The Brahmin

by Ravi Shankar Etteth

In the world of lies, doubt was a constant companion and truth was just a corpse in an alleyway.

The Brahmin sighed. ‘Kings have no loyalties. That’s why they are kings.’

‘When you kill to defend the innocent, you are doing the right thing. When you attack evil, you fight for the light.’

‘Your true soul. Every person in this world is constantly at war, with themselves the most. The day you win over yourself, you’ll become a warrior of the light.’

Understanding the present and anticipating the future is what diplomacy is all about.’

‘So am I. But fear is of no use. To be afraid of danger is to be wise, but to yield to fear is fatal.’

Power is an abyss that can never be filled. War is the destiny of kings. And the peace that follows makes the winners wise and the losers wiser.’

‘Deception is the soul of espionage, my queen. You can’t deceive your enemy with words, but you can sow the seeds of confusion in his heart with your actions. A confused enemy is a weak enemy.’

‘Loyalty is a double-edged sword, Your Majesty. Its enemy is not betrayal, but love.’