Wind in the Hands (34 page)
Authors: Rami Yudovin
No, Seer, the coverlet is not a greenhouse for weak plants, the Enemy needs it to help him govern people and not to let them get to the new level.
The creatures, which I met in the desert, aren’t people. They are visible and tangible; they left footprints on the sand, three meters high, just exactly to fit in the tunnel. Probably, they are those whom the ancient called gods, demons, while the prophets called them the Alien people. ‘There are gods on earth and in heaven, but we have one God, the Lord.’ I don’t know if we need to take gods into consideration, but ignoring them isn’t wise. Is our coexistence independently from each other possible? Only when there are no mutual interests involved. Looks like they got interested in us and our resources. It means that, sooner or later, we will face them. If we don’t get the Protection, they will simply erase us from the surface of the earth.
The Exterminators of the City are invisible to an ordinary man but the once who can feel their presence will die. They didn’t touch me. They are incomparably stronger than I am, they have authority. Didn’t they expect to see this power in a human? Has the presence of the Wind stopped them? The Alien despised, the Enemy was afraid, while they, who are stronger than all of them together, were surprised, searched and stepped away with respect. Why? They thought I was of their blood,” it dawned upon the Stranger. “They came to repair a malfunction in the mechanism, and I got in their way, becoming a pawn in the subtle game of the Enemy,” moaned the Stranger.
Near the Kings’ square armed people, dressed in camouflage were checking the documents. The Stranger tried to pass unnoticed, but he was called.
“Your identification!”
“I forgot my documents at home.”
“It’s good that you didn’t run, otherwise we would have shot you,” grinned the patrol. “We will go to your home; it’s not far, is it?”
“Who are you looking for?”
“We are looking for strangers, who have no registration in the City.”
“What for?” the Stranger was surprised.
“Directions of the Friend of the people.”
“Who is he, the Friend of the people?”
“Don’t you know what happened in the square? Someone attacked the brothers, but there came God’s chosen man and killed the villain with the power of his lips.”
“Have you checked his documents? It seems to me that he is also a stranger!” the Stranger didn’t try to hide sarcasm.
“How dare you!” the patrol gripped his weapon.
“Fools! You are being deceived. What has he done? Killed?” shouted the Stranger and the Wind broke outside. “If he was God’s messenger, he wouldn’t have killed, but brought people to repentance. ‘Evil comes from an evil.’ All you can do is to kill. How difficult it is for the Heaven to look at your crimes! I tell you: the Friend is an Enemy.”
The patrol stood frozen. The Stranger realized that he has less and less love left, just a little bit longer and he will pass the thin border and he will pass the sentence. He became silent, controlled himself and went away speeding up. He was sure that they wouldn’t shoot at his back.
“Am I able to stop the Enemy without destroying him? Can I punish the evil? Who can do that? How can I destroy the evil without destroying the body where the good lives as well? If I can’t do that, why do I start? Has the Prince killed? No… I don’t want to behave like his closest disciple who has punished a weak woman only because he wasn’t able to control the Power. But if I don’t stop the Enemy, how many more will he get out of his way? The Enemy has killed the Hermit, my best real friend. He killed the Soldier, a man who trusted and helped me. He will destroy the chosen once and the sweet, kind Moon. I can’t let this happen.”
His memory suggested the lines:
Please understand, I am not crying,
I have to get back to the fight.
Oh, Heaven, my tender land from far away,
I am dying, a young voice.
I am weeping, knelt down.
My blooded brother
is laying down at my feet like a raven,
While he, the subtle enemy is happy.
Look, the whole crowd rejoices,
The whole world rejoices – we aren’t here.
The tables are laid – the wives are weeping,
The grand dinner is brought in.
But there is darkness in the sky, rake with your hand,
Throw into the fire, burn it down,
And cast these ashes to the sky,
And everything around will moan and whine.
And somebody’s neck, some ten
And the wood squeaks with their weight.
