Life or Death

Why must you always over complicate matters, just kill him and get it over and done with.

It’s not that simple. He’s just a poor farmer who plays no part in our war with the Empire. He probably hates the tyrant as much as we do.

It is very simple, as soon as we leave here he will go running to his Lord and ask for a reward to turn us in. Then he won’t be such a poor farmer.

Why do you always think the worst of human nature. Look at him, he’s scared out of his wits. He doesn’t want any trouble, he just wants to get on with his life.

Well, I just want to get on with my life and leave this misbegotten hell hole, and I’m telling you this farmer has become a threat.

Tell us farmer do you think necessity is the mother of invention or should it give birth and be replaced by simplicity. Is it simply necessary for us to kill you or is there an alternative course of action.

I don’t get your meaning lord, I’m just a simple man, lord, trying to survive, I get up, milk the cow, tend to the field and go to bed, that is my life.

For heavens sake, let’s redefine the complex and boil it down to its essence. We are two spies in an hostile land and this farmer is aware of who we are and could cause us serious problems. We should just kill him. Simple, problem solved.

For the sake of clarity and efficiency let me plead on his behalf. He is a simple farmer, unaware of the war that is about to start, he will just go about his daily grind and is no threat to us.

My brain grows tired of your philosophical wrangling let’s be on our way we have places to go.

So the spies departed leaving the farmer in a confused state. Things were now getting complicated, the farmer was thinking, perhaps the spy was right, I could tell my lord about the spies and get a substantial reward, perhaps enough money for three cows. Then he pondered the value of three cows against the lives of the two men and thought it was a good deal for him, so he eventually set off on his 30 minute journey through the woods to his lords castle. He was halfway there when the two spies unexpectantly stepped out from behind a tree and accosted him.

Hey there farmer where are you off to.

I’m just taking a walk trying to clear my head after our conversation, lord.

Well you could have cleared your head well enough tending to your field.

Why did you have to over complicate matters by attempting to betray us. It was such a simple process, we let you live, and you stayed put.

Oh well farmer, here’s the simple answer, to our problem.

He drew his knife and slipped it into the farmers heart.