The Balance Omnibus

by Alan Baxter

  Frank shrugged, his face embarrassed. ‘Well...’

  The Sorcerer shook his head. ‘Stupid question, I suppose. Anything specific spring to mind that may count?’

  ‘Not really. I’ve thought about it too. Perhaps they were watching the Billings place more than they were watching me and just thought I might be a bit more interesting after they’d seen me arrive there?’

  ‘If that was the case, they’d return to Billings.’

  ‘Which they didn’t, at least that day or the next.’

  ‘And how would they know about you heading to the airport?’ Jake asked.

  Frank nodded. ‘I know. I deliberately stuck around, returned to the Billings place, snooped about everywhere. Nothing. I told Dan and the others to keep a careful watch, but they’re inexperienced.’

  ‘They are.’ The Sorcerer stood up, making a decision. ‘We need to get on with our course of action. We certainly need to be as cautious as possible, but we must also maintain our focus. You did the right thing, Frank, and it would seem that you shook them off. For now, at least, that works in our favour. You have to go back to the Billings Gather. They are to disband immediately. We’re moving on, all of us. Get the latest details from Chris, he’s in York. Give the Billings people all the details of the journey to pass on to their members and get them going. You are to oversee their movement and ensure that as many as possible get to the first rendezvous point. Then do the same throughout North America, talk to all the Seventh Degrees there.’

  Frank’s face was sour. ‘I’ve just got back from there.’

  ‘I know. But you’re the only one that can recognise these two snoopers. I trust you to move the Billings Gather without being spotted. If those two return and are likely to discover anything, you end that possibility permanently. Understand?’

  Frank nodded. ‘If those two return, it may be easier to end the Gather permanently than to take them on.’

  ‘That’s what I meant.’

  Faith sat nervously in the large room where the Gathers took place under the watchful eyes of Lars. People were filling the chairs around her. Many she recognised from before, but there were others here too. It would seem that different members were able to attend on different nights. She wondered how many people were part of this secretive ONC. Here and around the world it seemed to be something bigger than she would have thought possible.

  Her nerves stemmed from Lars’ promise to her earlier that day. He had said before that she would be fast-tracked. He saw potential in her and wanted her to advance quickly. She liked that idea, it played to her ego. But she was smart enough to know that it would not go down well with everyone. What about others here that were serving their time as Neophytes and Prospects? Lars had told her right before he slipped out the back, leaving her waiting, that she would enter Sanctum tonight. Tonight! Why so fast? Especially when she had done nothing to earn it like the others. Was she really that special? Was Lars just falling for her and treating her like a princess? He didn’t seem the type. She was besotted with him, she knew that, but it was hard to imagine that he felt quite like she did. She felt lost, dragged along as if by a raging river, driven uncontrollably by a storm swelling its belly. Could someone like Lars really feel like that?

  Or perhaps she was simply powerful, as he kept trying to convince her. She could feel the words he had taught her in her mind. They were disturbing on the one hand, crawling through her memory like maggots in rotting meat. On the other hand they burned with power and possibility. In Sanctum she would learn more. Her concerns faded at the prospect. She didn’t want to be greedy, but she wanted to learn more.

  The business of the Gather began and Faith said the words as the others did, took part robotically. Lost in her reverie she paid scant attention to another Neophyte that earned herself a place as a Prospect. She was brought out of her thoughts as Lars addressed the room.

  ‘Brothers and Sisters, a great time approaches. Our faith in Yath-vados is rewarded more every day and our power grows. Soon our reward will outweigh anything we could have imagined. Soon there will be a Gather of epic proportions, members from all over the world will Gather for a truly momentous event. And it will be here, in our country!’

  A murmur of interest and quick discussion washed through the room. Lars continued. ‘You can imagine that a thing of this size and importance is hard to organise and we must be careful of interfering interests. The time and the place of the Gather will be given out at the very last minute, so prepare yourself for a sudden journey. Forget about work, partners, anything so mundane. After this your world will be changed forever. Everybody’s world will be changed forever! Neophytes, Prospects, relax at your leisure. Degrees, to Sanctum.’

