Wind in the Hands (11 page)

“Whose task are these people carrying through? Do you know what their purpose is?”

“No,” the Functionary shrugged. “They are eager to get to the City, but no one helps them. They seem to be all by themselves. I think the Seer doesn’t know what to expect from them or knows this, but hides this information thoroughly. One thing is certain. He is interested in catching them.”

“Can’t you do something for him?” his wife asked compassionately.

“I suggested that he should go to a private company; he listened to me and hung up. Of course, this problem can be solved without his approval, the more so that the Seer has allocated some money to detain them …”

He should not have said the last sentence.

“And you took the money?” she raised her voice. “Have you forgotten everything?”

“How could I refuse when he stuck a packet in my hands! The Seer hypnotized me,” the Functionary was not sure if his wife would believe that smart story. “The Seer is a strange man: some people hypnotize to take something, while he does this to give you something. Who can understand an unworldly man?”

She calmed down a bit.

“You must help him,” she squeezed his hand. “Hire people. If you don’t have enough money, we’ll pay extra. Maybe he has noticed danger and tries to do something before something horrible happens? Your responsibility is the security of the society. That’s your job.”

“You see, darling… It’s two different things: to pursue a criminal that all people are anxious to see jailed or detain someone who has not offended the law. Charge a person without direct or indirect evidence? Make him a criminal based on a tip-off? It’s very dangerous. Witch-hunting was the darkest and most horrible times in human history. A crowd, that believes any slander, will agree to the actions of such clairvoyants as the Seer, but no normal court will condemn a person for an uncommitted crime. Can you judge a person based on clairvoyant premonitions? Do you know about a changeable psychological factor and why court wouldn’t accept the evidence from a lie detector? Because an experienced criminal can cheat, while a frightened innocent person can condemn himself. Even if the Seer is right many times, but without direct evidence, DNA test, fingerprints, appearance or voice check, or witnesses our society will be in the darkness drowning in anarchy with a quick to judge court.”

“And if someone is going to offend the law?”

“This is to be proven. And how would you do this? Suppose police detains a suspicious person in front of the bank. He is searched, and a gun, stocking, and a bag are found. Can we pursue him for robbery? No. For attempted robbery? No, either.”

“What about the gun, stocking, and the bag?” his wife would not agree.

“He can be pursued for carrying unregistered arms, but the suspect can say that he has just found it and is carrying it to the police station. A stocking happens to be in the pocket by accident and the bag is for shopping. Unless he confesses and admits an attempted robbery, they’ll have to let him go. The same with a foreteller, everything seems clear, he describes the appearance and habits of the suspect, crime details, but does not provide evidence or proof.”

“But there are administrative arrests. No charge is needed to jail a person in this case.”

“Administrative arrests are typically based on accusations of trusted persons. The investigator must find evidence and make the suspect confess as soon as possible. If he lingers and evidence is not found, the detained person is released. But we even have not been tipped off. We are not police. We cannot plant drugs, weapons, provoke a fight or hire a prostitute to have the suspect charged with rape. There are dozens of ways how to put a man in jail, but our service is engaged in investigating real crimes,” the Functionary explained proudly.

“Hire people to at least follow him! Sure, it’s not the whim or eccentricity of the Seer. If he warns about a threat, there is danger.”

“I’ll do that. Good advice,” the Functionary assured her. “But I don’t think it is a threat to the society. The Seer has never warned of pending terrorist’s acts or asked to detain a criminal. His acquaintances happened to warn about acts of terrorism when he told them not to go to certain places. We always treat such messages with care.”

“Have you asked him to cooperate?”

“A couple of times. But he always answered that he belonged to the whole world. The Seer is a cosmopolite and helps politicians only with personal matters. Today he is with us, and tomorrow with another agency or in another country, which is our enemy. All are willing to receive him, all have problems.”

“Then why has he asked to detain them.”

“I don’t know. Maybe they are a danger to him or his friends? I believe the clue is in the City. What do you think; shall I give them a chance to get to the City?” the Functionary said cautiously.

