Magda took a seat near the end of the table, leaving the main chair empty. Esmeralda took a seat at the other end. Hector and Miguel sat next to her, farther away. The guards remained near the door, and only moments later, opened it for the arrival of Imperator Padamir Zharkov.
Hector was surprised at how little presence the man commanded when he entered a room. Even with his royal robes dragging behind him and that huge crown atop his head, he still seemed like a young boy playing dress up. Yet, according to the rules of the Empire, everyone stood up from their chairs, then bowed down as he entered. He smiled and waved at everyone when he walked in, then kissed Magda on the cheek before taking his seat at the head of the table.
“Mrs. Majesty! It's an honor to meet you,” he said with a flutter of excitement in his voice.
“You flatter me, my Imperator, but, of course, the honor is all mine.”
“Of course,” Magda said through her teeth, shooting a look at Padamir, who didn't notice. “The Imperator only meant that he was pleased to meet you.”
Padamir waved the correction away and said, “Nonsense. I've been a great fan of your work over the years. The creativity you show in your work is something to be admired. And to think, these inventions come from a mind far inferior to that of the super-intelligent Oshiros! It really is quite extraordinary.”
Esmeralda looked down at the table, but collected herself instantly and said, “Thank you, my Imperator. I am glad my work has pleased you.”
“I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed in my predecessor when I learned that we had made an exclusive, lifetime agreement with the Oshiro dynasty for their technology. I suppose it's just my vastly superior understanding of the new world and this new age I've summoned forth, but I'm much more open to the possibility of your involvement in our Empire.”
“Yes, my Imperator,” Esmeralda said with a pleasant smile, but Hector knew her tells, and could see the twitch in her eye. “Your wisdom will no doubt further the Empire's progress.”
“I agree!” Padamir said, visibly excited by Esmeralda's compliments. “You're just lucky this war started so I could cancel our agreements with the Oshiros.”
Magda loudly cleared her throat and said, “What the Imperator is trying to say, is that even in these difficult times, we are trying to make the most out of our situation. A partnership with the American Republic, and with MajesTech, would not only bring our Empire closer together, but possibly end this uprising even sooner.”
“Any help I can offer is yours, my Imperator.”
“Wonderful. That's wonderful.”
“We do have a few concerns,” Magda said, cutting Padamir's celebration short.
“Oh?”
Hector saw the twitch in her eye again.
Magda pressed the tips of her fingers together and rested her chin on them. “While your civilian applications are somewhat impressive, you have never delved into the world of weapons development, and this is what we need, first and foremost. Your Imperator and I worry that you and your company may not be up to the task.”
Esmeralda smiled, doing her best to keep from smirking. “I'm sure that once I am legally able to begin the design process, my work will speak for itself.”
Magda smiled back. “While I compliment you on your faith in yourself, we do not share the same level of confidence.”
Esmeralda glanced back and forth between Magda and Padamir, looking a bit stunned. “I'm sorry? I'm not sure what you're asking me.”
“We're not asking you anything. The Imperator of the Zharkovian Empire doesn't ask for things. He demands them.”
Esmeralda sat up straight in her chair and asked, “What are your demands, my Imperator?”
Magda rolled her eyes. “Oh, come now. Don't look so pained. It isn't becoming for a woman of your stature.”
Hector could see Esmeralda's jaw clenching as she ground her teeth together. Her fingernails dug into the armrests of the chair, then relaxed. Her shoulders lowered, and she returned to the role she was playing, that of the subservient, imperial citizen.
“Please, forgive me.”
Magda pushed herself away from the table and said, “We require a new weapon. Something that will give our troops the advantage against the self-replicating drone army that marches onto our shores. Something that can destroy them at a faster rate than they replicate.”
Esmeralda tilted her head and asked, “Just to be clear, are you asking for new guns? Tanks? Or something else...”
