The Blue Disc

by William B. Waits

  “An attacking enemy cannot go across those lines,” John explained. “If they do, they are declared dead. It minimizes the chance of physical contact and keeps battles from escalating to the point where people get hurt. Nevertheless, warriors who have retreated behind the lines can still be shot with darts.”

  It was difficult for Rick, as an outsider, to judge the strategy the two sides employed, but a quick count of the flags showed that there were more brown ones than blue ones so the Euromamo were slightly ahead. Then, quickly, three Euromamo warriors were hit by black darts, causing great consternation and grief among the group. The deaths left them with only three warriors on the battlefield, against five Islamamo warriors. The remaining Euromamo warriors retreated to the very end of the battlefield in a purely defensive posture. As the Islamamo warriors closed in for the kill, the Leader quickly consulted with those around her. At the Leader’s signal, a young man next to the Leader raised the Euromamo banner and positioned himself directly in front of the Leader. They began a slow processional to the center of the battlefield, accompanied by a drummer and the Euromamo spectators. The Rules People raised their arms whereupon the remaining three Euromamo warriors lowered their blow tubes to their sides and bowed toward the Islamamo warriors, who immediately lowered their blow tubes. The Leader continued to the middle of the field where the Islamamo Chief met her, followed by a similar contingent from his group. In the middle of the field, the two leaders faced each other, several yards apart, with their backs to their goals and with their followers in two parallel lines behind them. The Rules People stood between the two lines of warriors.

  One of the Rules People cried out in a loud voice, whereupon the Euromamo took a step backwards. With every step that they took backwards, the Islamamo took a step forward, so that the distance between them remained the same. The Rules People stepped in the same way, remaining between the two groups. The Rules Person repeated the loud cry nine more times causing the Euromamo to take a total of ten steps backwards. Then, the Rules Person motioned toward another who began to drive stakes into the ground with slow-cadenced, ritualized blows directly in front of where they stood. With every blow, the Euromamo let out a low, mournful sound, which was followed by a higher joyous sound from the Islamamo. At the end of the ritual, the Rules Person had placed three stakes between the groups, spaced about twenty feet apart. The Rules People moved away from the center of the battlefield whereupon the Islamamo began to dance wildly just behind the row of stakes, shouting and flailing their arms and hugging one another. Some of them jeered at the Euromamo who stood meekly on their side of the stakes with their faces downcast.

  The Chief of the Islamamo raised his hands and his group began to chant in unison. Rick couldn’t understand the chant, of course, so he asked John what they were saying.

  “Roughly, their chant is, ‘We won, we won, look what we won, our new land under our feet’.”

  To Rick, the chant seemed straight from his fourth-grade playground.

  “It’s awful to have to listen to this,” John continued tensely, “but the Rules require that we stand and take it.”

  The Islamamo chant, which lasted about three minutes, caused almost palpable despondency among the Euromamo—furrowed brows and downcast eyes all around.

  When the Islamamo finally ceased, the Leader raised her hands and the Euromamo began a chant of their own, deeply mournful and not at all like the taunting, joyous chant of the Islamamo.

  Brave Islamamo,

  You are the victors

  And we are the defeated,

  We fought well

  But you fought better,

  Brave Islamamo.

  We both fought under the Rules

  And you beat us.

  We accept defeat,

  Now some of our precious land is yours.

  May you make good use of it.

  At the conclusion of the Euromamo chant, the Leader stepped forward and bowed before the Islamamo Chief. The Chief touched her on the shoulder to acknowledge her bow and to signal her to straighten. The Chief then pointed to four Euromamo warriors who stepped forward. Five Islamamo warriors approached them and placed ropes around the necks of the four warriors, as well as the neck of the Leader. Rick was immediately concerned about them. Were they to be hung? Do they kill a few of the defeated enemy so that many on both sides may live? Was this the price for limiting the scope of warfare?

  As the Euromamo prepared to leave the battlefield, they walked solemnly to the area where the dead lay. Their families gathered around the litters and mourned them as if they were real fatalities. Strong males lifted the litters, and the group began a solemn walk back to their village. Before they disappeared down the path, Rick glanced back to see the Islamamo procession leaving the battlefield with the four warriors and the Leader in tow. Rick felt very sad even though he had only known the Leader for a few days.

  As soon as the Euromamo had walked down the path a bit, Rick, with genuine concern in his voice, asked John Eel Hunter, who was beside him, “What is going to happen to the Leader and the four warriors? Are they going to be killed?”

  “They should be fine,” John said, albeit in a serious tone. “You never can be completely certain, of course, but what we expect is that the Rules will be followed. The Leader and the warriors will be taken to the Islamamo village where they will serve the Islamamo.”

  “Do they become lifetime servants?” asked Rick.

  “No, the period of service is only four days, however, during that time, they will work hard and perform all kinds of degrading services for their temporary masters. The Leader will have the worst of it because she has to serve as the personal servant of the Chief. All eyes will be on her, I can assure you. If everything stays within the Rules of Warfare, as it should, what can be done to them is limited. At the end of the four days, they should all be released to make their way back to us.”

