2. Good and Evil

CHAPTER 2

GOOD AND EVIL

Thrust into a new environment, Nephi’s eyes needed time to adjust.  He stood frozen in place.  His senses told him to be wary of this person he could not yet discern.

“Well, Nephi.”  The man approached with long, gliding strides.  “You have not been up here in our world for some time.  What are you doing here?”

“You know me?” asked Nephi when he finally was able to find his voice.

“Of course I know you,” said the stranger.

As his eyes slowly adjusted, Nephi began to perceive that the man in front of him was unusually tall and slender with a long trunk, narrow in the shoulders, and flexible.  He was noticeably strong as well.  The long muscles and protruding tendons in his bare arms and neck coiled and twisted underneath skin that was taut and shiny.  He wore the clothing and breast plate that distinguished him as a member of the elite guard.  The helmet on the man’s head was decorated with a snake, fangs prominently displayed, ready to strike. 

“I know you, because --- I am your brother,” continued the man.

“You?  My brother!?”  Nephi could clearly see that this guard was not his brother.

“Yes, or I could be your brother.  We are all brothers who come up here to worship the stars, the moon, the sun; the gods of this world.  You must join us, Nephi.  You must become a brother with us to know the pleasures that living in this world can bring.”

“I will not be your brother,” replied Nephi without hesitation.  “I intend to worship the one and only true God.”

“Oh, I s-s-s-see. You are still fooled by the teachings of your father, aren’t you?”

“My father’s teachings are the truth.  I remember you now.  You’re Arumor.  You defended Tyreantum for Alumon.  You’re all hypocrites.  Because of you and your ‘brothers’, father delivered up the judgment-seat.  Things are even worse now than they were then with your kind of poison destroying people.”

“Yes-s-s-s.  I’m surprised it took you this long to remember me.  And what are you going to do about it now?”  Arumor withdrew the sword tied to his waist.  His arm muscles bulged at the biceps while he waved his sword menacingly back and forth at Nephi.  Arumor licked his lips with his tongue and curled down to put his face inches away.  He glared at Nephi, nose to nose.

Nephi stood his ground and did not back away.  “I’m going to go about my own personal business and leave you alone,” answered Nephi as calmly as he could.  His own blood was on the rise.  “And you are going to let me enter this temple-palace to do it.”

“Not a chance!” screeched Arumor.  Sneering, he quickly snapped his head back and spat directly into Nephi’s face.  “You’ve made plans with your father again, haven’t you?  He’s a liar!  And you’re the son of a liar!  You both deserve to be punished!”

Trying hard to control himself, Nephi coolly brushed away the spittle with the back of his hand and flung it to the ground.  “I’ll hear none of your threats or your accusations today.  Step aside while I go about my business, and you go about yours.”  Nephi’s heretofore untested bravery came from a confidence somewhere deep inside, and even surprised him somewhat.

“No way!” snarled Arumor.  “What do you take me for?  A fool?  I’m throwing you in prison!  And we’ll keep you in prison, chained up tightly, until you finally confess about the agreement made for the murder.”

“What agreement would I have arranged in the murder of my own mother?”

 “Not that murder!! …  I mean---accident.”  Arumor’s slip of tongue trapped him.  This angered him all the more.  He lied to cover up his mistake.  “You never learn, do you?  When will you grow up, young Nephi?  An accident is merely an accident.  It’s a shame your mother had one.  But you, your father and family, called it murder and claimed Tyreantum had done it.  But it didn’t work, did it!?  Alumon ruled that he was innocent.  Innocent!  Is there something about innocent that you don’t understand?”

“Well then, for which murder do you think an agreement was made?”  Nephi already knew the answer to this question.

 “Why, the murder of Seezoram, my kinsman, of course!  That’s the only real murder that’s occurred here!”

“Then you really are a fool, Arumor.  You already know that Seantum’s confession specifically said that my father had nothing to do with it.  There was no agreement except between yourselves.” 

“Lies!  And more lies!  Here we go again with your faulty so-called wisdom.  I happen to know that Seantum was forced to confess.  That confession meant nothing!  Nothing!  It’s all part of the big secret to conceal your role in it!  You’re the guilty one, not us!”

Arumor pressed the tip of his sword against Nephi’s neck.  Unarmed, Nephi faced his accuser and didn’t flinch.  The recurring accusations which implied that his father, or members of his father’s family, had something to do with the murder of Seezoram, the chief judge, infuriated him.  Would such evil rumors never stop spreading?  Seezoram’s own brother had freely confessed that he acted alone in committing the murder.

“And you’re not listening to me again, Nephi,” Arumor continued his ranting.  “I didn’t saying anything about an agreement your father made.  You would do anything for your father, wouldn’t you?  Especially make an agreement that would protect him.  It was you who made the arrangements!  It was you who was the accomplice!   It was you with the motive to help your father look good since his prophecies are nothing but lies!”

“Listen very carefully to me, Arumor,” Nephi spoke clearly and boldly even though Arumor’s sword was pressed to his throat.  “Your insults and your vain imaginings show cowardice.  Your eyes are blind to the truth; your mind is ignorant with evil intentions.”

“My!  That’s brave and clever talk from someone as stupid as you.  My sword can make a rather powerful speech as well!”

The giant guard pressed the tip of his sword harder into Nephi’s throat.  The veins in Arumor’s neck and face popped out from under his sweaty skin.  He bared his fangs and hissed a final threat between tightly clenched teeth.  “For justice in the name of Seezoram’s blood, your blood will flow upon this ground!!”

Nephi actually stood a little straighter, a little stronger.  The odor of strong wine dominated Arumor’s foul-smelling breath.

 “You hypocrite!”  Nephi answered back.  “If you yourself hadn’t secretly agreed to escort Seantum to the judgment-seat, Seezoram’s blood would not have been spilt!”

“Why you lying, filthy pig!!”  Arumor screamed.  He could not let anyone outside of the sworn brotherhood know their evil secrets.  He had to retaliate in the only possible way.

Gripping the sword tightly in his right hand, and raising it high over his head, Arumor prepared to land a powerful blow that would separate head from body.