“It’s our nature to destroy,” they said in one voice.
“I was afraid that might be your answer,” he said. “They sent me here to stop you. Did you know that? They’re really scared. But who am I to destroy you, if destruction is your job?”
“Now then, we enact our duty,” they informed.
“Who’s greater,” he asked, “the one who destroys or the one who destroys destruction? Would not the one who destroys destruction have to him the army twice as powerful?”
“Twice as powerful all at one point,” they said, “but never again in the future.”
“Ahh, so you’re in the business of preservation. You’re out to preserve destruction. I understand now. Let’s just call it protection—the protection of destruction.”
“We do as our god wills us through our nature.”
“Which is?”
“Our nature is destruction.”
“No, your nature is protection and preservation. We’ve already determined that. So, either your god wills you to destroy and you disobey your god, or your god wills you to protect and preserve and you have misstated your nature. Or perhaps you’ve misunderstood your god?”
“We’re confused.”
“Good. And in your confusion, will you go forth and preserve and protect? Or will you go forth and destroy? Or will you take more time to consider your course of action?”
“Our power is somehow swelling. Perhaps then we will destroy destruction.”
“Go to it, then.”