  “It sounds like they’re in for a tough time. If the Rules prevent so much violence and death in warfare, why don’t they prevent the period of service?” Rick asked.

  “Defeats need to have some consequences, particularly for leaders and for some warriors,” John replied. “They should have a real, personal stake in the outcome of the battle so they will try to avoid it if they can, but if they cannot, then try to win it.”

  “Are the battles fought only over a four-day period of service and moving the boundary between the groups several feet?”

  “No. The items you mentioned are largely symbolic, but there are other significant interests at stake. Battles are only arranged when there are real issues to be resolved between the groups and battles are necessary to decide those issues.”

  “So these are not mere games with no significant issue at stake,” Rick mused.

  “They are absolutely not games. Fully serious. Both sides meet ahead of time to specify their outstanding issues. Then they agree what will transpire if each side wins. The negotiating is done in the presence of Rules People who record the agreement and, after the battle, verify that it is honored. If a losing combatant fails to honor its agreement, serious repercussions follow. It’s appropriate that battles be fought over real issues; it’s just that they should never be fought with the purpose of injuring or killing the enemy. Hence our use of paint darts.”

  After they had travelled along the path about 100 yards, the Euromamo procession stopped and the dead got off their litters. There was a great sense of relief at that point as their families and friends gathered around them and embraced them. After this moment of joy, the Euromamo demeanor returned to being somber for the rest of the walk to their village, as befitting a group that had just lost a battle. As they walked, Rick mulled over what he had seen: a battle like no other he knew about. Beyond the surprising use of paint darts, it had been mannered throughout, fought with adherence to a set of rules that he needed to learn more about. No violence, not by the Euromamo nor by the Islamamo. Could it be? A real battle but without the bloodshed? Ba
ck at the bunker, the Euromamo guards got ready to sleep, and Rick did as well. The hammock would feel good. It had been a long day.

  There never was a time, in my opinion, when some way could not be found to prevent the drawing of the sword.

  U. S. Grant

  CHAPTER 5

  Battle Talk

  The next morning, John Eel Hunter stopped by the bunker. Rick noticed that the Euromamo guards, who had been constant companions since his arrival, stepped away during the discussion to respect their privacy.

  After some initial courtesies, John began, “I came by to tell you that, since the battle is over, you’re free to leave us. We couldn’t let you go before the battle, as the Leader explained. If the Islamamo had seen you outside the bounds of our village, they would have suspected you of spying for us, especially given that you look somewhat like us. That would have placed you and us in danger of real violence. Before the battle, the Leader told me to suggest to you that your time would be better spent studying another group instead of us. As you know from the Origins Ceremony, we are English-derived, like you, so there’s probably not much to learn from us. I can give you information about other groups in the area that may be more typical of rain forest groups. If you decide to leave us, I’ll send two strong youths to escort you to a group of your choosing.”

  “I appreciate your offer,” said Rick, “but I’ve already thought about this. I want to stay with you and learn your ways.”

  John pursed his lips.

  “If you let me do that,” Rick continued, “I will make myself as little burden as I can. I expect to work while I’m here to produce my own food and otherwise support myself.

  “We appreciate your offer to work,” responded John. “We value work and expect all to contribute to the well-being of the group. It’s an important Euromamo value.”

  “I’ll try to fit in as best I can.”

  “You seem determined to study us,” said John grudgingly.

  “I very much wish to stay,” answered Rick.

  “Just keep in mind that you are free to leave anytime you want now that the battle has concluded. The Leader wanted me to mention this you at least twice if you were inclined to stay.”

  It was clear to Rick that John and the Leader wanted him to leave the Euromamo in the privacy of their valley and study another group. On the other hand, they were not ordering him to leave, at least not yet. But what if they ordered him out halfway through his research? That would be a disaster.

  “I’ll remember your offer to take me to another group,” said Rick, “however, I still want to study the Euromamo. There is a lot about your group that fascinates me.”

  “I wish your decision were otherwise, but I hear what you’re saying. Ultimately, it’s not for me to decide whether to let you stay. That’s for the Leader when she returns in three more days. We’ll see what she says when she has time to consider your situation.”

  “I hope she decides soon,” said Rick, keenly aware that he needed to study a group that would let him finish his research.

  “She may not be able to do so immediately upon her return, because she’s part of the delegation that will convey part of our hunting territory to the Islamamo and make a payment of corn that we’re obligated to make.”

  “You have to convey the territory and pay the corn because you lost the battle?” asked Rick.

  “Yes. We regret having to do it, but it’s certainly better than violence. Until the Leader returns, these fine young Euromamo will remain your companions,” John said, gesturing toward the guards.

  The Euromamo guards moved closer to the discussion.

  “I’m still not free to walk around about your village and start my research, am I?” asked Rick.

  “That’s correct. We don’t wish to be rude, but having someone study us has very serious implications for our way of life so you must stay in the bunker until the Leader returns and decides whether you may research us. I know this means that, for the next few days, you will be cooped up here, but it’s necessary. We’ll try to keep you reasonably comfortable.”