The Stranger searched for the body of his friend in the square, but without success. He’s been recognized. Some people touched his clothes with respect and kissed their fingers.
“Where is your savior?” asked the Stranger.
“The Friend of the people will come soon. Look, how many strangers we’ve caught.”
“Although I was born here, I spend almost all of my life in a different place. I am also a stranger,” said the Stranger.
He stepped over the barrier, and stood next to the confused people, looked at each one of them. May be somebody from the chosen people had been caught here, they could come into the trap called by the Voice but it doesn’t look so, they are all scared. Though his attention was drawn to a young guy, who was sitting on the pavement, he was wearing a gray sweater, jeans, and comfortable high shoes. The Stranger felt confusion. His heart started beating fast. He looked at the young man. Short haircut, open wide forehead, brown hair, hairless round face, eyes, deeply set? The Stranger didn’t notice his eye color, it was too dark, besides, the young man didn’t look at anyone. He motionlessly stared at the pebbles of the pavement. The Stranger turned giddy with a sudden suggestion. “No. This can’t be true!” He was shivering when he came up to the young man. It was hard to make each step. The Stranger took a seat next to him and asked with excitement,
“Who are you?”
The young man looked at him. The eyes of the young man were of deep light-gray color, but the Stranger hasn’t seen such look in anyone who lives on earth. His eyes were shedding kindness and power at the same time, mercy and authority, an impossible combination. He understood who was in front of him. The young man took his hand and gave it a strong squeeze. The Stranger was absolutely happy. The path, he was walking, filled with hope, searches, falls, pain, disappointment and faith has brought him to this meeting.
“Did you come to show yourself to the world?”
The young man didn’t respond, only smiled with his eyes. The Stranger understood with his heart: “This world doesn’t need me.”
“Why are you here?”
“For your sake, for their sake and for my sake.”
“The Enemy is searching for you. He uses ordinary people to render lawlessness.”
“There are no ordinary people. Everyone can become great, but you are all in captivity. The war has been going on from ancient times. His time hasn’t come yet, my time hasn’t come yet, but your time is always. There still is kindness and love in this world, there are you and people like you. You are not lonely. You are seen, you are known. Don’t be afraid. There is a long way ahead of you and a great Meeting. I know you have got lots of questions, but the answers are all here. I will come to the ruins in my time. I need to leave right now. Give me some service.”
The Stranger was surprised. The Prince has the power to command: he says a word and everyone will fall with their faces down. Why doesn’t he use his authority?
He came up to the guards and said,
“We are leaving. When the Friend comes, tell him that the Stranger said Hi.”
The guard tarried, but the Stranger looked into this eyes.
“Didn’t you understand who is in front of you?”
The guard has nodded with obedience. They walked almost through the whole square, but an authoritative call has made the Stranger grow cold. He looked at the young man and saw him smiling encouragingly.
“Let the man go!” ordered the Stranger.
The Enemy was coming close fast, he looked fixedly at the young man, who calmly, slowly kept walking away from the square, carelessly keeping his hands in his pockets.
“Arrest him! It’s he who has brought the trouble!” ordered the Friend, pointing to the young man.
“It’s a lie!” shouted the Stranger. “This is the Enemy in front of you. Go away! You are the biggest trouble. Go away! Our souls are not yours! You have killed the Hermit! You have exceeded your authority! It’s not in your power to kill him. The righteous blood chases you away!”
“No. His blood is not enough, but there are a lot of sins. I haven’t killed him, he died himself. We don’t kill the righteous, we have them for this,” the Enemy pointed to the frozen crowd. “I have spared you, but now I don’t need you anymore. Are you ready to die? This world is mine, just one flick between the fingers, and you will be torn. I know each one of you. I have let you come up to the ancient ruins, but as soon as there will be an even number, I will destroy everyone.”
