." He said to Draig. "Everything Aketh told us."

The wolf-man had been impatiently waiting nearby, staring out the window, watching the world outside. "I suspected as much." He muttered, moving to take a seat beside Max among the shelves of stacked books that made up the library.

The Wolven Knight wore a deathly serious expression. "The real question is, what do you plan to do about it?"

"I'd have thought it was obvious." Said Max. "I'm going to help Aketh. After all, I am the Traveller. I'm supposed to fight the good fight."

"Not to put to fine a point on it, human," said Draig. "But that's a load of crap and you know it. I was there when you told my grandfather that the definition of 'good' and 'right' would differ from world to world. You have no way of knowing that Aketh's cause is right for this world and its society."

"You're right." Max was forced to admit. "But there's one hell of a difference between talking about a situation like this and actually being in one."

"Granted." said Draig. "But..."

"We may not know what is 'right' from world to world." Said Max, a determined look on his face. "So we have to go by what we believe to be right. That has to be enough. Do you believe Aketh's cause is right?"

"Yes. But that's beside the point." Said Draig.

"Is it?" Said Max. "I don't think it is. I keep remembering something someone back on my world once said. All that is required for evil to triumph is for one good man to do nothing."

Max stood up. "Well, I consider myself a good man. And I'll be damned if I'm going to let evil triumph here."

The Wolven Knight looked into the human's eyes. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

The Traveller put on a weak smile. "Draig, sometimes I believe there is no solid definition of right or wrong. Just differences in personal perspective. From my perspective and yours, helping Aketh is right. Are you with me?"

The human had made a compelling argument. That much was certain. In times of indecision like this, Draig always went with his gut instincts.

"I'm with you." said Draig. "But we'd better hurry. That protest should be starting soon.

They rushed out of the library.

* * * * * *

It was all over by the time they got there.

It may have been because finding the local administration centre proved time-consuming and more difficult than anticipated. The street signs were confusing and the directions they got from locals were wildly inaccurate.

When they eventually found the right street, they broke into a run, and poured on the speed when they heard what was very likely gunfire. Ahead of them lay the administration centre, a big circular building of white stone, surrounded by an orderly garden of flowers and trees.

Suddenly the wolf-man skidded to a halt and grabbed Max's arm.

"Stop." He said, horrified. "We're too late."

The human halted and looked at what Draig had seen.

Five figures were stood in front of the administration centre. They were clad in black uniforms. They each carried a large gun-like weapon. The barrel of each of their weapons were smoking.

Covering the ground in front of them were the bodies of the protesters, all dead, riddled with bullet holes.

Max watched in shock as one of the gun-toting figures gave the nearest corpse a disgusted kick.

Guilt welled up in him, even though he knew full well he would only have been able to arrive in time to get caught in the storm of bullets that had cut down each and every one of the protesters.

For a moment, anger flared. He wanted to do something, but there was nothing to do. There was no one left for him to give his support to. Aketh and all his followers were dead.

Draig was still watching. The five murderers had exchanged their guns for flame-throwers, which they were using to burn the bodies that littered the street. The stench of burnt hair and charred flesh wafted through the air. Draig felt sick. He wanted to throw up.

He turned to Max to say something, but couldn't think of a single word. He noticed that the crystal of the Traveller Device was glowing, fully charged. He pointed this out.

The two of them left that world a few minutes later, disgusted by it. But not as much as they were disgusted by themselves for taking so long to decide to do the right thing.

To Be Continued...