Chance Encounters

Each time I read Tarnsman, I find myself returning to one scene in particular. Tarl's encounter with Nar of the Spider People.

It occurred to me that while Norman spends pages using Warriors and the "larger than life" main characters in his books to expound on concepts of honor and integrity, it is the less vocal ones who demonstrate those principles.

For example, Nar. He does not agonize over his actions. For Nar, there is no choice. He simply does the right thing. For no other reason than that it is the right thing to do. His matter-of-fact view of how "rational creatures" should behave reflects that.

He states, "I do not think it is appropriate for rational creatures to speak loudly."

When Tarl thanks Nar for saving his life, Nar's humility will not allow him to take credit.

After Tarl saves Talena from the tharlarion and she runs off, Nar calmly brings her back, kicking and screaming because, "She did not remember to thank you for saving her life, which is strange, is it not for a rational creature?"

When Talena refuses to answer Tarl's questions about the Home Stone of Ar and the tarn, Nar gently closes his mandibles around her throat and offers Tarl her head. While the creature surely had the power to destroy her in an instant, he used just enough of his strength to assure her compliance. Calmly, impassively, deliberately... rationally.

To me, volumes are contained in this short exchange. It makes me think that while Norman was writing of his vision of a perfect world, and we struggle daily to actualize those philosophies into our own lives, that much of his work parallels life as it is.

It is not always those who play the big roles in our lives who teach us the most. Sometimes the most profound lessons we learn are in those momentary chance encounters with strangers.

(This essay was originally published in the September, 1999 issue of The Gorean Voice.)