The Wakeful Wanderer's Guide to Disillusionment

Acquiescence

The problem of justice has haunted the Interconnected tribes. When one of our members does something so heinous that the inevitable drop in Merit and likely expulsion from our communities feels insufficient, it is natural that our thoughts turn toward revenge. The notion of Justice is deeply linked with the desire for punishment. Some tribes have attempted methods of mob retribution and the results are uniformly barbaric. Our prescribed ways are simpler than trial and prison but they will always feel less than satisfactory.

– The Wakeful Wanderer's Guide, Vol. 1, line 376

"We don't know what to do with you," Genghis admitted. "When you first arrived, we thought of fixing you up and releasing you down south at the closest Feudalist town, but then we learned more about your identity and what you did. Now, I have to be honest. Some of us want to kill you, but that's just not who we are."

"Bullshit," Barnabas spat at him. They were sitting across from one another in two antique wooden chairs with matching side tables in the living room of an old apartment building. "You're killers, just like the Raiders. I've seen you kill."

"We kill to protect ourselves when we're attacked. It would be suicide not to. We would vanish if we abandoned our defenses. But you see, you are not attacking us at the moment. Our only reason for killing you is out of a flawed notion of justice, or just because we don't know what to do with you. It's not the same." Genghis' gaze was steady and unshakable. His voice did not waver. "The point being, we can't let you go right now, knowing what you may do. We can't let you stay, knowing who you are. We don't have a prison or anything like it to hold you long enough to satisfy our notion of justice, which is negligible. The way we deal with undesirables is to ignore them. Usually, they leave or starve. None of these options work in your case."

"I am happy to be such a problem," Barnabas said.

"Our people are at odds." Genghis' tone was casual. He offered Barnabas a cup of tea. Barnabas declined, suspicious. "We think we understand you Feudals, but I suspect we have become prejudiced. You think you understand us. I doubt you do."

"So are you planning to convert me? Win me over to the xombie way of life? Is that what this is?" Barnabas felt his apprehension turn into hope. 'I overestimated these idiots,' he thought to himself. 'If I play along, they might just let me go,'

Genghis seemed to weigh his words. "It's not so simple. There is a gap between our cultures that can't be bridged without a great deal of work. Many people like you have crossed over, but it takes time. That said, I'm not so concerned with changing your perspective as I am with changing ours."

"I'm listening," Barnabas said, the shadows of a plan coalescing in his mind.

"The Interconnected are a headstrong people. We've grown over sure of ourselves and our way of thinking about concepts like Merit, ubiquity, and openness. We look down on Traditionalists like you, confident in our superiority. I think that this has made us blind to your humanity and your own brand of ingenuity. Our dogmatism limits our understanding. It puts us in peril."

"Well said," Barnabas agreed, impressed. Genghis may be a xombie, but he was a formidable foe. He needed to be careful. 'Don't make it too obvious,' he thought to himself. Out loud, he said, "You need to better know your enemy."

Genghis sighed. "Not the way I would put it. Like it or not, we share this world. We will probably never convert all of you, and I doubt you will be able to subdue all of us. We will either be at war for a very long time, or we'll need to figure out a way to coexist."

"So, you want to start peace talks with me." Barnabas smiled. "You think you can gain insight from polite conversation and find our commonality."

"Our commonality is obvious," Genghis responded, lifting a cup to his lips. It looked like it was made of thin wax, translucent in the indirect light of the old apartment. "We are human."