Benny studied politics and war in Europe for three years. While studying, he developed a strong conviction that freedom cannot exist without freedom (yes, that’s right), and that we must push ourselves past our own perceived limitations to achieve it.
Freedom, for Benny, happens when we perceive that oppression no longer exists. Thus, since returning to his home continent – South America – a few weeks ago, he’s decided to obliterate the perception that vicious tigers, school bullies, and the long arm of the Spanish Empire exist.
He’s been speaking in town squares, taverns, churches, and wherever else people have been willing to listen. Today, he’s speaking in front of his largest crowd yet – fifty thousand blood-thirsty fans packed into the Lima Coliseum. The fans aren’t interested in freedom, though. They want to see Benny die!
*****
He stands in the center of the Coliseum, and watches the fans watching him. His face is hollow, as usual. His frame is diminutive, as usual. And he appears unable to fight a squirrel, let alone a tiger. Yet he sought out a battle with Vicious Tiger – without armor, weaponry, or any other protection.
VT, as he’s known by adoring fans, is legendary in Peru at this time (early 19th century). He’s torn apart hundreds of fully armored men in front of similarly blood-thirsty crowds. But they were prisoners sentenced to die. Benny is the first person to ever voluntarily fight VT.
He motions for the crowd to quiet so that he can explain. “Freedom is the most natural state of humanity. Yet because of a flaw in our thinking, we’ve been unable to achieve it. Until now! Today, I will reveal…”
“Release VT!” a blood-thirsty fan shouts. The crowd cheers, drowning out whatever Benny is saying. It’s not that the fans are unconcerned with freedom – their women have been raped, their villages pillaged, and their lands unfairly taxed by the Spanish Empire. It’s that they’ve worked hard all week, and now they just want to relax and enjoy Benny’s death.
“Vi-cious Ti-ger. Vi-cious Ti-ger,” they chant.
*****
Benny took a class called “Psychology of the Masses” while studying in Europe. He understands that to earn his fans’ trust, he must first give them what they think they want. Once he has their trust, he remembers from the text, he can teach them to want something better. So he decides that a speech can wait until later. And signals for the cage to be opened.
VT struts onto the Coliseum field. And stares at Benny. And growls. As he walks circles around him. The crowd roars as it cheers on Benny’s inevitable and painful conclusion. Benny seems to be on a different wavelength, though. He stands on one foot, like a stork. And flails his arms, like a bird. And begins to speak:
“Freedom doesn’t happen by praying or fighting,” he says. “When you pray or fight, you acknowledge that a tiger looms. And you spend your life praying for the tiger to disappear, or fighting to kill the tiger before it kills you. But tigers don’t disappear or die. They just grow larger. Meaner. More insistent. Until you die!”
*****
The fans are uneasy. This isn’t a time for speeches. Vicious Tiger is looming. Ready to pounce. To rip Benny’s head off. Any sane person would run. Or pray. Or play dead. Or fight! But Benny is standing on one leg. And flapping his arms. And not yet done with his crazy-talk:
“If you want freedom, you must recognize that you already have it. That you have always had it. And that you will forever have it. Especially when you stare into the eyes of the tiger who wants to take it from you.” Vicious Tiger is crouched and ready to pounce. Yet Benny still seems not to notice.
“When you notice that freedom already exists, your tiger will cease to exist. Because you’ll have changed the flaw in your thinking – the flaw that has kept humans from freedom all of these years – which is the belief that tigers do the killing.”
The crowd is silent. Benny stands on one leg and flaps his arms. And the wild animal attacks!