“You tried to detain them and failed, but you can pursue them. Hire people.”

“I am afraid my guys can not only pursue, but also leave traces. Rumors of injured comrades spread fast and it will be hard to prevent our guys from violence,” the Functionary sighed.

“Then don’t lose time, darling.”

The Functionary was pleased: everything seemed to be more or less comfortable. He was torn by curiosity and wanted to know the reason why the Seer resorted to him.

“Many people are waiting for the Seer’s fall,” the Functionary was thinking. “I hope, someone will take him down somewhat. And what if this person is the Stranger? The Seer seems to fear him. I can use this to make an interesting game called the ‘counterbalance’ and besides earn points for an excellent idea. Now I don’t have time to lose, I must act.”

Chapter 15. Keys

Two men and a woman entered the cafe. They had coffee in silence and headed for the railway. The Soldier was still wearing the wig, but took off his spectacles. The Medium was sighing all the time. She seemed to have difficulty walking. The Stranger was thoughtful and sometimes looked up at the woman who felt unwell and finally decided to ask her,

“Do you feel unwell?”

“I can’t walk. Legs can barely support me. I’ll give you keys from my home and come later.”

“The Seer,” the Stranger whispered unheard.

“Go away. I’ll come in a couple of days,” she could not look in his eyes.

The Stranger fetched the keys, tossed them, caught deftly, held them in his hands as if weighing.

“We’ll find shelter. We don’t need them.”

The Medium smiled apologetically, looked askance, and took her keys back.

The Soldier stretched his hand.

“I’ll be glad to see you.”

The woman pressed the hand with the tips of her fingers, drew the Soldier against her chest and whispered in his ear, “Take care of him.”

She looked into the Stranger’s eyes.

“We’ll see each other soon,” she said hugging him.

“I also think so,” he said with a forced smile.

The Medium stretched her hand to hail a taxi. A car appeared at once as if ordered. The woman took the seat near the driver, opened the window and turned to the Stranger. The taxi started and was soon out of sight.

“It’s good you haven’t taken the keys. People in ambush are hard to dodge…” the Soldier grinned.

“I was thinking about something else. She won’t set agents on us.”

“But she can leak information. If two know, know all pigs about. So, are we going to the railway station?” the Soldier asked doubtfully.

“Who has a good sense of danger? Why don’t you ask yourself?” the Stranger evaded an answer.

“Feels Ok. No pressure. Where is she going?” the Soldier nodded at the leaving taxi.

“To the Seer, I think. He has called her,” the Stranger said quietly.

“After everything she’s been through?”

“Calm down. She is not against us. It’s not as simple as it seems at first glance. Have you ever been in a strong sea current?”

“I have,” the Soldier frowned.

“What did you do?”

“Relaxed, saved my strength, I was swimming in waves until I was beyond the current.”

“Were you taken away far from the shore?”

“Yes.”

“What then?”

“I swam to the shore. I was swimming underwater almost all the time and surfaced only to breathe in some fresh air. I was fast carried by waves and very soon sprawled on the sand. So, what?”

“It is the same offshore or onshore,” the Stranger answered mysteriously.

“Explain. I don’t get it.”

“There is a dangerous current both onshore and offshore. It takes you away away from your goal. You cannot fight it but can just watch. The most important thing is to feel the time when it weakens to get out and proceed to your goal.”

“How can you feel that?”

“A developed and trained body excellently responds to temperature changes, starting a thermal regulation process. The same with your soul: develop it, making respond to changes. Then you will find and feel a favorable current which will take you to the saving shore.”

The taxi halted at the Seer’s house. The Medium came up to the gate but did not dare to call. She was standing and waiting patiently. A couple of minutes later the gate opened and she walked along the path of colored bricks along the alley. Having approached the nearest bench, she sat down exhausted.

Soon she heard hasty steps of the host. He was almost running, pulling his mutilated leg.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” the Seer cautiously sat down nearby. “I’m very glad you have come. Would you like some tea or coffee?”

