Chapter 16 preamble

They are absolute beings, holders of faith.Good gods and evil devils waged an endless war for the souls of mortal creatures.Rose, represents the ultimate evil; Meli Kay, represents the ultimate good.Like black and white, there is no chaos or shadow. Good and evil are absolutely strict distinctions.There can be no justice in true evil, no chaos or shadow in it.Although an act of kindness will often bring about good results, the act itself must be judged absolutely by the intention that produced it.The condensation of our belief in an Absolute Being is this judgment.But what about the true mortal races?Intelligent creatures of this world - humans, elves and dwarves, gnomes and halflings, goblins and giants.Good and evil are confused among us and absolutely cease to exist.

For many people, this decision is easy to make: I am drow, and drow are evil, so I am evil. They were wrong, how could they be intelligent if they couldn't make their own choices?Without independent will, there can be neither evil nor good.There are indeed differences in race and civilization among the nations, and the goblins show general evil, while the surface elves have obvious good tendencies.But even these races, which in the eyes of many people represent absolute good and evil, their actions are ultimately determined by the will of independent individuals.I know a goblin who isn't evil, and I'm a drow who hasn't succumbed to my own culture myself.But few drow and even fewer goblins make our way, so the prejudices of others are always there.

The strangest and most promiscuous race is the human race.They have no permanent characteristics, and there are no unique individuals.Their perception and understanding of the outside world has a huge impact on their behavior.Their intentions are often hidden.No race is as good at disguising itself with a mask of justice as humans are.They are accustomed to making up all kinds of reasons and saying that their actions are for good reasons.And the ones they deceive the most are often themselves.There have been countless killings and wars between people.Two murderous armies, but at the same time support a kind god.

Will their gods really be on their side, will they exist in their hearts? Kindness is not a feeling.What is "good" in one civilization cannot be "evil" in another.There may be great differences in customs and behavior, but kindness is absolute. Kindness is a tribute to life and love, tolerance to others, and a desire to help others and make the world a better place.Kindness frees us from vanity and envy, and allows us to share our joy with others and take pleasure in the achievements of others.Kindness is not just justice, it exists in every heart.If a person does an evil thing, even if he puts on a perfect mask, it cannot hide the truth.His true heart cannot be covered up with anything.

There is in each of us a place of inescapable truth, where our conscience judges us.To admit what we have done is to put us before that judgment seat.There, the program is of little importance, and only good and evil intentions are concerned, intentions that have no reason to hide. Cadderly went to that place with all his heart, and I saw kindness blossom in his heart.Goofy Spirit - the grandest and most humble of human achievements. Artemis Entreri was going there too, probably not until his death, but he was going anyway.That is our common destination. When his true evil is exposed in front of him, he will endure unbearable pain.I pray that he will go soon. My hope is not born of hatred. Hate is an empty emotion.If only Entreri could do what he wanted, let his heart see the real him, and correct himself from now on.He will find comfort in his pain, otherwise his soul would never have found true peace on his present path.

I followed my heart and stood before that judgment seat as long as possible.It was a painful place, a place from which there was no escape.But only there can we come closer to goodness.In that place where there are no masks, we can recognize who we are and understand the true motives of what we do.Only there, after a trial of conscience, can a hero be born. — Drizzt Do'Urden