  Rick displayed disappointment on his face that John must have noticed.

  “I hoped that I could start learning about you,” commented Rick. “It’s important that I get on with my work.”

  “You can’t start yet,” responded John. “It’s too risky for us. And in case you think about sneaking out, I warn you that there are many dangers in the rain forest. When our forebears arrived, they would never have made it through a year in this dangerous environment had they not made friends with a few neighboring groups early on and learned about their surroundings from them. Dangerous animals, poisonous plants, and serious diseases are all around us. In addition, a few of our neighbors can still be violent although most of them now resolve disputes through the Rules of Warfare, that is, with paint darts. Therefore, for your own safety, you should stay inside the bunker or in the cleared area immediately outside. Always look down whenever you move about.”

  “I guess it’s for my own safety,” mumbled Rick.

  “It is without question. Since that’s agreed, I suspect you have been thinking about the battle, right?

  “Yes, I have,” acknowledged Rick.

  “I suspected that it might interest you. I’ve told you that your research is a matter of great concern. Nevertheless, I think I can discuss the battle with you, but remember that the Leader hasn’t made a decision about your staying here and may ask you to forego using what you’ve learned.”

  “I understand. Whatever you can tell me about your battles, I would like to hear.”

  “Good. What struck you as unusual yesterday?”

  “For one, I thought it would be more violent than it was,” Rick offered, “…you know, more…savage, especially given that we’re deep in the rain forest. I apologize for using that word if it offends you,” he added.

  “What are your battles like?”

  “Tragically, battles in outside society are brutal. Civilized countries spend enormous amounts of money learning how to kill people efficiently.”

  “Do you go to war frequently?”

  “The Twentieth Century has been a bloodbath. More people have been killed since 1900 than in any previous century, and we’re not even at the end of it.”

  “That doesn’t sound very civilized to me,” said John, with his eyebrows arched and his eyes twinkling.

  “I guess you’re right,” admitted Rick hesitantly. “Your battle was orderly…amazingly so compared to ours, even though, as you told me, there were real issues at stake.”

  “Very real issues, otherwise battles don’t occur. What we have removed from war is violence with its associated injury and death,” John answered.

  “You and your neighbors eliminated violence by following the Rules you referred to?”

  “Yes. The Rules made all the difference.”

  “Very unusual to have rules for warfare,” said Rick, half musing to himself.

  “Your wars do not have rules?” asked John.

  “Not many that come to mind,” replied Rick. “We slaughter people in huge numbers.”

  “That sounds rather savage to me,” said John, enjoying throwing the word back. “So if you have few rules, when you capture enemies, can you cook them and eat them?”

  “No, we couldn’t do that. It would create an outrage, and we’d be moral outcasts in the eyes of other nations.”

  “If you can’t eat them, can you at least maim them after you capture them? Cut off body parts?”

  “Either maiming prisoners or cutting off body parts would be strongly ostracized.”

  “You said that you’ve developed efficient ways of killing people,” John continued.

  “True. Our weapons are very effective.”

  “Can you use all of the weapons that you have developed, or are some of them unacceptable to use?” John asked.

  “We can’t use all of them, John. For example, almost all countries frown upon using chemical
or biological weapons in battles.”

  “Biological weapons make enemies sick, like the cut you received from the leaf?” John asked.

  “Yes,” he said, glancing down at the pink flesh on his forearm where his wound was healing, “or they give them horrible diseases.”

  “But you can still shoot holes in them?” asked John.

  “Yes, that and bombing are the basic tools of warfare in outside society,” said Rick, pausing for a moment, “although, now that I think about it, you can’t shoot them with shotguns or unjacketed lead bullets because those weapons would violate the Geneva Conventions that most nations have signed.”

  “Hmmm. The Geneva Conventions. It sounds like you have established at least some rules for your warfare,” stated John.

  “Yes, I guess we have,” Rick admitted.

  John smiled broadly.

  “That’s the point. It’s all about the rules. We have wars, just like you do, and we have rules for our wars just like you do. The difference is that our rules are more extensive than yours. In fact, we try to encumber the violent aspects of warfare with rules, to make violence so circumscribed and disfavored that it doesn’t occur. With your rules, you’re trying to get to the same place, but we have gone farther down the path in making our wars less violent.”

  “How were your rules established?” asked Rick.

  “It was a difficult process; it took us many years to develop the Rules and get our neighbors to agree to them. However, once established, compliance became ingrained and habitual.”

  “Can you tell me more about how the change was achieved?”

  “Yes. From the time of the wreck of the Cork until the establishment of the Rules of Warfare in 1870, our experience in the rain forest was literally shot through with violence.”

  “I got that impression from the ‘Origins Poem.’ It must have been quite an experience, those early years.”

  “Brave men, our forebears. Most of the groups they encountered tried to kill or injure them, especially if their lands were threatened. Of course, coming from Europe, our forebears were used to recurrent wars, so they were not surprised by having to fight for their lives.”