When left to themselves the people of the town co-existed in a careful harmony. There was co-respect and even some mingling and over the centuries a minority of families had members of both religions and mostly there was tolerance.
It was certainly true that the Gold people held the most influential government positions, but the Silver people controlled commerce. The movement of freight and lines of communication were in Silver hands. Many of the mixed people worked in the schools and at lower levels in the postal service and this was generally considered as a good thing.
But in the larger world the Gold and Silver people were at each others' throats. Ancient wounds had been reopened and old grievances unearthed.
``Blood only will avenge us,'' both sides cried. And the vulnerable were the first to pay and indignation and anger escalated on all sides and the people of the town were forced to separate themselves and live behind locked doors.
The mayor and leading merchants of the town met together and tried to work out some way that the situation could be resolved, but already it was too late, because anger and resentment were burgeoning in their own hearts.
It was said some Silver men had raped a Gold girl. No one had names or times or circumstances. None were needed. The spark had spawned flame and Gold men were arming themselves and preparing to attack Silver households.
In Mad Dog Lane a group of Silver men were trapped. The Gold people had closed all means of escape. Silver women prayed behind locked doors.
``We must fight!'' the Silver men shouted. They had few weapons.
``We will fight anyway,'' they said, ``to the last man!''
The Gold men stood shoulder to shoulder but there was a stirring among them and from behind them Gold women pushed their way and formed a tight circle around the Silver men.
``You will not touch them!'' they shouted, ``You fools! The killing will not end if you allow it to begin! Go home before we are all doomed!''
``Do you want to die too?'' the Gold men shouted, ``move your idiot selves or we will gladly kill you!''
But the Gold women held their ground.
``You will not kill your mothers and daughters - how would you live with that shame? Go home and think alone. Read your holy book and think alone as only yourself. Each one. Each for himself!''
The Gold men did not hear, but they felt their resolve fading before the eyes of their wives and mothers and daughters, and they began to slip away and the Silver women came out into the street and thanked the Gold women and held their men close and perhaps for a moment there was hope for a better world.