Of course, they will have to be modified a bit, for mine are a savage and primitive people. I will have to do things in such a manner that they understand, for such things as philosophy and justice have never entered their heads. Rape, war, and plunder they understand.
"The other processes may take a bit of time, and some examples will have to be made to make certain they understand my laws perfectly. To insure this I will make a book of laws, a Yasa. In that book will be listed crimes and their punishments. The law will apply to all, regardless of tribe or religion. The law will be the law."
Casca nodded his head, smiling bitterly. "We shall see, young master. Many others have begun with good ideas and intentions. True men of honor and courage. But power corrupts. Few have ever escaped the fear and insecurity that comes with power. Kings fear those of their own loins and blood. They hear whispers, have dishonest councillors who lie to them for their purposes. It is not enough that the kings must be above corruption – so must their advisers and generals be."
Casca had his doubts. Temujin was something exceptional – that was certainly true. But his savage heritage was what bothered Casca. How much would it influence him? He had once asked Temujin a hypothetical question about tactics. What would he do if he had plunged deep into a hostile land for a long-term campaign and during the campaign he brought a city under siege? What would be his actions in the event of a strong defense against him, and what would he do once the city was taken?
Temujin had said, "First I will ask them to submit to me. If they do this, then I will spare all and take only the goods and gold I need and, as you said, make them part of my body. If they resist me, then I shall destroy them completely. Every living thing within those walls shall perish."
Temujin had pronounced this as if it were already a fact. The answer didn't really surprise Casca. After all, he had seen the handiwork of another from the steppes, Attila. "Do you mean even the children, too, Temujin? Would you kill them also?"
Temujin had looked at him as if he were a fool. "Of course. What do you think I am? If I kill all the adults, the children will have no family to care for them. Do you think I would leave them to die a slow, terrible death by starvation? Of course they have to die – it is the only merciful thing to do. Obviously in the middle of a campaign I cannot stop the war and provide for thousands of children. Killing them is the only way to be merciful. Of course, I am speaking of extreme circumstances. There may be times when I can take them into my body and make them part of me. If it is possible to do so, then I will, as long as it would not jeopardize the campaign."
Casca had a hard time trying to find a reasonable response to Temujin's answer. In the end he found none. There was a certain mad logic to it, if Temujin kept his word. The example of a few cities being utterly destroyed would probably influence many more to open their gates to him and lose only their gold. This would reduce casualties on both sides. He pushed away the doubt that if and when Temujin took to the field he would not do exactly as he said.
The boy was such a conflict of different terms and reasoning. Casca doubted that he would ever understand him completely, and all he could do was to advise and possibly guide some of Temujin's thinking processes. Not that he was even very certain he could do that.
Temujin listened to him, took all the information that he had, and stored it in his vast warehouse of memory, but how he would use it was something that Casca couldn't answer or forecast. Temujin was in the growing process; what he would finally become was beyond his powers to speculate.
He had said to Temujin, "Perhaps that is why I will never be, and could never be, a conqueror. A good fight I like, but I have no ambitions so strong that I could kill a child for them."
Temujin took
"The other processes may take a bit of time, and some examples will have to be made to make certain they understand my laws perfectly. To insure this I will make a book of laws, a Yasa. In that book will be listed crimes and their punishments. The law will apply to all, regardless of tribe or religion. The law will be the law."
Casca nodded his head, smiling bitterly. "We shall see, young master. Many others have begun with good ideas and intentions. True men of honor and courage. But power corrupts. Few have ever escaped the fear and insecurity that comes with power. Kings fear those of their own loins and blood. They hear whispers, have dishonest councillors who lie to them for their purposes. It is not enough that the kings must be above corruption – so must their advisers and generals be."
Casca had his doubts. Temujin was something exceptional – that was certainly true. But his savage heritage was what bothered Casca. How much would it influence him? He had once asked Temujin a hypothetical question about tactics. What would he do if he had plunged deep into a hostile land for a long-term campaign and during the campaign he brought a city under siege? What would be his actions in the event of a strong defense against him, and what would he do once the city was taken?
Temujin had said, "First I will ask them to submit to me. If they do this, then I will spare all and take only the goods and gold I need and, as you said, make them part of my body. If they resist me, then I shall destroy them completely. Every living thing within those walls shall perish."
Temujin had pronounced this as if it were already a fact. The answer didn't really surprise Casca. After all, he had seen the handiwork of another from the steppes, Attila. "Do you mean even the children, too, Temujin? Would you kill them also?"
Temujin had looked at him as if he were a fool. "Of course. What do you think I am? If I kill all the adults, the children will have no family to care for them. Do you think I would leave them to die a slow, terrible death by starvation? Of course they have to die – it is the only merciful thing to do. Obviously in the middle of a campaign I cannot stop the war and provide for thousands of children. Killing them is the only way to be merciful. Of course, I am speaking of extreme circumstances. There may be times when I can take them into my body and make them part of me. If it is possible to do so, then I will, as long as it would not jeopardize the campaign."
Casca had a hard time trying to find a reasonable response to Temujin's answer. In the end he found none. There was a certain mad logic to it, if Temujin kept his word. The example of a few cities being utterly destroyed would probably influence many more to open their gates to him and lose only their gold. This would reduce casualties on both sides. He pushed away the doubt that if and when Temujin took to the field he would not do exactly as he said.
The boy was such a conflict of different terms and reasoning. Casca doubted that he would ever understand him completely, and all he could do was to advise and possibly guide some of Temujin's thinking processes. Not that he was even very certain he could do that.
Temujin listened to him, took all the information that he had, and stored it in his vast warehouse of memory, but how he would use it was something that Casca couldn't answer or forecast. Temujin was in the growing process; what he would finally become was beyond his powers to speculate.
He had said to Temujin, "Perhaps that is why I will never be, and could never be, a conqueror. A good fight I like, but I have no ambitions so strong that I could kill a child for them."
Temujin took
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