Wind in the Hands (18 page)

The Soldier kept silence, he wanted to tell the talker about the Stranger very much. To find him and escort as before, and to take these guys to guard him. However, he saw the agent play a game, telling all right, though. You mustn’t believe agents, preachers, policemen and advertisement. This is an axiom the Soldier has already learnt when taking special courses. It’s fine to play with the agent, showing that you give credit to him, about giving credit… Let him believe you to be in his trap. Agents are pretentious and vain, they trust in their being chosen and gifted with power.

“Have you any constructive suggestion to make?” the Soldier asked somewhat perplexedly.

“I do have, still it’s up to you to decide,” the agent was leading his part with care.

“For example?”

“We can go back to find the Stranger. If you don’t confide in me, let’s drive in one car, say, only three of us, but you have to be in cuffs. Sorry, old boy, you are more dangerous to us than we are for you. If you wish, let’s go to our office. You’ll talk to the Chief to make a sound decision. The Stranger cannot do without assistance. Do you know where to look for him?”

“I do not know. We haven’t discussed it yet. Had no time.”

“Now you can see. We can be late. We must find him now till he is not dissolved in the City,” the agent’s voice sounded tensed and threatening.

“I need to be left alone,” the Soldier scratched his chin. “Stop the car. I’ll go out to think.”

Chapter 26. Faith

The Stranger and the Bird climbed up the hill. The girl recovered her breath and asked:

“What is so special about me? I’m a burden for you. Don’t you see I am the same as others, even worse?”

“You are not a burden,” he resented sincerely. “I’m sure you are gifted, you have some special ability.”

“Which one?” the girl smiled like a child.

“I haven’t realized yet, but I feel I need you. It is you who help me, not I help you. I can’t explain it now.”

Indeed, he could not understand why he would take a companion who brings more harm than good at first sight, but having defended her he felt a surge of energy. Perhaps, he enjoyed being the superman? What if that was the responsibility for the girl that made his senses more acute?

The Stranger thought about the Soldier. He realized that the Soldier had not changed dramatically; his principles were the same, only the accents shifted. The Soldier believes him; maybe he is the only one who does. Faith is his greatest merit and it is not for nothing. He has left to distract attention of the pursuers from them, he takes risk to save some person he hardly knows and now it is the obligation of the Stranger to help his friend.

The Stranger got to the very top of the hill, concentrated on the image of the Soldier and called: “Soldier, it is me, your friend. Soldier, do hear me… God, protect him, please,” the Stranger begged, “he helps to fulfill Your task. Will he suffer because of me?”

The Soldier got out of the car to take in the difficult situation. “What am I to do?” he moved his lips soundlessly. “I don’t trust them, but I can’t leave him in the desert, in the City, alone against everyone. What a hard choice.” At this moment he felt that scales fell from his eyes, earplugs left his ears and he heard the clear voice of the Stranger:

“Go… we’ll see each other in the City. trust in the God only… He will not leave you. Plan is ready.”

The Soldier understood: the command had come to a decision and his task was to follow an order.

“Let’s go. I don’t know where the Stranger is. I will find him in the City.”

“Do you know where he is?” the agent asked drily.

“I know who knows,” the confidence was returning to him gradually.

“Whom are you talking about?”

“The Seer. I have to meet him and sort everything out.”

“Good. Let’s go. It’s up to you to decide,” the commander answered as kindly as possible, trying to hide his disappointment. He believed that the trap had been set perfectly and he even used hypnosis, he was rather good at it.

“Don’t be offended, bro,” the Soldier’s guess was right. “Tell me about the people with transcendent capacities. But I don’t need disinformation, I read tabloids. I know enough about the vampires, werewolves and extraterrestrial beings inseminating our women. Do you know the real facts or does your department lavish the tax money?”

“Facts are verified, though sometimes rather strange. Let’s do it this way: you tell me about the Stranger, I tell you about anyone, even the Seer.”

The Soldier made a wry face:

“I don’t know much. He didn’t tell me about himself. But I know one thing for sure. The Stranger has got the real power. When it comes, he changes completely: the eyes, the voice. A totally different person.”

“And he doesn’t keep silent, does he? There was a whole preach for those scumbags. His words hurt them. Right?”