Magda huffed a single laugh and said, “Dear, if I knew the answer to that, we wouldn't need you. I'm asking you to solve a problem. Do you think you can handle that?”
Esmeralda's fingernails dug into her own leg this time as she smiled, bowed her head to Padamir, and said, “Of course. Anything for my Imperator.”
“Wonderful!” Padamir said as he rose from his chair. “I look forward to seeing what a mortal mind can come up with. I'm sure it will be unique!”
“Yes,” Magda said, following his movement to leave. “I'm sure of that as well. Let's just hope it's unique in the right ways, yes?”
“Of course,” Esmeralda said, the pained look in her eyes hidden from anyone who didn't know her as well as Hector did.
Padamir and Magda said a brief goodbye, and were then followed out of the room by an entourage of servants and guards. A small contingent stayed behind to lead Esmeralda, Hector, and Miguel back to their aircraft. The military vehicle's engines were already blasting out smoke when they crawled inside, and before they knew it, the family was back in their hotel room.
Hector held out his hand to calm Miguel's worried look as Esmeralda slammed her briefcase onto the table and stormed out onto the patio.
“It's okay, son. Just give your mother and I a moment.”
Hector poked his head out, then joined Esmeralda, who was gripping onto the railing, her head slung low.
“Are you okay?”
Esmeralda's head spun around and her eyes burned into Hector. “Okay? Are you kidding me? I've never been more humiliated in my life.”
“They're pompous royal brats. Don't let them get under your skin.”
“I have never... never allowed anyone to speak to me like that. But there I sat, smiling and placating that bitch and her child-husband, because... why? Because they have a crown and a throne? Because they have the disease?”
Hector placed his hand on her back, swirling it in small circles. “You did that, because you're smart. Because you're patient. Because you know what I'm going to do to them.”
“You found a way in?”
“I saw at least three ways in.”
Esmeralda smiled and said, “Of course you did.”
“So, we're on? No more hesitating?”
“If I had any hesitation about what we are doing, whether it's right or wrong, they just answered it for me. We need to teach those two a lesson. A lesson the rest of the world needs to learn as well.”
“Trust me, dear. I will teach them a lifetime of lessons.”
“Just promise me one thing...” Esmeralda took a deep breath in through her nose and said, “Make it slow. Make it hurt.”
Hector smiled and said, “Of course. Anything for you, my love.”
26
WESLEY
The halls of the temple were nearly silent at the late hour, and the torches on the walls flickered with the last of the day's embers. Zola led Wesley toward the training room with her consistent stride, like she always had something better to be doing, and just wanted to get his training over with.
“Why is it that you're the only psionic that teaches me anything?” Wesley asked, calling out to her, hoping his words would catch up to her. “The Bautista brothers-”
Zola spun around on her heels, forcing Wesley to stop before he ran right into her.
“The Bautista brothers are nowhere near my level. They are still learning the Fifth Circle of Psi. They could barely teach you anything.”
“Fifth Circle?” Wesley asked, since this was the f
irst he had heard the terminology. “What circle am I in?”
Zola shook her head and spun back around, walking as she talked. “The fact that we haven't told you about the circles should enlighten your answer.”
Wesley grumbled to himself, hating that he was being left in the dark. Normally, whenever he had a question about something, it was simple research that could quench his thirst for answers. Relying on someone else to tell him “secrets” was annoying at best.
When they reached the training room, Zola pushed open the wooden door, revealing the room already lit with candles and smelling of sweet incense mixed with sweat. Kgosi sat at the front of the room with his eyes closed and a slight smile on his face. Two twin brothers sat in front of him, but both of them were broken from their trance when the door creaked open. As their shaved heads spun around at the same time, Wesley saw the beady eyes that peered at him from under their bushy eyebrows.
“My apologies, God-King,” Zola said, bowing her head. “I thought we were scheduled for this hour.”
Kgosi's eyes opened and his smirk grew a little. “You are not mistaken. Our lesson ran long. But this offers us a wonderful opportunity. I don't believe the boys have had the chance to meet.”