“I doubt it,” grinned the Stranger. “This is not your world. You haven’t created it. You haven’t created life. Sooner or later, the coverlet will be torn down and everybody will see the truth. The people will learn about their destination.”
“Your truth ruins the earth.”
“You are lying! We are the protection of this earth. Go away!”
The Stranger looked around, searched for the young man with his eyes, but hasn’t found him. The Enemy nervously looking into the crowd, mumbled:
“I will find him. I will find him anyway.”
“Who are you raising your hand at? Who is the Prince and who are you?”
“He is merely an ordinary human with blood and flash. He hasn’t dressed himself in the clothes of gods yet.”
“Is this why you search to kill him?”
“I want to reach an agreement.”
“He will not sit down with you at the bargaining table. What can the light and the darkness have in common?”
“People. We are here for your sake.”
“Stop it. I don’t want to kill but I will do it without any hesitation if I have to protect him.”
“Is this a challenge?”
“You are talking too much,” wheezed the Stranger and openly looked into the Enemy’s unblinking eyes.
He felt right away how invisible grips squeeze him; it was difficult for him to breathe. His heart trembled, it seemed like it is going to jump out of his chest. It stopped for a second, but started again. He felt the beats with his whole body. Forcing his way through the veil of horror, the Stranger remembered the words of the Prince, remembered his calm, tender but powerful look. The Wind covered the Stranger with a strong wave. His head was spinning, his knees became weak, but he came closer to the Enemy, grabbed his hands. “The Wind is on me! God’s power is with me,” he was repeating and felt how the chains that were holding him lost their strength. “I held the Prince by his hand. He gave me hope. This is the end for you, Enemy”. The Wind has completely seized his conscience. He started saying something without understanding the words. The time has thickened, and the Stranger has brought all of his strength down on the Enemy.
“I will be back,” said the Enemy in cut speech. “I will be back, and I will not be alone. Wait…”
Deathly pallor came out on his face. The Enemy stepped back, staggered and collapsed onto the stone slabs.
The Stranger sat onto the pavement, embraced his head with his hands: it was bursting with pain, but he was happy anyway…
The Seer looked at the women.
“He has died. Take courage,” he said and cried bitterly. The Medium embraced her throat, sobbed violently. The Bird shook her head:
“I don’t believe it. He promised.”
Epilogue
(three days later)
The Stranger opened his eyes and found himself in a room with a white ceiling. He tried to get up and a young girl ran up to him.
“Sweet face, but she has suffered a lot.”
“Well, how are you? Totally awake?” she asked.
“Who are you?” he could hardly untangle his dried lips.
“What’s going on with you? I am your friend,” the girl looked in astonishment into his eyes.
“Why am I here?”
“Don’t you remember anything?” it seemed to her that now he will smile and they together will laugh at this silly joke.
He tried to remember, but a sudden attack of headache made him refuse this idea.
A short man showed up in the room, he was laming in one leg a little bit.
“Why haven’t you died?” one couldn’t say by his tone whether he was happy or disappointed.
“Will he get better?” asked the girl.
“He has a short memory loss. Amnesia. May be that’s right. What will he do with such memories? Do you want to stay with him? You will have to make the acquaintance again.”
“That’s OK. I love him.”
“I will help you. You will never experience a need. The girl happily fell on the neck of her benefactor.”
“There is a beautiful girl in the hall, she is crying. Is she my friend too?” inquired the patient.
A tall woman has peeped into the room; she smiled through tears and waved with her hand at him.
“Hi, Stranger. I am so happy that you are alive.”
“What has happened to me?”
“It’s all over,” she assured him. “Isn’t it, Seer?”
“I don’t know, I don’t know. It seems to me that everything has only started. What do you think, Stranger?” the Seer looked fixedly at him, with screwed up eyes.
The patient has raised himself half from his bed and felt something like a mild wind touching his head. He smiled:
“Yes. Everything has only started.”
Contents
Part One Getting to Know Each Other