“Indeed hurt. What do you mean?” the Soldier looked at him with interest.

“That’s the way the hypnotist works.”

“But he didn’t tell anything to the Seer, he kept silent and stared at him, the Seer even started to stagger, turned pale and barely fainted.”

The agent paused to think, the obscure smile glancing on his face and disappearing immediately.

“Looks like an energetic strike. Your friend turned out to be stronger. I wish we knew the backstory earlier…”

“The Seer is a real hypnotist. The Stranger is completely different,” the Soldier stood his ground.

“The Seer can give a mental order remotely. But we know that people even as experienced as he can’t demonstrate their abilities at their will. Some special mood, power-up, drive, if we can call it like this, is needed for it. The artist can’t create a masterpiece when he feels no inspiration. The poet can’t find the words for a heavenly poem when his Muse is away. Anyway, let put lyrics aside. Do you see now why the Seer asked us to help? There is a new star on our skies, as bright as he is. Pity, if it will set soon.”

The Soldier just grated teeth.

The Bird approached the Stranger. She wanted to hug him but she didn’t have the heart to.

“We have to cross the desert at night,” he said.

“I can’t. I’m totally exhausted,” she answered guiltily.

The Stranger made a wry face as if he turned something every way in mind, pulled out of the backpack warm clothes for the girl and spread his jacket on the ground.

“Sleep. It will help you recover.”

He thought: “We have two hours but then we need to move on. We can’t sleep in the desert, it’s too cold. It’s dangerous to light up a fire, somebody can see us.”

The Stranger knew the Silencers’ desert well. He visited it many times and remembered the way to the ancient tunnel leading to the City. He felt that he was late and they could start without him, he must hurry.

Chapter 27. Intention

The Seer strolled in the garden, breathed the leaves’ freshness, enjoying silence. The Functionary phoned and told him about the incident on the Pobeda station.

“It has begun,” the Seer was rubbing his forehead hard. “The Power emerges. What next? Soon he will come to the City. Who will stop him? Could he be not a harbinger of the disaster, but a person that can save and protect us? Why did he take the girl with him? She was the reason for the conflict. What if he just wanted the fight and tested the power? Subconsciously?”

The Seer remembered about the Soldier, caught the information, “Will we see each other soon? Yes, very soon. Now he is not afraid of me”, then he grinned and said aloud: “I will find you myself.”

Incredulously he looked at his big beautiful house, lovely garden, well-groomed trees, flowers, and said through his teeth:

“All that’s missing is peacocks”.

The Soldier was brought into the office.

“The key, quickly,” the Chief ordered to his assistant. “Give order to bring us some food.”

He unlocked the manacles himself, apologized for the rudeness of his people.

“I’ve heard a lot of good about you. It’s an honor for me to see you here. I wish the circumstances were different,” he nodded on the manacles.

“No offence. I understand,” the Soldier said good-naturedly.

“Great. Let’s eat, drink some brandy.”

“Call the girls,” the Soldier continued.

The Chief laughed carelessly. “That’s my boy. Made the old man smile… To the Stranger!” he declaimed rising the glass of brandy.

The Soldier sneered: “Overacting”, but nodded and emptied the glass. They ate and drank unhurriedly. Having finished the meal, the Chief asked,

“Do you want to read the dossier of your friend?”

The Soldier assented by a nod. Reading the information he realized that the Stranger was not a naïve dreamer with a mysterious power, but a person that went through the mill and knows life. Though the profile was based on the facts, the details were changed, that’s why it formed the different vision of the Stranger. He looked like a martyr, his opposites like villains. The recent events were mentioned too, as well as persons responsible for them: the Seer and the Functionary, the inner investigation being initiated against the latter.

“What do you say?” the Chief asked, following closely the Soldier’s reaction. He was pleased with the effect.

“What do I say?” the Soldier repeated. “The world is unfair. The Stranger has the same gift, but he doesn’t boast of it. The Seer broken the laws of hospitality, he attacked my friend but met the rebuff. The Stranger took mercy on him. The Seer has everything. This man has bought the world. And he decided to finish the Stranger, the pariah, with your hands, because he was not able to beat him.”

“I agree with you. The Stranger is a unique person, but he is alone and the Seer has everyone in hands. It’s unfair. Believe me, we bear him no malice.”

