Nobody said anything about what Skan had said that night. Until, when everyone else had gone to sleep in their rooms in the submarine, Thom had come to Skan's bunk room, where Skan lay in bed, wearing the white tee shirt he always wore under his coat. On the left side of the chest it had a logo prined on it, the Engineers Guild logo. Skan lay there silently staring at the cieling.
Thom sat next to where Skan lay on the bed, and for a long while, no one said anyting, no one even acknowledged the other's presence. Finally, Thom said, "Was that your first kill?"
Skan lay in silence a while more before answering, "When I was in the army, we shared a squadron. We were the Blue Spears, remember?" Thom nodded. "I was taught to use the spear, but never did. I would always stay out of battle, in the last ranks of a phanlanx or hiding in ditches. I managed to escape from fighting for the three years that I was there." Skan formed a hard fit and stared at it beofre he unclutched it. "But, yes, in my 18 years of living, I have never killed a man. In one night, I've killed four."
"I remember my first kill," said Thom. "I was about your age, I think. Ninteen maybe. I was in the army, too. I rected much like you did. But Skan, some people NEED to be killed. Like, Rudvich."
Skan sat up straight and said angrily, "Did his hirelings also NEED to be killed?? Do the other soldiers, drafted in war, NEED to be killed!? They could have ben just like us! JUST-LIKE-US. Only a handful deserve death. And another hanful DON'T deserve it. The rest..."
"The rest is just fate," said Thom. "Rudvich's hirelings knew what they were doing. And to work for such a man, is that not to deserve death? No, they were led here by fte, and killed from our hand, by fate.
"Skan, when you were in the army, you were only a boy. 15, were you?"
"Fourteen..." Skan muttered.
"OK, 14. You were in there until you were 17, a very important 3 years for you. You spent 3 years in a place where you were SUPPOSED to kill people, but didn't. THAT is a good thing. To kill people that need it, like Rudvich, or even his hirelings, is acceptable. But if there is ANY way you can avoid it, take it. I do. I don't like killing, Skan. But sometimes....it's neccessary."
After a few more moments of silence, Thom got up and walked out. Skan lay awake for several more hours before he fell into a restless sleep.
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