Chapter 25: Boundaries

AS STEVEN NEARED a dense stretch of forest, he heard an argument. It seemed to be coming from just off the road ahead, and while two sides of an issue were being hotly discussed, it sounded like only one voice.

“It’s been moved.”

“How do you know?”

“It didn’t used to be here.”

“Where did it used to be?”

“Over there.”

“Prove it.”

“Can’t prove it. I’d have to go over there.”

“Ha! So, it hasn’t been moved.”

“It has been moved.”

Steven rounded a bend in the road and saw a man pacing back and forth in front of a small pole with a flag on it. As the man paced back and forth, he continued to argue ... with himself.

“Dare you to go over there and show me.”

“Can’t go over there. Over there is not here.”

“Take the marker and move it.”

“Can’t move it. That’s illegal.”

“But if someone else moved it...”

“ ... then they broke the law.”

“So, move it back.”

“But moving it is illegal.”

Steven approached the man cautiously, making a great deal of noise to announce his presence. Eventually, the man looked up and noticed Steven. His posture was defensive until he looked carefully at Steven. Then he suddenly called out.

“Here, you. Come here and help me with this,” the man called out.

Steven approached cautiously. The man was armed with a sword, but Steven recognized the uniform of a guard, complete with the leather thong and rock around his neck. He pointed at the pole with a flag on it and commanded, “Look!”

Steven looked.

The guard looked.

Together they looked at the pole for several minutes.

“Well, what do you think?” asked the guard at last.

“What do I think of what?” asked Steven.

“Of the marker pole,” answered the guard.

“Well,” Steven said brightly, “it seems to be sturdy. And straight. It is a fine pole stuck firmly into the ground.” Steven smiled at the guard and raised an eyebrow.

“Has it been moved?” the guard asked.

“I don’t know,” answered Steven truthfully. “I’ve never seen it before.”

“Ah! Now what do you think of that? There’s proof. He’s never seen it before. Therefore, it wasn’t here. Now it is here, ergo, it has been moved. QED. Quid pro quo. Suma cum die.”

“I beg your pardon, sir,” Steven began. “Whatever are you asking?”

“I am attempting to prove that this boundary marker, marking the boundary of the Principality of Rich Reach in the Kingdom of Arining, has been moved. The fact that you have never seen it before is proof positive that it was not here.” The guard retrieved a tally pad from his uniform and began marking in it the exact location of the errant boundary pole.

“But I have never seen you before, either,” said Steven. “I’ve never been here before.” Suddenly the guard looked at Steven suspiciously.

“You are a member of the royal guard as tokened by the rock hanging from your neck,” said the guard. “How can you have never seen this boundary pole?”

“I’ve just come from Mariria to visit Prince Valentine of Rich Reach on behalf of King Montague Magnus,” said Steven.

“Really?” said the guard.

“Yes,” said Steven.

“Well, that is no help at all then,” said the guard. “How am I supposed to show that the boundary marker has been moved now?”

“Where was it before?” asked Steven.

“Over there,” said the guard pointing off a few yards.

“Let us go see if there is a hole where the pole was removed over there,” suggested Steven.

“You can’t do that,” said the guard.

“Why not?” asked Steven. The guard looked at Steven as if he were explaining the rising of the sun to a child.

“These flags mark the boundary of the Principality of Rich Reach of the Kingdom of Arining,” began the guard. “This side of the boundary flag is Arining. That side is not. If we, two guards of the Kings Court, were to cross to that side, it might be seen as an act of aggression. We would have crossed the frontier into foreign territory.”

“What would happen?” asked Steven.

“Why all matter of evil might happen,” said the guard. “We might even become one of them,” he whispered.

“Who are they?” Steven whispered back.

“Why, the others,” said the guard, surprised that Steven could not see what was so obvious.

“What are the others?” persisted Steven.

“Why people like you and me, of course,” said the guard.

“So, what is the problem?” asked Steven.

The guard paced back and forth in front of the flag. It appeared that he had begun to argue with himself again, but so far, he was doing it quietly. Finally, Steven decided to take matters into his own hand.

“I will just go over there to check for holes while you discuss the situation,” said Steven.

“Oh, you can’t do that,” said the guard.

“Why not?” Steven asked.

“Because then you would be over there and not over here,” answered the guard worriedly.

“Now what is the worst that could happen?” Steven asked. He stuck a foot over the imaginary line. “Will my foot fall off?” He leapt over the line and back again. “Will a war start?” He stepped deliberately across the line and turned to face the guard. “Will my teeth fall out? My nose grow longer? My hair turn green? Will I grow into a giant or shrink to a dwarf? Will my hands grow an extra thumb, or my face an extra eye?”

Now Steven was becoming worked up as he warmed to the idea of being blocked by an imaginary line from traveling wherever he might want.

“I ask you,” Steven continued, “why do you need a boundary marker? Will people on one side or the other suddenly speak a different language? Will they not still raise their families, market their goods, and bury their dead? Would the world fall apart if there were no boundary poles? If kings did not know where their lands ended, would they not be forced to be fairer when dealing with all the people? Would they not be more peaceful if they didn’t claim to own so much at all?”