“Let me ask you a question, son,” grinned the shaman. “When you do have a son, no doubt he will be a rascal like you. How will you protect him from making mistakes?”

Marak stopped walking and gazed at the ground with a puzzled frown. “I suppose that I will explain right from wrong to him at the earliest opportunity,” he replied. “Some mistakes he must endure to grow into a man, but I will explain the need for him to avoid the deadly ones.”

“And if he doesn’t listen to you?” pushed Ukaro. “What will you do when you have explained what is right, but he insists on doing what is wrong?”

“He will listen,” Marak answered firmly. “I will not raise a fool.”

“But if he doesn’t?” Ukaro persisted.

“As I said,” Marak shook his head, “sometimes letting him make a mistake will be good for him. I will not try to control his every thought. I will only seek to protect him from harm.”

“Fair enough,” smiled Ukaro. “It is wise to give a young man a long leash as some lessons are best learned through our own failures, but what if his life is endangered by his own folly?”

“I will explain the need for him to choose wisely,” answered Marak.

“And if he still doesn’t listen?” pushed the shaman.

“If it is a matter that threatens his life,” frowned Marak, “I will impose my will upon him to protect him.”

“By force?” questioned Ukaro. “Would you actually use force on your child to make him behave?”

“If his life was in danger?” Marak sighed with frustration. “Of course I would. Then I would again explain things to him so that he truly understood. What good is sparing the rod if the child is to die? Why are you pursuing this conversation, father? I have no intention of starting a family anytime soon, if at all.”

“You will make a great father,” Ukaro said seriously. “I mention this now because you already have a family. The Chula are your children now. The Khadorans are your children, too. Teach them what they need to know to survive. If they refuse to listen, punish them with force until they obey, and then explain things to them again. As I said before, Kaltara will guide you. You already seem to know how to manage unruly children.”