  Lars swept his arm back theatrically, indicating the door behind him. As people began to rise and move around, his eyes locked with Faith’s. With one of his disarming smiles he crooked one finger at her, beckoning. Glancing around, Faith rose and headed towards the front of the room with the members called Degrees. Some people in the room gave her looks of interest or confusion and she tried to look ahead and meet none of the eyes. As the Degrees around her passed into the room beyond, Lars put an arm about her shoulders and squeezed. ‘Don’t worry, love. They don’t need to worry themselves about the workings of our business and neither do you.’

  ‘Only last Gather you introduced me as a new member and now you lead me into Sanctum,’ Faith whispered urgently. ‘I don’t want to make enemies here before I’ve even begun.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Lars said again. ‘Everybody moves at different rates. Eventually all these people will be Degrees and it won’t matter any more. In the meantime, concentrate on your own journey. I want you to be an integral part of this massed Gather and that means pushing you along.’ He smiled again and kissed her on the cheek. Then he led her through the door.

  As she passed the threshold she shivered involuntarily. She looked at Lars, surprise in her eyes. ‘You know that old expression, “I felt like someone just walked over my grave”?’

  Lars nodded. ‘This room is protected and sealed with powerful magic. All Sanctums are. You just passed through that barrier. I let you through, but you felt it. The reason you felt it so strongly is due to your natural power. This is another example of the potential that I keep talking about. After tonight you will have the ability to pass through on your own, but we will always know who is coming and going through our Sanctum doors. Every Optimates knows when anybody passes the entrance to their Sanctum.’

  Faith nodded. She was having trouble keeping up with all the things she was being told. After the debacle before, trying to do something as relatively simple as moving a plate, she was worried that she would embarrass herself in here tonight. A small chuckle rose inside her at the thought. As if moving a plate with her mind was simple! Already her worldview was warping. The things she was being exposed to, the things she was learning, were truly blowing her mind.

  The inside of this room, this Sanctum, was dim and oppressive. All the walls, floor and ceiling were black, candles guttering from holders on the walls. Nothing else was present in the room except people. As her eyes adjusted to the gloom she saw that the floor was black but with a large red disc in the centre, dark, almost black itself. She couldn’t be sure if it was an optical illusion or not but the floor seemed to be just slightly concave. The overall impression was similar to the wristband she wore. The wristband that everyone wore, and the robes the Optimates wore. More than two thirds of the people at the Gather had come into Sanctum it seemed. Now they ranged themselves about the edge of the red disc on the floor, a circle shoulder to shoulder. They all bowed their heads and held their hands clasped before them. Each held a knife of some description in their clasped hands. It appeared that the avenue for self-expression in this group was through the type of blade a person chose. Some people held large, mean looking Bowie knives or carving knifes, others held small penknives or wicked little flick knives. Regardless of type, everyone had a
blade. As Faith noticed this she felt Lars press something cold into her hands. It was a short, wide folding penknife, hard, heavy, shiny. He indicated that she take a place at the edge of the red disc on the floor. She did so, emulating the posture of those around her, glad of the opportunity to stare at the ground.

  Lars and James, the other, quiet Optimates here, walked to the middle of the circle. They too held their blades clasped before them. Lars spoke softly, his voice hypnotic. ‘By blood are all things living empowered and by blood is all change effected. Nothing worthwhile is ever born without blood.’ He raised his hand and his blade, pressing the blade against the edge of his forearm. All the others gathered followed suit. Nervously, remembering the exercise at the breakfast table, Faith did the same. Lars caught her eye, smiling as he drew the blade across his skin. He nodded, almost imperceptibly. Gritting her teeth, Faith drew her blood as the others around her drew theirs. As they did so they all uttered more of those harsh, broken words. Faith heard them and they crawled instantly into her brain alongside the others. She knew, instinctively, that these were the words that would allow her to pass through the wards and barriers of the ONC, among other things. She also knew, beyond any doubt, that they were also words that would not let her pass unnoticed.

