A Serpent’s Fangs

The Homini believed a great many strange things in those days.

Time cannot be conquered and moves ever on being chiefest of these;
Also that all suffering was the creation of a thing called Evil;
and all that was pleasurable the creation of a thing called Good;
Verily, it came to pass in the Prophet’s time, a man asked him to explain
the difference between Good and Evil, and how Homini might judge
and act accordingly.
The Prophet smiled, and held up a card bearing the image of the Devil;
He then with the same hand, reached into his bag and held up a card with
the image of the Star of Five.
He asked the man to tell him which was which; the man responded the Devil
must surely be Evil, and the Star thusly Good.
The Prophet laughed merrily; then he again showed the card of the Star; then turning it
in his hand, revealed the Devil on the back of it. He tore the card into a hundred pieces and threw into the air over the man’s head.
Laughing, the Prophet asked the man to show him which was which. The man cursed and swung his fist at the Prophet, calling him a charlatan. The Prophet stepped to the side and deftly let the man’s momentum carry him to the ground. A poisonous serpent had been passing, and struck out at the fallen man. It’s fatal strike was cut short; a card, the Devil and Star card, sliced it out of the air, striking it instantly dead.
The Prophet turned and walked on down the road, smiling quietly to himself.