Wind in the Hands (30 page)

The Seer tried to say something but he couldn’t, he mumbled, a helpless tear went down his cheek. The Stranger drank some sweet tea and made a sign to the Soldier, they went out to talks.

“We can’t stay here. The mobs can come back.”

“I will find a weapon, get on the roof and shoot at some of them, the rest will run away.”

“We can’t do that. There will be a crossfire started. There are people around.”

“Then let’s leave. Let’s ask to come into any house, stay there until it’s all gone. The most important thing is to leave the women and the Seer in a safe place.”

“OK. I will try to talk to my acquaintance; he invited me into the headquarters of the ‘Power of the Light.’ Tell them that I will be back soon.”

Chapter 45. Power of Light

The headquarters of the ‘Power of Light’ was located in the lower part of the City. The entrance had been guarded by two people, with their guns ready to shoot. The Stranger was checked by a metal detector, after they didn’t find anything suspicious, they let him go.

The respected members of the community were sitting in the front seats of the gathering hall. The Mediator was speaking from the rostrum:

“There are alien people walking on the hills of the desert,

The mere sight of them makes one lose heart, and his loins weaken.

Repent, before the darkness comes.

Our sins expose us, but stand up for us. Protect us in times of troubles.

Why do You torture us? Why there is no healing? We were expecting peace when horror came! The City, who will take pity on you?

Who will cry after you?”

The preacher looked up, with his eyes full of tears, and saw the Stranger.

“Brothers!” the Mediator raised his voice. “Look! A man of God came to us. His name is the Stranger,” and he pointed to the man standing at some distance.

“The Stranger?” exclaimed someone from the front row. “Isn’t it the Stranger who passed the Tunnel of death?”

Everyone got up from their places, wishing to see the man of God. He looked around at the neatly cut and dressed in expensive suits members of the community. He saw perplexity on their faces, because a poorly dressed, blue-eyed man with long hair faded in the sun and long wrinkles and a nice tan, a man of uncertain age appeared before their eyes.

The Stranger slowly walked to the rostrum:

“The prophecies come true: ‘I will send the dwellers of the land timidity of heart, rustling of a withering leaf will chase them and they will stumble over one another and they will fall, although nobody is after them. And they will not stand against the Enemy’… But the biggest sorrow comes from us ourselves. The fear pushes us to search for the truth in somebody’s fault but it’s not there. I need your help, for my friends are in danger. I want to bring them here, under your protection.”

“Bring anyone you wish,” said the Mediator. “Just not the servants of the darkness, for this is a holy place. Their presence will desecrate it. The Medium is our enemy. People like her open the door to the Enemy and his servants.”

“The Medium and the Seer helped me. God tells us to do good, and to forget evil. You can’t bring a defenseless woman into the temple, but can bring a weapon? Each one of you has a gun under his jacket. If you believe that God has sent me, listen to His messenger. I have passed the test of the desert warriors, but they still searched to kill me. You are waiting for the one who will approve your path. If the Prince comes, you will not accept him either. You say that you are the servants of God? On what grounds? Maybe, due to your seniority or due to your own testimony? Spiritual gifts aren’t proves of righteousness. In such a case the Seer is the most righteous of all the people.”

A grumble rolled down the hall, angry shouts were heard.

“He was right,” the Stranger remembered the warning. “I came here in vain.”

“Brothers,” shouted the Mediator. “Calm down, please. God wants peace, not a war. The witch will not enter our temple, but let’s respond to the request of the man of God, let’s send people to guard her house.”

“No,” said the elder firmly. “This man is of alien spirit, I can clearly see it, but let him leave in peace. We let you go. We forgive your pride and ignorance.”

The Stranger was boiling with anger; he didn’t need the forgiveness of impostors. He was filled with the Wind. The Stranger held the power, gasping air convulsively: “Just a few more seconds and the power will come out, and then something fatal will happen.”

“Mediator! Come with me!” he shouted and ran out of the building. The preacher hardly caught up with him.

“I have one question for you,” said the Stranger. “Do you remember what the heavenly messenger looked like?”

“He was dressed in light clothes, or of light-grey color. I don’t remember exactly.”

