The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 163

Part 24

“On the other hand, I can sure see the other side of it too. Everyone has suddenly been released from constrictive laws and the fear of death and most injury. I’m sure almost everyone has tried a few things that they wouldn’t have a year ago, and it shouldn’t be surprising that some are taking it to extremes. At the same time, they just came through a war and now they’re facing another one, against enemies who can still kill them despite their new Healing abilities, enemies so fearsome that the gods themselves are worried. They’re reminded of it all day during training, so they have to try to forget about it in their off-duty hours, and that’s a hell of a thing to try to put out of your mind. And of course, they’re all trying to find their way in an unfamiliar world that changes every day, just as we all are, and they’re probably almost as unsettled about it as you are.

“Now when I first proposed these laws at the first meeting of The Assembly, Emperor Kevim of Sming asked if he could not ban people from fornicating in their front yards in full view of the public, and I said he couldn’t ban it. But having sex is a healthy, normal and natural activity. The things you’re talking about today are not healthy, normal and natural activities, so that makes them the same as things like practical jokes and insult competitions. Those of you who are offended by them are responsible for letting everyone else know that they’re offended by them, and everyone else has the responsibility to avoid exposing you to it once they know. I’ll do everything I can to convince these people to not do these activities that would be very harmful without the spells in front of those who would be offended by it, or within public view. If they do so anyway, then they can be charged with harassment.

“But you still can’t ban it if it’s causing no harm. Period.

“The young and foolish have always risked themselves and acted like they were indestructible. Now we’re just going to have to get used to the fact that they very nearly are.

“These people are still justice-sworn, law abiding citizens, and you haven’t said they’re shirking their responsibilities, so I’m assuming they’re not.

“Now say your teenage son finishes his day of training and goes out for a while. He comes home on time, he’s unhurt and not upset in any way, and he’s a responsible lad who’s taken care of all his assigned tasks, but you suspect he’s been doing things that you disapprove of. You ask him what he’s been doing, and he gives you a little smile and says; ‘Believe me father, you really don’t want to know.’

“Now I suggest you accept that. You have the right as his guardian parent to demand that he tell you what he’s been doing. But if he then tells you; ‘I’ve been drinking whisky by the litre, jumping out of trees, and fornicating with ogres.’, and you’re offended and upset by this, it’s your fault and your problem. Try to be supportive. If you want, you can try to convince him to stop doing it, so long as you do so with respect. You can legitimately point out that it’s disgusting and that it might affect his future standing in the community, but you have no right to give him trouble for it or to use anger or authority to force or coerce him to stop. No harm, no foul, and that’s the end of it.

“As you say, right now this is all a novelty, and everyone is testing their new limits and abilities. But I can almost guarantee you that after warring with the demons, our survivors are going to be desperate for a return to a normal life, and they’ll cherish their traditions more.

“And by the way, none of us have the right to tell any woman who she can and can’t have a child with, but whoever it is, whether casual acquaintance or someone from another race, the father had better be willing to have a child with her. And he’d better know his legal responsibilities to the mother and child and be willing to fulfill them. If a married woman wants to have a child with a man other than her husband, she can either settle it with him one way or another, or he can divorce her. He may be entitled to some compensation if she swore in her wedding vows to only cleave unto him, or to only bear his children. Those who break their vows of any kind are still liable for the consequences.

“Overall, I’m absolutely sure that the benefits of what we’ve done and all the changes that are taking place will far outweigh the disadvantages. But the nexus is coming. We all knew that everything was going to change before it even started, so there’s no use in just complaining about it. We have to make it work.

“Now then, was there anything else?”

“Ah, no.” Dren stated. “And I’m sorry I lost my temper.”

“Your frustration is understandable.” Mark nodded with a smile. “Thank you for coming by. I’ll get started on trying to put a lid on all the weird behavior tonight after we eat. I look forward to seeing you all again tomorrow at The Hall.”

The rulers and their staff made their farewells and departed, and after they were gone Mark grinned and declared; “I swear; that bunch is harder to baby-sit than you kids are, and by a wide margin."

The rest of his family got a good chuckle out of that.

“You know what I find funny?” Talia asked as she and Mark decided to join the crowd, and cast themselves as thirty meter tall Simulacrums.