“Yes, later. Sit down, be with me,” she took his hand and pressed it hard.

“You can’t be with him. His power is mortal for you. It can deprive you of your talent, weaken you and make you a nonentity,” the Seer was consoling her.

“It’s late,” the Medium said dully.

“What’s happened? What? Tell me!”

“I don’t know. I was in a trance. It happened against my will and very fast. I started to prophesy something.”

“What were you saying?”

“I don’t really remember,” she was looking in one point. “Initially I was speaking about you. Suddenly I felt that I was engulfed, taken away. I was knocked down and can remember only fragments of what I said then. I think I was saying something about the Stranger and the Prince but I don’t remember the details. Then I felt the Stranger’s hand touching my head, I was clamped and felt fear. I was nauseated as if I were sick. Then it let me go, I felt good, quiet and light. I wept, maybe because I felt happy: I saw the world with other eyes as if I were a kid long ago, but then I felt sad again and understood how scary it was to lose the world you were used to. I panicked and here I am with you. I feel so sad, on the verge of moaning.”

“You need sleep, dear girl,” he stroked her hair. “I will put you to sleep, you will relax and then we’ll discuss everything.”

“I won’t be able to go to sleep now.”

“My dear, once I managed to put to sleep an audience of about three hundred people, and I will surely handle one small tired girl. Don’t worry: I’ll put you to sleep.”

“You can put me to sleep forever,” she tried to smile.

“Silly one,” the Seer said taking the woman by the elbow.

“You’ll sleep two or three hours, that’ll be enough to come to. Then we’ll think what is to be done. I don’t mean bad to the Stranger, believe me.”

The woman lay down on the sofa. The Seer covered her with a rug blanket, touched her forehead and said quietly, “You are going to sleep, you feel good and calm, all your troubles are going away. Sleep fast.” The Medium fell to sleep almost immediately.

The Seer was beside her for some time, then fetched the telephone, and dialed the number:

“I cancel my order; do not even keep track of them.”

“Ok,” the Functionary agreed lightly. “We won’t follow these people anymore. If you want something else, I’ll be glad to help. Now I’m in a hurry, sorry.”

“Good bye, all the best,” the Seer answered mechanically and turned off the phone. He felt a lie.

“Where is deception here? The Functionary mentioned three things. He does not follow these people. Offered help. Told me he was in a hurry. Will help, no way out, but won’t enjoy that and won’t be eager to please. He does not lie that he is in a hurry. We don’t follow these people,” the Seer repeated the last phrase he heard twice. “That’s a lie. Oh, that’s more than a lie. Maybe I still have time to reverse the situation.”

The Seer dialed the Functionary again, but no one answered. He paced the room: “That’s all right, that’s all right, and I’ll find a way.”

Chapter 16. Versions

The Functionary was in a hurry, he had time to give necessary instructions to his non-staff agents, deliver instructions to conduct concealed observation, and send photographs. It was necessary to increase the number of operations members but that required special sanctions and the Functionary decided to receive them notifying his line commander of the events. He understood how difficult it would be to receive the permit as there was nothing criminal in a journey to the City and almost anyone was entitled to go there. The Seer’s warnings were not enough. The Functionary decided to act and claim that the operation was aimed against the employee of another agency.

Several chief officers were present in the office of the security commander. After he had shaken hands with everyone, the Functionary cautiously took his seat.

“Do you have an urgent matter?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Do you prefer to talk in private?” the Chief inquired.

“No, this information is not so secret. Last night the Seer called me,” when that name was mentioned, tense silence set in. “He asked me to see him. You know how much I owe him.”

“It’s not good to be indebted to anyone, especially in our work,” the Chief noted. “No offence. Speak on.”

“The Seer asked me, without explaining his reasons, to detain two law-abiding citizens of the country and prevent them from entering the City. He thinks that once they are in the City, these guys will escalate a conflict.”

“I believe the reason is absolutely clear. The Seer does not want the fragile and temporary peace between different groups of population to end,” one of the employees ventured to say.