Chapter 51. The Friend
The Seer drank some tea, the pain and weakness slowly abated. His impatient mind requested explanation of the reasons for this horror that stroke the City.
“Alien creatures. Either they came from a different world or they are a result of our fears and prejudices. It doesn’t matter which one they are. They destroy the City by their presence. Is there an escape from them? The Stranger? Is his power able to drive the Exterminators out? Probably… What’s next? The Stranger will not accept the power given by the released crowd. He will not judge and punish, but this system doesn’t allow any merciful rulers. Only fear is able to hold the crowd from their thirst for blood. What did the Hermit come for? To fight? No. To preach? It’s too late. To meet with the Stranger? He met with him, so what?” the Seer reached out for a cigarette, but quickly drew his hand back. “The Hermit’s eyes glittered; he was searching for someone for he wanted to tell the Stranger something important. He was so much in a hurry that refused to help his friend?”
“What’s going on with you?” the Medium asked, looking at the paled Seer. “You need to rest and not to ponder over anything.”
He closed his eyes and nodded.
“It’s not necessary for me to be here. I will go to look for the Stranger,” announced the Soldier.
“You promised to stay with us,” the Medium reminded.
“You are not under any threat. They will not come here again. Having felt the look of the Soldier, the Seer opened his eyes and said slowly, as if dividing by syllables:
“There is death in the streets. You shouldn’t go.”
“I’ve been walking under death for many years. These are side effects of the profession. If I feel something, I will leave.”
“If you feel something you will not have enough time to leave.”
The Soldier stood up, straightened his shoulders, took his rifle and winked at the woman.
“It doesn’t matter, since none of you can shoot. Close the door behind me.”
He went to the square, hoping to find the Stranger there. He came closer to a small group of people who were violently discussing texts from holy books.
“Listen, what is written here about this time: ‘There is fear on the faces of the land dwellers, for who will not be afraid this day? The day of sorrow and suffering has come. The people will receive according to their deeds. And there will be robbers and nobody will be able to oppose them.’ And here, in a different place it says: ‘He will come and the Lord’s glory will become his shield, and the sword of faith will be in his hand to strike those who are strong.’ Look, brothers: the Exterminators are the strong; it means that there will come someone who strikes them.”
“Could be,” said another one. “Let’s suppose that the Exterminators will come to the City, but who is he who will drive them away?”
“Have you heard about the Stranger?” somebody asked. The Soldier started when he heard a familiar name.
“Of course. Many of us have seen him ascend over the ground and fly away.”
“Excuse me,” broke the Soldier into the conversation. “Has the Stranger flown up? Are you sure about it?”
“Yes. Many people said so...”
“Where is he now?”
“We don’t know. We don’t even know his face really.”
“I know him. I have his photo,” and the Soldier had been handed a picture, confiscated from safety agents.
“This one doesn’t look like him. He has a beard up to his chest.”
Tensed silence hung in the air.
“The Stranger has cut his beard...” the Soldier felt danger.
“Why?” he was interrupted. “To disguise himself?”
“Exactly...” responded the Soldier and stopped short.
“Will the Stranger disguise himself? Hide himself? Be afraid? Who are you to insult the great prophet?”
The Soldier didn’t expect that these obedient and disposed people could turn into angry beasts in just a few seconds.
“The Stranger is my friend, we came into the City together,” said the Soldier as calm as possible, but only curses and swearing came down on him. He jumped aside, jerked the bolt.
“Stand still! Another step and I will shoot!” shouted the Soldier, but it was too late. He became weak in his knees, his palms covered with sticky sweat. He pulled himself together with great effort.
The crowd froze. The Soldier has already looked out for a place to retreat, but suddenly a short frail man showed up from nowhere. He stretched his hand up front, looking right into the eyes of the Soldier and started speaking:
“You are a son of death, slander and liar. I know the Stranger, and you don’t. I honor the Prince and you don’t. You threaten with your weapon, but the real weapon isn’t made by man. You want to kill us, but you will die instead. I don’t kill, your sins kill you.”
The Soldier unclasped his hands; the rifle fell on the pavement with a loud crash. Cold inhuman eyes were looking at him, the eyes that take life. He heard ringing, as if anvil started working in his mind. His heart beat fast but uneven. The Soldier felt with the rest of his conscience that he needs to wake up, come to himself, and throw off the nets. His heart began to wave like an autumn leaf in the strong, gusty wind. And he stopped hearing it. Everything around him span and mixed. Seized with deadly horror, he screamed, but nobody heard his scream, only the Stranger felt his heart squeezed by a bad foreboding. The Soldier fell down, hit his head over the stones and a small stain of blood flew out onto the pavement. The crowd with terror and excitement looked at the man who struck the slander with the power of his lips.
“I didn’t kill him, but his sins,” the man repeated in velvet voice and everybody around him started smiling. “He is a big sinner. Brothers, I am no one, but God works through me, I can direct sins of the person against him. And I have the news for the citizens of the City. The unseen Exterminators, spirits from the nethermost are bonded with the sons of men that opened them the door into our world. We have to find the betrayers. I ask you don’t kill them, for God is merciful. It’s easy to recognize them: they are aliens, they don’t have the stamp. Of course, not all of the citizens have a connection with the Exterminators, but we will be able to distinguish them. Well, devout citizens, find them all and bring them to me. Meeting is at the King’s square.”
Right then small units were arranged and sent out to search for aliens. The savior had been named as the Friend of the people.
The local television kept repeating shots of the victory of the frail man’s spiritual power over a big guy with a rifle. The Medium wept stormily. The Seer almost pierced the screen with his eyes. The appeal of the Friend to the citizens on TV has astounded him.
“Who is he?” the Medium asked. “What a terrifying look he has. What is he doing?”
“He is looking for someone,” the Seer walked around the room nervously. “He is also searching, but I am too weak and I can’t penetrate this secret.”
“Just a bit longer, and you will become like before,” the woman supported him.
“Who are you, the Friend of the people? They look at him in such an ecstasy! Like an obedient dog looking at its master,” spoke the Seer through clenched teeth.
“Do you think he is looking for the Stranger?”
“I didn’t say that… The Stranger rushed into the City. The power pulled him, it wanted to fight. This is the only weapon to fight against the Exterminators. Looks like they created obstacles on the path of the Stranger. Unfortunately, even through me. Probably, the Friend had been leading him from the very beginning, so that the Stranger would drive the exterminators away and would free place for him. Have you heard about the Friend before?”
“I have never heard about him, although he is much stronger than we are.”
“One can kill with hypnoses, especially after your opponent falls down on the stones,” the Seer was irritated. “Nothing unusual. Unless he used energy, power. It didn’t look like hypnoses from a detached view. I
t looked like God’s punishment in the eyes of the believers. Oh, the Soldier didn’t listen to me,” sighed the Seer heavily.
“What will the Stranger do now?” asked the Bird.
“This is a good question,” responded the Seer. “I think that he won’t pass it by like that. They are all searching for somebody. But who is he?”
Chapter 52. The Moon