Sally, Part 17

1.  I have what looks to be a good group for a group project I have to do.
2.  I found another person to edit my dating book today.
3.  My mom is making white chili tonight.  SO GOOD.

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You'll need to read Part 16 for this post to make much sense.

Stacey was starting to feel agitated by Mattias's beating around the bush.  "Well, if the generally feeling is that you're pirates, how are you not?"

"Pirates seek only for personal gain.  They rape, pillage, plunder, and murder because it either makes them happy or because it helps to further their financial situation."

"You killed The Captain and stole his ship.  I'd say that furthered your financial situation."

"Good point, but it's not only in the action, but the reasoning.  I didn't kill him because I wanted his ship; I just happened to get his ship because I killed him."

"Then why'd you kill him."

"For the reasons you gave me when we first met.  Do you remember?  You said he had no character, that he was rude to his crew and was generally a despicable man.  The world was a better place without him."

Stacey had never thought of 'the world' and its current situation.  He had been preoccupied with his stomach, and its current situation.  "Why 'make the world a better place?'  Isn't taking care of yourself hard enough."

Mattias's smile grew.  "Stacey, I'm not from here."  He paused as if the words he wanted to use were hard to find, "The world I'm from doesn't allow the type of evil men that are allowed here.  They either change, or we kill them."

"How do you kill all of them?"

"We have fewer to start with.  Our society is ran in such a way that we all work together to make each child grow up to be good."

Even though Stacey had been at sea for most of his life, and though he had met many people, he had never heard of  any culture like the one Mattias described.  Even trying to imagine a country like that was difficult.  "Who decides how you work together?"

"No one does.  We just do.  We always have.  Each child belongs to everyone, and everyone takes responsibility for teaching that child."

Stacey's mind immediately went to Sally.  If only Sally had been born in a society where children were taken care of by everyone, then he wouldn't probably be dead.  Stacey wouldn't have had to worry about him getting an education, or being worked to death.  The society itself would have taken him in.  "Why isn't our society like yours?"  His voice was choked with emotion.  He loved Sally, but had no way of caring for him.  How he longed for a safe place for his boy to grow up.

"Not all societies can be, Stacey.  Yours especially.  You've been following orders and fending for yourselves for too long.  Trying to make you change now would inevitably lead to war."

"Why?"

"Because each person here cares too much about what they own.  Where I'm from, we all have what we need and we share the excess with each other.  If we tried to force that on you, people would eventually fight each other so that they could have more than everyone else."

"Why not just kill those who didn't want to do it?"

"You make it sound as if we're trying to force our culture on yours.  We're not."

"Then what are you doing here?"