The twins continued to stare at Wesley, making no effort to show any emotion toward him. Zola glanced between them and Wesley, then bowed her head again as she back-stepped out the door.
“I will leave you to it, then.”
“Nonsense!” Kgosi said, his grin growing into a teeth-baring smile. “When was the last time you had a chance to train with others?”
“Since I surpassed all others,” Zola said matter-of-factly.
“Then this is the perfect chance for you to stretch those mental muscles that have grown stiff. Please, Zola, join us.”
Zola hesitated for only a second, then bowed her head in compliance and walked into the room. Wesley followed her, and sat down with his legs folded under him, next to the twins. They just continued staring at him and it gave him the creeps.
“Boys. Introduce yourselves.”
Wesley turned to the twins and said, “Hey. I... I'm Wesley Lockhart. I'm from the American Republic.”
“Course you are,” the twin on the left said and the other one chuckled.
“I'm Sergio. This is Javier. We're the Bautista brothers. Born and bred in the Fatherlands.”
They were both flexing as they talked, which made their bodies bounce around as their muscles contracted. Wesley was sure it was supposed to be intimidating, but he just found it odd.
“Wonderful,” Kgosi said. “Now... shall we continue?”
“Veritas!” the two brothers yelled into the air.
Kgosi nodded his head and the three of them closed their eyes. Zola flashed a look at Wesley then closed her eyes. Wesley still wasn't sure what they were doing, but followed along.
“The stones you lift with your mind, the apples you control with your thoughts... these are small. But they are pieces of a bigger puzzle. I have taught you to relax your mind, to flow through the object you wish to control, rather than grabbing onto it. We are thoughts, not hands nor arms nor bodies. Pushing and pulling and lifting... these are ideas that your body needs in order to move through the physical realm. But in the psionic realm, there is no such thing as size or weight or gravity. There is only faith. Belief. Confidence that your reality is real.”
“Veritas!” Zola and the twins shouted.
Wesley remained silent, lost in thought about what Kgosi was actually saying. He was too busy trying to read between the lines to interpret the unspoken moment when he should reply.
“God-King,” one of the twins said. “Wesley did not accept your words.”
Wesley's eyes blinked open as he looked around the room defensively. “No! I just... I didn't know...”
“That's correct, Wesley,” Kgosi said, his eyes still shut. “You see, Sergio, Wesley doesn't defy me, because one cannot defy what one doesn't understand. Do you not remember when the two of you first arrived here? Can you not recall your first attempts at understanding the psionic realm?”
“Yes, God-King.”
“Good. Then let us be patient with young Wesley as he accepts that which is more than truth.”
Kgosi clapped his hands together, which caused Zola and the twins to rise to their feet. Wesley stumbled as he rushed to join them.
“Sergio? Wesley shares your side of the psionic realm, that of the absence of life. Will you join him on this side of the room?”
The twin brother smirked at Wesley and walked over to the left side of the room. Wesley joined him. Sergio puffed out his chest and closed his eyes, breathing deeply through his nose. His pectoral muscles raised up and down with every breath.
“Please show Wesley the 42nd thought.”
Sergio nodded his head and took one last breath in before folding his hands in front of him, then pushing them out, his fingers wrapped in what appeared to be a very specific form, with certain fingers overlapping others. Where Zola had taught Wesley to reach out without effort, Sergio's face strained as if he were power-lifting in a gym. His teeth clenched, his brow furrowed, and his body tensed, shaking as he tried to hold the pose. Nothing happened at first, but then every inanimate object in the room lifted from the floor. Every bookshelf, every chair, every candle. They hovered, halfway between the floor and the ceiling. Sergio was letting loose a small groan as he strained to keep it all there. Kgosi watched him with contentedness for a few seconds before he spoke.
“You may release.”
Sergio's body relaxed instantly, dropping to the floor with the same crash as every object in the room.