“Do you remember the cut of the dress?”

“No. No, I don’t.”

“Now eyes. Remember his eyes.”

The Mediator weary sat on the ground. The Stranger confirmed his worst fears: what if the Enemy has pretended to be the heavenly messenger and the vision is false? Then all his revelations are a deception?

“I don’t remember,” moaned the Mediator. “What is going on? What is going on with all of us? Why is it all so scary? We predicted. We were waiting. And here is this day, on the threshold, knocking at the door, but nobody is ready to let it in. Fevered conscience prompted wild solutions. Can you help?” he looked at the Stranger in hope.

“I don’t know. Nobody is listening to me. People will start killing each other in a short while.”

“They are already killing. We are ready to seize each other’s throats because of this fear. Why did you ask about the heavenly delegate?” the Mediator hung his head.

“Not everything that comes from heaven is from God.”

“Don’t say things like that. Who can we trust then?”

“I don’t trust anyone but the Prince,” said the Stranger.

“How do you recognize him?”

“I will… What have you decided? Are you coming with me?”

“No. I will go to ask people to repent. I will try to stop this slaughter. Maybe, God will give us mercy. You are my brother,” the Mediator gave a reserved smile.

The Stranger shook his hand; a lump came to his throat. He was seized by a bad feeling.

“Hold on, brother!” shouted the Stranger to the Mediator who was walking away.

What a pity, that they have not met earlier. The Stranger couldn’t understand how the Mediator maintained sensitive soul, being in an environment where they don’t stand another opinion? What was he doing in a community that is not able to accept the truth, and disregards the regulations? Probably, he realized that the elders were mistaken, he preached under the protection of the order to have some access to the congregation?

Stranger didn’t rush to judge people without finding the reason for their deeds.

Chapter 46. A Single-Shot Fire

The Soldier regretted that he did not take the automatic rifle off the desert warriors, but it was not difficult to find a gun in the City, especially in the times like these.

“Close the doors and the windows,” he told to the hostess. “I’ll go outside for a while.”

“Do you want to leave us?” her eyes filled with tears.

“I’ll be back, I promise, and the Stranger will be back soon too.”

Young men were darting about like vultures, but they didn’t try to touch him, probably they were looking for some easier prey. He saw men in the military uniform, came to them, named himself, and showed the dog tag built into the boot.

“Brothers, what’s going on?”

“We don’t know,” the patroller answered. “The City went crazy. We don’t interfere. We are watching.”

“Why don’t they bring troops into?”

“I don’t know. They say there is a dangerous virus in the City, but nobody knows exactly what it is.”

“Who has given the order to close the City? Security service?”

“No idea. But it was definitely not the security service. The cordon is made by border troops and police.”

“I see,” the Soldier drawled. “We’re in deep shit, men, so many idiots are here! The gun is a necessity.”

“We got a spare automatic rifle and a couple of magazines. Stay with us, it’s safer.”

“Thanks, guys, thanks a lot, but I should go.”

The Soldier didn’t expect that getting a gun would be so easy. Glad, he hurried home and from afar he saw the crowd gathering near the house.

With no hesitations, he switched the gun to his favorite mode: a single-shot fire.

“Get out of here! I’ll fire for effect!” the Soldier shouted and flicked the switch loudly.

A young man pointed a gun at him but he didn’t manage to aim. The rifle banged. The weapon may not be fixed, that’s why the Soldier aimed to the body but not to the head. The bullet hit the boy’s belly, passed clear and nicked somebody else. The young man dropped the gun, sat slowly with his hands pressed to the bleeding wound. He moaned with pain and fear and whispered, “Help, help.”

“Go!” the Soldier shouted once again. “Now!” and he gave another shoot, this time in the air.

The crowd dispersed quickly, having left the bleeding man on the ground. The Soldier took his gun, pulled out the charger, racked the slide, the bullet didn’t came out.

“Idiot!” he whiffed.

He entered to the entrance hall, went upstairs quickly and knocked on the door.

“It’s me, don’t be afraid!”

The hostess opened without even looking at him. The Soldier entered, saw that everyone was safe and sound, and calmed down.

“How’s our patient?”

