This is the question that the barber ponders as he shaves
the throat of the captain in Hernando Tellez's short story, "Just Lather, That's All"
(aka "Just Lather and Nothing Else").
And what of all this? Murderer or hero? My
destiny depends on the edge of this blade... But I don't want to be a murderer... And I
perform my work
honorably...
The barber could
consider himself a hero by killing the captain, who had murdered and tortured many of
the rebels he sought. The captain's reign of terror would be over, and his death might
lead to a victory for the rebels. The rebels who lived in the town and held jobs, like
the barber, could breathe easier. The barber would be remembered as the man who ended
the captain's brutal war against his comrades.
But killing
the captain while performing his duties as a barber would be dishonorable. He would be
breaking the barber's code of never spilling the blood of a customer. He would be forced
to leave the town and live a life on the run. Perhaps even his own rebel friends would
think less of him for the manner in which the captain died. He would be branded a
murderous coward by the anti-rebel faction, and his name would become synonymous with
treachery.
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