“I need to see him.”

“Whom?”

“The Seer. I have to talk to him.”

“Can you persuade him not to persecute the Stranger?”

“I will try,” the Soldier looked at the Chief meaningfully.

“We will not help you.”

“Just don’t interfere.”

“We have no right to arrest you. Have some rest, think it over. Then, if you like, we’ll continue this talk. I’ll show you the way.”

The chief was very happy and gave the Soldier a hug at parting. He believed that they had a chance to get the better hand in the long and exhaustible confrontation of the two legendary special services.

The job requiring a lot of preparations was reserved for the Soldier, but first of all is sleeping. He was on the verge. He came home, took hot shower, ate a sleeping pill that he could not go without for a long time and drowned in a leaden nervous sleep.

Chapter 28. The Silencers’ desert

The Stranger was sitting near the sleeping girl. “It’s time to wake her up. What has the City reserved for me? Still it is good that she is beside. How are things with the Soldier, I wonder…” the Stranger took thought. Suddenly, he felt severe trouble. “What’s up with him? Is he in danger? No,” answered to himself. “Is he up to something awful? Yes”.

He got nervous, his hands trembling. “God, have mercy upon us! Why it is so? I cannot let the Soldier conduct atrocity for me”. The Stranger raised himself up, made several steps and called: “Soldier… Soldier, do nothing, nothing… It doesn’t work out, he cannot hear me… The Seer. He is not an enemy. He must help”, it has dawned upon the Stranger, and he whispered, “Seer. A turn to you…”

The Seer was contemplating the leaves that turned yellow, stroking the trees, and talking to them. Suddenly, somebody called for him, he looked around and a moment later he understood, and smiled.

“You have learnt something. Do you need help?”

“Find the Soldier and make him give up his plan,” the Stranger asked while being at a distance of several thousand kilometers. He was sure: he was heard.

“The Soldier wants to kill me,” the Seer uttered sadly.

“Excuse me. What is the Soldier up to?” the Stranger was distracted because he failed to translate the language of senses into verbal language.

“Kill me,” the Seer snapped.

“Remove, erase, move aside?” the Stranger asked again. An association with some obstacle to be moved or thrown away.

It looked like a poor connection, and the Seer sighed,

“I’ll help.”

The Stranger couldn’t hear words but felt joyful. He came down to earth. Tears were running down his face to take away fatigue, stress and embarrassment.

“O Lord, why have you endued me with power? I do not want to make war. I’m alone now. You were the only one to support me, so, give me support now again. I am Your servant, and I can see You. There is no my will, but there is Yours, there is no my way, but there is Yours. And if it is so, let me take Your will as if it were mine. Let me understand and take your ways. Give me piece of mind. But whether one can feel peaceful when the world goes down the road of death? Your creatures are blind. What can be done? And what can I do?”

The Stranger heard the low Voice in himself soft as a waft of wind:

“I know all creatures. Do what you must”. Strains accumulated over the past days have disappeared completely. He came back to the Bird and woke her up.

“Wakey!”

“I haven’t been so tight asleep for years,” she smiled.

The girl sprang to feet, stretched her arms and gave a cry:

“Say: it is light, and life is light,

And you can see the close sky.

We both are sitting at the clouds

As if we were picked up in arms.

One day the smoke, then it is snow.

And we are here to stay forever.”

The Stranger burst out laughing.

“It is nice here, but we have to go.”

The Bird took a deep breath and nodded fatefully.

They descended the hill to start towards the famous Silencers’ desert.

In ancient times, travelers were afraid to walk on this land without amulets. People of different sort escaped to the desert: slaves and kings, bandits and victims of lawlessness, weak and strong… Since the old days, a belief has been existed that only the righteous people of very distinct character can survive there. The caves of holy sites were occupied by monks and followers of religious orders who hoped to gain an insight. At the hills, heights traces of stone altars were seen. Here, the soldiers of special divisions of the Salvation Army, and riots for whom to sneak into the training camp of the enemy, steal ammunition, and escape was bravery of special kind. The getters were met with songs, circle dances, and sweets. The most beautiful girls whispered to one another, giving soulful sighs and burning the young heroes through with impassioned glances.