“He has not recovered consciousness, it looks like catalepsy,” the Medium answered.

“Looks like what?”

“He’s asleep. In a deep sleep. Was it you shooting?”

It seemed that Medium was able to cope with fears and emotions or she pulled together as if there were no vengeful crowd outside. She took care of the Seer and even found time to calm The Bird who didn’t understand what was going on and that scared her even more.

“Yes. I put one down. I would kill a dozen of beasts and covered the street with blood, the rest of jackals would not dare to come close to your house, but the Stranger will not like it. Where is he? It’s dangerous outside,” the Soldier growled. He saw the Bird’s eyes and realized that he said too much. “Calm down, girl. You know the Stranger. Everything’s going to be all right.”

Chapter 47. New colors

The head of the security service handed over the administration to his successor. He destroyed the folder with the last case and felt the great relief. He knew what had happened to all who took part in the old litigation on the Stranger. The judge died of the sheer heart attack a couple of years ago. The policeman that pushed the Stranger died in the fire-fight. The court clerk was killed by her ex-lover. And the last in the list was the Prosecutor who committed suicide a weak ago.

The Chief was happy that he didn’t manage to arrest the Stranger, though he was curious to see him and talk to him. But such an acute person as the Stranger could not even glance in his direction. A heavy load of doubtful and sometimes cruel decisions pressed on conscience of the new pensioner.

He decided to devote all his time to reading holy books and praying in order to find the peace of mind. He was glad with all his heart that he had chance to devote time to family and there was so much ahead.

“The life sparkled with new colors,” he thought and suddenly felt a prick, a hit in his heart, he could not breathe, darkness spread in his eyes. “Too late,” these dreadful words burnt in front of him. They burnt and faded.

Chapter 48. The Promise

The Stranger saw the bleeding young man near the house. He stopped beside him and examined the wound. The Bird ran out of the house, rushed towards him but the Stranger ignored her and ordered:

“Go back to the house and bring the medicine box!”

“He is one of the rioters,” the girl flared up.

“The man is hurt, he needs help. Don’t argue…”

The Soldier appeared, and passed him the medicines. Without a word, the Stranger started to debride a wound. Soon an old woman with two young men ran up. She bent over the wounded and burst in tears.

“He’s alive, calm down,” the Stranger assured her. “We have stopped the bleeding but he should be taken to the hospital.”

“The hospitals don’t take the wounded,” one of the young men said. “We’ll take our brother with us and take care of him at home. Thanks to you, he’s alive. Thank you. Thank you very much!” and he shook the hands of the Stranger and his friend who avoid looking into the crying mother’s eyes.

“You need to find antibiotics and a drip bulb. It’s ok, he is a healthy young man, he’ll stay alive. The bullet went through, his vital organs are not damaged,” the Stranger soothed.

Going upstairs he asked the Soldier:

“Where did you get a gun?”

“People kind and fair are everywhere,” the Soldier answered serenely. “Protected friends. I did it my way.”

The Stranger came to the Seer, felt his pulse, listened to the weak heartbeat and started to shake him immediately.

Seer’s eyelid twitched.

“Don’t sleep!” the Stranger shouted, slapped his cheek and dashed water in his face.

The Seer opened his eyes and mumbled,

“Head, my head…”

The Stranger put hands on the head of the Seer but jerked back as if he touched something extremely hot. Then he pulled together and again put his palms on the aching spot. He felt his hands got heavy. The Stranger released the tension and pressed his palms to the Seer’s head again.

“Thank you. I feel better. You woke me up in time. I didn’t sleep and I wasn’t awake.” The Seer listened to himself and muttered, “I feel nothing.”

“You need to eat and have some rest. I and Soldier will take care of you,” the Stranger shook his hand.

“I had no friends for many years. I’m glad I met you, especially in these dark days,” the Seer was moved deeply.

“These are not last days. Here’s tea and honey. Refresh yourself.”

“Stranger, I know you want to leave,” the Medium said. “Don’t do this. There’s death on the streets, we can barricade inside the flat. The Soldier has the automatic rifle, we’ll hold out. I’m sure the government will send the troops to establish order. Please, I beg you, don’t go out!”