Dan Groats finished filling his cows’ troughs and wearily turned away to walk back to the farm house. As he was leaving the enclosure, something caught his eye in the dusk. Across the road, he thought he saw shadows moving near the old mine entrance. But as he strained his eyes to get a better look, they disappeared. He shook his head. “Maybe I’m imagining things.”

If so, he had been imagining things for the past three nights. He’d have to have a word with Seth. Perhaps his brother had seen something.

It was a fine evening, and Dan didn’t hurry back. He enjoyed the warm breeze and the starry sky. He lit up his pipe and hummed a tune as he made his way north up the road. Across the River Lum to his left, little flames were beginning to pop up in the windows of homes and farmhouses.

As Dan came inside the gate to the farmhouse yard, Seth emerged from the chicken coop. “That’s the evening’s chores done,” he said when he saw Dan.

“Excellent,” said Dan. “Now we can light the fireplace, put our feet up and have a brew. But first I wanted to ask you something.”

“I’ve been meaning to speak with you in private as well,” said Seth. “Here, let’s go behind the house.”

Dan agreed, wondering what could be so important that his brother did not want to be overheard saying it. The creaking, splashing sounds of the water wheel out back and the soft rushing of the river worked together to drown out their voices to potential eavesdroppers.

“Now, what did you want to speak to me about?” asked Dan, taking a puff of his pipe.

“Can you put that thing out?” asked Seth, waving his hand to clear the smoke. “You know I don’t like smoke.”

“You don’t like smoke indoors,” protested Dan. “We’re out in the open air, and there’s a breeze.”

“Can you just do it?”

“Oh alright,” grumbled Dan, snuffing it out. “Now speak your mind.”

“You first,” said Seth. “I have a feeling it might be related to what you’re going to say.”

“Fine,” said Dan. “I wanted to ask if you’d noticed anything … funny … happening around here. I thought I saw some figures moving about to the south of here, near that old boarded up mine entrance.”

“So you have seen them,” said Seth. “I wondered.”

“Wait, you’ve seen them too? Do you know who – or what – they are?”

“Who do you think they are?”

“Well, I don’t know,” said Dan, removing his hat and scratching his scalp. “I’m a little worried that it’s those extremists who popped up here a few days ago, according to the rumours at least.”

“Extremists,” said Seth flatly. “I thought you might put it that way.”

“How else should I put it? H.A.M. has a nasty reputation.”

“See, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” said Seth guardedly. “Are they really that bad after all?”

“Seriously, little brother? Of course they’re bad! Everywhere they go they leave trails of bodies, unprovoked killings.”

“Well, big brother, font of wisdom” bristled Seth, “would you really be upset if that goblin who mugged Gillie got what was coming to him?”

Gillie was Seth’s daughter, and she had been attacked and robbed recently by one of the goblins who roamed around the abandoned houses to the south, between Lumbridge’s two bridges.

“I said unprovoked,” said Dan. “Besides, that’s only one goblin. Not that any of them are very pleasant, but they mostly keep to themselves at least.”

“Only because most of them are too afraid to try anything,” said Seth darkly. “Give them the opportunity and they’d overrun this place, kill you while you slept. In fact, it’s possible they’re planning something right now. They’re disgusting, savage…inferior.”

“Whoa there,” said Dan, beginning to be concerned by the level of animosity in Seth’s voice. “What would Father Aereck say if he heard you talking like that?”

“Pah. What does that man know about the will of Saradomin, anyway? Saradomin is the Lord of Order. As long as that rabble of goblins are defiling Lumbridge, there can be no order here.”

Dan stared hard at his brother. “Order and justice aren’t about preemptively destroying anyone who might have the slightest chance of harming you. Those are the actions of people controlled by fear and chaos … wait, you’ve been in contact with H.A.M., haven’t you? You sound more like one of their pamphlets than yourself.”

“And what if I have?” said Seth defensively.

“Then you need to cut yourself off from them while you still can, and get their ideas out of your head. Don’t you see? They’re dangerous, and we have a farm to run.”

“Don’t you see, brother?” said Seth, reaching into his pocket. “It really is us against them. Humans Against Monsters. That’s the way to progress … join us!” He withdrew a magenta-coloured ribbon from his pocket.

“You’re already one of them!” exclaimed Dan, aghast.

“They took an interest in our farm right away,” said Seth. “They could dig a tunnel from the abandoned mine to our cellar, and we can supply them with our produce: potatoes, eggs, beef, chicken and milk. In return we will be honorary members and have a say in the board meetings. Think about it! To have a say in the Great Revolution of our time, to carve a place in history for ourselves!”

“No no no, they’ve driven you mad!” spluttered Dan, head in hands and pacing. “This is not good. You need to quit at once, and tell the Duke where they’re hiding. He can drive them out of the mine and protect you from them.”

There was a manic gleam in Seth’s eyes now. “I was hoping you’d see the light, brother,” he said coldly. “But unfortunately, you can’t see what’s coming.”

He pointed to the south, past the fence. Dan turned to look, squinting into the darkness. “What? I don’t see anyth – aaagh!!”

Dan sunk to his knees from the force and pain of whatever had just struck his back. He opened his mouth to cry out again but he couldn’t speak.

“I gave you a chance, brother,” said Seth, withdrawing the pitchfork from Dan’s back and letting him sink to the ground. “But this is war, and it was time to pick a side. You chose the wrong one.”

Dan felt himself sliding over the cool grass. The night shadows were growing darker and darker. He felt the clinging embrace of the river water, and it carried him away, and his consciousness likewise slipped away into blackness.

* * * * *

As Seth washed the pitchfork in the river, the red fluid diluted and then whisked away without a trace, a stealthy figure hopped the southern fence and made its way over.

“A pity,” said the figure, who was dressed from head to toe in magenta robes. “Are you sure no one saw?”

“It was dark, and I made him snuff out his pipe,” said Seth. “It should be fine … This farm is now at your service, Sigmund.”

“Don’t say my name out loud. Not here,” hissed Sigmund. “But well done. We will put it to good use.”