“The truth” his voice carried out the sound of those words with a haunted vibrance, “the truth is the best way to make enemies out of men” Robert looked at him, puzzled, with a sense that the punchline was still to come.

“This world runs on lies, it’s a circus you see and the best performers get the titles and the positions. Politicians, economists, movie stars and even your friends if you are successful enough. They are all beggars of favours and money, for they are too lazy to do a day’s work, but above all, they are too coward to stand for themselves…” he puffed his cigar to the horizon. Even from the side Robert knew that he started squinting, yet only the moon and the dark sky was there to behold.

Guideon Mack turned to him, eyes narrowed as if to read his Robert’s resolve before saying his next words.

“That’s why you have to say no to them, when they come, because they will. The devil always tempts you when you are at your weakest son. When you think you are invincible, that you are reaching your dreams and nothing could be better, he and his minions come, and they tell you exactly what you want to hear, and offer you on a silver plate.”

The intensity on Guideons eyes increased, the cigar got broken with force, the tip almost bursting trying to escape. “There will be a price you’ll pay for saying no, but there will be a bigger price if you say yes.” He sighed. “You can never say that you weren’t warned son.” Guideon gave a nod, looked into the horizon and started to walk towards his horse, his hat already on his head.

Something in Robert’s body caught the message, because he stood frozen in place as he saw that strange man ride away on his horse into the night, as if his muscles came to the dire realization that that was an omen soon to be realized.

Reaching his house, after musterring the composure to walk again, he found a tall man in black waiting for him with a grin, and an offer he couldn’t refuse.