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.