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Jadzia accepted Julian’s invitation to join him and Garak for the DS9 amateur theater group’s performance of The Crucible because she had nothing planned for the evening. This turned out to be a good decision, less because of the play itself which was unremarkable and more because Julian and Garak’s debate after was highly entertaining.
She had a passing familiarity with the concept of human witch trials thanks to an anthropologist she roomed with for two years at the Academy. It was new to Garak and he appeared equal measures horrified and fascinated.
“How closely is this play based on actual events?” he asked.
“I’m no historian,” said Julian, “but plenty of people – usually women, if I recall correctly – were really accused of being in league with the devil.”
Garak geared up for a lively discussion, and Jadzia knew the Cardassian well enough to recognize that he was enjoying himself. “Yes, your devil.”
“I’ve no personal belief.”
“General you, meaning humans.”
“Even then the concept is hardly generic,” protested Julian.
“Would you consider ‘the personification and origin of evil’ a reasonable definition, in the context of this play at least?”
“Yes.”
“And certain individuals were in fact executed for their supposed allegiance to the devil?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“With complete disregard for any other possible explanation of events?”
“Again, yes. It’s not one of our prouder moments as a species.”
Jadzia didn’t see why this pleased Garak until he said, “And yet you condemn the Cardassian legal system, which is vastly superior in every conceivable way.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” said Jadzia, thinking of Chief O’Brien’s experience with the Cardassian legal system. “It seems like neither offers much opportunity to prove innocence.”
“Ah, Commander, you’re assuming that your ideals of ‘truth’ and ‘justice’ underlie all legal systems. The way humans talk I thought theirs always had, so I’m delighted to learn otherwise.”
Julian actually rolled his eyes. “It was eight hundred years ago. I’m not claiming our legal processes are flawless, but to compare the present Cardassian method to what humans – not even all humans, I should add – used centuries ago is really reaching, Garak.”
“Nevertheless, it pleases me to see these moments you’re not proud of as a species.”
“I’m glad you find needless suffering so satisfying.”
“No, I find evidence to refute Federation moral smugness satisfying. Tell me, were the majority of humans at this time such simpletons?”
“You are enjoying this far too much,” complained Julian without real malice. They were both enjoying the debate immensely and knew it.
“You are avoiding the question.”
“The belief in witchcraft was simply another attempt to make sense of a chaotic universe. Every culture has its own manner of doing that. You have to remember it was a very primitive time. Suppose you have a small farm and suddenly half your cows die.”
Garak tilted his head slightly in thought. “Which meat comes from cows?”
“Beef. They’re also kept for milk.”
“Alright. In your scenario I would not be a very good farmer.”
“Suppose you are and the cows didn’t die through any fault of your own. Something is clearly wrong.”
“Yes, but that’s no reason to assume that the great antagonist of the universe is invested in my livestock,” said Garak, very reasonably to Jadzia’s mind. “I would suspect my neighbors, of course.”
“Of course,” nodded Julian.
“But something much simpler. Poison, perhaps. It’s much more reasonable than possession by a servant of the devil, don’t you think?”
“You’re not considering the importance of religion at the time,” pointed out Jadzia. It had been a long time since religion carried much weight on Trill for more than a very few, far longer than on Earth, but she knew enough to realize it wasn’t a force to be underestimated. Tobin’s sister-in-law was a devout follower of the Trill pantheon and it was amazing how that influenced her perspectives. Tobin had never known how to react to her, though knowing how to react to people in general wasn’t Tobin’s strong point.
Garak, knowing something of Julian’s childhood, should realize the importance of religion as well, but then it was a very foreign concept to him.
Julian went on, “Or consider someone like Ann Putnam, who would reasonably assume she hasn’t been poisoned. They had no understanding of why children might be stillborn, and she was searching for a reason that she went through so much pain.”
“Why must there be a reason?”
“Because it’s easier to accept, at least for some people. And when you consider someone who believes they are doing everything right for their god, it’s natural to assume that evil forces are at work. That’s my point. In the absence of scientific explanations, people will turn to anything that explains the inequities of the world around them.”
“And then use it on their enemies.” This part didn’t seem to bother Garak in the least.
“Anything can be weaponized. You know that.”
“Naturally. This begs the question: in eight hundred years will your descendants look at your scientific explanation as primitive?”
Jadzia hadn’t thought of that and as a scientist she didn’t enjoy the idea, but she had to admit Garak had a point.
“Primitive compared to them? Probably. On the other hand, the more we understand about the universe, the more we align our practices and mindset with scientific truth, if you will, the less primitive we become.”
“That’s presuming your science is, in fact, accurate.”
“Well, yes. It’s a lot more accurate than throwing bound people water to see if they’re witches.” Julian’s defensive tone suggested his boyfriend had hit a nerve. “Or irradiating people as medical treatment.”
“Science is constantly striving for progress,” said Jadzia.
“Which presents the intriguing likelihood that you are defined as much by that which you do not understand as that which you do. But I digress. Irradiation I’ve heard of. Cardassian doctors used to do the same thing, but what is this business with attempted drownings?”
“If the person didn’t sink,” explained Julian, “they were a witch.”
“And if they did, they were innocent but drowned. Another charming example of human jurisprudence.”
“Centuries ago, and for the record innocent people weren’t supposed to die.”
“Of course not. Their deity would provide them with temporary gills or something equally absurd.”
“Actually, ropes were tied around their waists.”
Garak conceded that point with his silence and moved on. “I’m surprised to hear you defend religion.”
Julian shrugged. “As I said, everyone seeks to find some kind of order in the universe, and I don’t begrudge anyone the right to use religion for that purpose. I object when, one, they demand I do the same, or two, they use their religion as a basis for judging everyone else’s life choices.”
“May I add three, accusing one’s neighbors of witchcraft?” suggested Garak.
“I’m happy to say that no longer happens on Earth, or at least if it does the legal system doesn’t take it seriously.”
“Still, as a matter of principle.”
“As a matter of principle, yes, I object to that as well.”
“But now, Julian, you have placed yourself in a peculiar position.” Garak leaned in, relishing his anticipated triumph. “You state that centuries ago a belief in witchcraft was a reasonable attempt to comprehend the mysteries of everyday life in the absence of scientific explanations. However, if I am again hypothetically a farmer and my animals have taken to dropping dead, and it is entirely sensible for me to suspect that witchcraft is involved, you would have me sit back and do nothing while the perpetrators go unpunished.”
The problem with debating Garak, Jadzia was fast learning, lay in his ability to blindside you with an unexpected perspective. She considered his statement and found it hard to refute.
“Not necessarily. If the problem is in fact the devil, there’s where you fight.”
“Of course you start there, and when your livestock continues to perish the war escalates to the point that your neighbors’ lives become collateral damage.”
“That’s the crux of the matter – believing that such collateral damage is acceptable is another problem altogether from a belief in witchcraft.”
“I think not. In any fight there is bound to be collateral damage. The longer the fight, the more collateral damage is accepted.”
“You’re both right,” said Jadzia. “And on that note, it’s time for me to leave. Some of us have an early shift tomorrow. Thanks for inviting me.”
“Good evening, Commander.”
“Goodnight Jadzia.”
As she headed to the turbolift Garak resumed the conversation. “Let’s discuss the use of torture to extract a confession, shall we? As I recall, you condemned the practice in Sons of Kemor.”
Jadzia doubted that anyone had ever been as delighted with human witch trials as Garak. Julian really did have an unusual boyfriend.