jan piet marais. my uncle. at 22 he led a kommando for three years before your people caught him and hung him.
the english.
as do i. as do the zulu, the xhosa, the pongo, the ndebele. we're all africans. but all from separate tribes, ay?
why do you say that?
the problems of south africa, my boy, do not come from tribalism. they come from counter-tribalism. from people insisting that natural laws which have been in place and operating since god's creation, should be tampered with. does the gazelle sleep with the lion? does the rhino graze with the mouse? the separation of things is not coincidental. do you think a zulu wants to see his culture, his sense of identity, replaced by someone else's anymore than i do?
which is why civilization is defined by the ability to live under the rule of law. laws define rights.
ah. justice. the banner behind which the english marched as they gobbled up a quarter of the world? justice, my boy, is only relative to who's in charge.
the library, mein leib.
i can't figure out if you're brave or foolish.
you come here to ask for permission to see my daughter. correct?
and knowing who i am, what i stand for, do you think this sort of discussion is going to put that request in a favorable light?
let me give you some advice then. you're right. i admire a keen mind. but intellectual reputation or not, i am first a marais, a member of the volk.
and if you're trying to impress a member of the volk with your intellect, don't do it espousing liberal ideas picked up in an english private school.
no doubt from an expert on race relations.
you're a very good writer. the subject matter is a little inflammatory but the style is interesting.
i came to inform you that you will not be receiving aid from the national scholarship fund. neither will you be admitted to any of the south african universities. here are your applications back.
i told you when you came to my house. i am first a member of my tribe and i will defend it any way i know how.