“Very good,” Kgosi said. “But you are still relying on the physical to help the psionic. This shortcut may push you further at first, but it will hold you back in the long run.”
“I'll get there, God-King,” Sergio said. “I promise.”
“Yeah you will, bro!” Javier shouted, rushing to his brother's side and high-fiving him with a slap that would have bruised Wesley's hand.
“Now, Wesley. Would you care to try the 42nd thought?”
“What?” Wesley said, confused by the question itself. “Me? No... I don't even know how.”
“He can't do that,” Sergio said, just as confused as Wesley. “He hasn't even gone through the First Circle. How is he supposed to-”
Kgosi held up his hand to stop Sergio, who complied instantly.
“Success isn't all we should strive for. There is a journey that tests us, that reveals to us where we are on the path. That is all this is. A revelation.”
Wesley heard Javier whisper to Sergio, “Does he even know where the path is?” which caused his brother to chuckle.
Wesley nervously stepped up, trying to remember how Sergio had his finger wrapped around each other. He clumsily interwove them, but then heard the twins laugh behind him.
“Just relax,” Zola said from across the room. “Remember what I taught you. Don't force it to move. Allow it to move.”
The twins snickered behind him again and he was sure he could actually hear their muscles flexing.
Wesley sat down on the floor, folding his legs underneath him in the meditative pose, and closed his eyes. His breathing fell into a rhythm right away, filling his lungs, then emptying them, over and over, until there was nothing else. His mind fell away, swirling around the room like a mist, interlacing through every object. When his thoughts had expanded to encompass the entire room, he let out a breath.
It was gravity that held the objects in place, so instead of fighting against it, he relieved it from its duty. He eased its grip from every object, letting the earth itself relax its hold. For a moment, he would let the physical realm loosen itself from the room.
He opened his eyes and saw a single pebble floating in front of him.
The Bautista brothers burst out laughing, unable to control themselves.
The pebble fell to the floor as Wesley was sucked back into the physic
al world. He looked up at Zola, but she refused to make eye contact with him, so his eyes glanced apologetically over to Kgosi.
“Your path is long,” Kgosi said, his smile gone from his face.
“I didn't know what I was doing! I've never tried to do something like that before.”
“Bro. You probably should never try to do something like that again,” Javier said, and his brother high-fived him again.
“Javier,” Kgosi said firmly, “you should be embracing this chance to impart your wisdom upon a fellow family member of the House of Psi. Not reveling in the chance to mock his inability.”
Javier let out a long sigh. “I'm sorry, God-King. But are we seriously considering allowing this kid into our family?”
“We are past considering!” Zola yelled across the room. “Your God-King has declared it so. His words are Veritas!”
Javier and Sergio exchanged glances, then shot a glaring look at Wesley, before bowing their heads and shouting, “Veritas!”
“He has much to learn about the psionic realm, but with all of us helping him, I'm sure he will become a powerful member of our family.”
“Yeah. Sure,” Javier said, rolling his eyes as he turned his back to Kgosi.
“I'm really sorry,” Wesley said to no one in particular. “I swear I'll try harder. Study harder.”
Kgosi smiled and shook his head. “You cannot study this. You cannot try harder. It simply is, Wesley. My words are there, whether you believe in them or not. Accepting them as more than truth is the only thing you need to do. Doubt is effort. Acceptance is the opposite of effort. It is the unconscious mind let free. You are actively fighting against my words. When you stop fighting, when you let my words in without question... that is when you will be ready. That is when the First Circle of Psi will encompass you.”
Wesley took in a deep breath and said, “Yes, God-King.”
“Good. Sergio, Javier, and I will leave you and Zola to your daily training. I bless you both with this simple question: Open is breathing out. Closed is breathing in. Which do you force, and which forces you?”
Zola looked to Wesley, offering him the chance to answer first. Wesley rolled the question around in his mind, but he couldn't make sense of it.
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