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.
The stars were shining brightly, cool wind blowing. The Stranger loved the desert, dissolved in it becoming a part of it and felt free and powerful.
“How much longer we have to walk?” the girl broke the silence.
“Not so long. The way will take about seven hours, but we’re halt soon,” the Stranger calmed her down.
“I cannot walk for so long. I’ve never walked so much in my life!” she was perplexed.
“Even if I have to carry you, we must reach the tunnel before daylight. I don’t know why, but we must hurry,” the Stranger
stared at the sky.
“What tunnel?”
“A concealed mine. In ancient times, the habitants escaped through the tunnel out of the besieged City,” he explained. “Are you afraid of closed space?”
“I am.”
“Never mind. I’ll take your hand, and when passing through a checkpoint grip hold of my shirt and pass on with your eyes closed.”
“It was a joke. For one who did not live it is not frightful to die, but one who lives will never die,” she cited a saying by one of the Prince’s follower.
“Have you heard of the Prince?” the Stranger was surprised.
“Everybody’s heard. I like him, though not always understand. Tell me, why he didn’t take pay for curing sick people, though he had often no money on him? Why did he risk life? Why didn’t he use violence against his enemies? Why didn’t he break out of the country? After all, he could do that, but met death, which he was very afraid of. I’ve read, he even was crying before he died. Who stole his body? Or, he revived, indeed? Why are so many villains amongst his followers?”
While listening, the Stranger slackened the pace.
“Indeed,” he shook his head. “You have read books, to put it mildly, not recommended for average reader.”
“I used to read a lot, loved poetry.
‘I’m ashamed that I believed in God
Bitter to me that I do not believe now…’
This is about me. I believed in God, but through folly got in touch with the Snake, fell in love with him, but he got me hooked on drugs and got me a place with the Bumblebee to cheat mugs. There was no God. But you can’t think me on the street to make love with any gutters. Can you tell me about the Prince?”
“Sure. But first, I’ll answer your questions. The Prince was a healer and helped everybody without charge. Doctors did not treat beggar, but he proved to the world that the poor will receive healing the rich cannot buy for money. The Prince cured with power, with gift from above. And gift should be given for nothing. Isn’t it? Risked life, because he had a mission. It is far more important than life itself. Your former companions ran the risk too. A drunkard and a drug user risk not half! For what? For a dubious pleasure leading to hung-over? And he ran a danger for the sake of the truth and rescue of people. He could not leave the country because he exemplified courage and faith. The murder of the Prince shocked and shook many people. This is the God’s plan. Do you know how many feats followed the suit? And he comprehended something very important under torture and execution, gained experience that helps to understand pain and fear the other people suffer. He was left face to face with this world, without divine shelter. He couldn’t feel presence of God, while for such people this is the end of the world. That is why he was crying. Still, the Prince roughed it. His body was not stolen, rather it was changed, maybe replaced by more perfect one, and, of course, not people, however, I’m not aware of technical. All that I know for sure is that he is alive and acting. Villains… doesn’t matter how they call themselves, or how the others call them. Their essence matters. Their thoughts and deeds speak for the only thing: not only they are not his followers, but enemies. And when he comes, purification will start with the house under the sign ’Prince’s House’.”
The travelers talked away time, they walking having thrown fatigue to the wind. All of a sudden, the Strange
r stopped and seized the girl by the arm. He looked somewhere into the distance and saw strange shadow figures. Tall extended forms were moving fast and smoothly dead towards them.
The Stranger stood motionless trying to find whether it was a mirage. He had been to the desert a great many of times, but seen nothing of the kind. Reality lost its shape, the sky hung out over him, the air got dense, sand viscous. The Stranger looked towards the moving figures and could not believe in the events. He found the right state: you mustn’t be afraid; instead, you should take another reality for a dream, not to ‘hover’, but pass by as if you were a passer-by, a spectator, so as not to go mad. But if you seek more, you should go beyond the limits of your consciousness, believe that you belong to other reality, and then you will be a participant rather than a spectator.
“I’m not afraid!” he said to himself and made several steps towards the horror.
“Who is that?” the girl asked cuddling to him.
“She can see them too. May not withstand”, the Stranger thought, his blood running cold.
He already could see the well-defined silhouettes: three very tall figures of almost the same height. Clothing (apparently, making the integral whole with the bodies) was of unusual style, black or dark grey. They were approaching inexorably. Troublesome music sounded in his temples. The Stranger remembered about amulets and numerous altars in the Silencers’ desert. Whether those legends of yore about daemons of the desert were based on reality?
“I’m scared, I’m scared so much. I cannot move,” the girl whispered, trembling all over.
“Close your eyes,” the Stranger said stiffly. “Don’t look. Do not look at them under any circumstance. They intend no harm on us. They are just a desert mirage. Don’t be afraid. Do not be afraid of nothing. God’s power is on me.”
He took her by hand and stared at them. He felt interest; curiosity is not a vice, but very dangerous trait.
“No fear. No fear. His power with me. Wind, come! Creator, give me powers, do not leave me!” He felt just faint breathing of the Wind, but that was enough to look at them fearlessly.
The girl closed her eyes tightly and buried herself in the Stranger’s shirt, convulsively throwing her arms around him.
The Stranger saw one of them cast a glance on him: a scornful masque on a pale yellow, unnatural, inhuman face. The rest even did not take a look towards them and walked by right off.
He was torn by conflicting emotions. He couldn’t explain what he saw. That was not a mirage, but unexplainable terrifying reality. And you must either forget about it and erase out of memory, or take it for fact. Certainly, the Stranger chose the latter, but his unprepared mentality could not cope with the ordeal that fell to him: he felt like screaming and running for his life from that place. He looked back and at the sight of the girl lying low on the sand he felt ashamed. The Bird opened her eyes and muttered:
“I cannot go, leave me here.”
Chapter 29.The Hermit