“An interesting concept,” Tambu commented after a moment’s pause. “While I’ve observed the phenomenon, that is one interpretation I had never considered. Perhaps we can discuss it further later, if I have any extra time left at the end of our interview.”
“I somehow doubt that.” Erickson smiled. “Just what we’ve covered so far has raised so many questions in my mind that I’m sure the interview will last as long as time allows.”
“In that case, we should probably proceed,” Tambu said. “What questions do you have so far?”
“One question I’ve been asking in various ways since the beginning of the interview still sticks in my mind.
You’ve answered it indirectly with your narrative,.but I’d still like a simple ‘yes or no’ response. When you began organizing your force, did you think you were doing the right thing? Did you see your force as the good guys?”
“The simple answer is ‘yes’!” Tambu replied. “The actual answer is far more complex. I was hoping you could see that by now.”
“The complexity escapes me. It seems a very straightforward question.”
“It becomes complex when I add that what we were doing was right in my own mind, not just at the beginning, but to this very day. However, I am aware that I do not have an exclusive patent on truth. What’s right in my mind is not necessarily right in the minds of others. From there it’s a matter of who you believe or which philosophy you embrace.”
“But facts are facts,” the reporter argued impatiently.
“Very well,” Tambu sighed. “The facts are that we were successful. We waged war against the pirates infesting the trade and made enough of a dent in their numbers that their activity all but ceased. That is a fact which can be confirmed through your own newspaper’s files. By examining our record you can see we were a law-enforcing group.”