  The people in the circle took small cloths from pockets and wiped their blades, then pressed the cloths to their superficial wounds. Embarrassed, Faith wiped her blade on her sleeve and pressed her stinging wound with her palm. It wasn’t bleeding much, her cut reluctant and unpracticed. Some of the people in the circle wiped their blades but ignored the cuts, letting their blood trickle along fingers and drip to the floor. Faith looked again at the red disc they all stood on and shivered at the realisation of its origins.

  Lars drew a long breath. ‘Let me first assuage your confusions, my Brothers and Sisters. Faith joins us tonight at my personal request. She has been receiving instruction from me, she has shown enormous potential and she will be a part of the greatness to come. Believe me, she has earned and will continue to earn her place among the Degrees. Treat her as you would any other.’

  Faith glanced around the room, thankful of the dim light concealing her blush. The other members returned her look, smiling and nodding. No one seemed to be too concerned at her sudden promotion. She could be thankful for that at least.

  ‘A great time approaches!’ Lars announced. ‘You have heard me speak of it, you are aware that great things are afoot, but let me reiterate here the importance of what occurs. Those that are Neophytes and Prospects are important in the grand scheme, but like foot soldiers they serve without great knowledge or awareness. Those of us in Sanctum have a far greater responsibility and a far greater hand in what will occur. You must be ready to travel to the massed Gather when it is announced. You must be ready to work your magic and spill your blood. You must prepare for wonder!’ He paused for dramatic effect. He seemed to be at his best when orating. ‘Let us continue our studies and our worship.

  ‘The thing most important to us at this stage is to be strong in our faith and our desire to see Yath-vados gain power. We need to give Him our worship that He may return the favour and grant us greater power. Let us practice the Ritual of Devotion.’

  The people in the circle raised their left hands in front of themselves, palm facing the ceiling. They held their blades in their right hands, pressed against the edge of their forearms. Faith followed suit. Lars began muttering, the words too quiet to hear, but Faith felt that familiar euphoria wash over her. She felt love and sense of family flood the room, the security and power of their group. Lars’ voice rose louder and she heard the words this time as they nestled in her mind with their brethren. They were words to implore the favour of their protector and provider. They were words of love and devotion to Yath-vados. Faith’s blade slid across her flesh, the hot, sharp sting almost irrelevant in her enhanced state. She felt her blood run and drip, heard the murmurs of those around her, felt their power mingle with hers. Again and again they repeated the words as their blood spattered the floor and Faith felt the power of their words come back to them, lift and envelope them.

  Eventually, as one, their voices quietened and they stood, immobile and silent, for several minutes. Faith felt engorged with the power of her fellows and the power that seemed to emanate from something that she could only assume was Yath-vados. There really was power in this god they spoke of with such reverence.

  Lars broke the silence with a deep breath, then cleared his throat. The others began shuffling, coming back to the present moment. ‘We are indeed strong,’ Lars said with a broad smile. Then he turned to face Faith and stared hard into her eyes. ‘One of the greatest risks we face, my dear Faith, is the threat of those that would interfere with our goals. For the most part, people like this are like mosquitoes to a buffalo, little more than an annoyance that we can all but ignore. But there are others out there that know more of the world than the average cattle that make up much of the human race. There are those with powers of magic like ours. It is important that you know how to recognise those people and hide from them.’

  Faith was not entirely sure what Lars was trying to say. However, as she looked at him, a change took place. Nothing really tangible, but a definite shift in his presence. He seemed like any other man, nothing special, nothing powerful. She didn’t like it at all. Then the power and charisma of her lover returned, swelling out from him like a balloon of light inflating around him. It was a light she had always been aware of, but never really noticed in her forebrain.

  ‘You see the difference, Faith?’ Lars asked.

  Faith nodded. ‘Yes. I think I always have...’

  ‘Of course you have. You just needed to learn to see it with all of your mind. Watch again.’ Lars swept the room with his arm. ‘Everyone, together.’

  As Faith watched, every person in the room became a normal, inconsequential person for a moment, before returning to their natural state. A state of greater awareness and power. Without really understanding what she was seeing, Faith understood the principle implicitly. Her mind was flooded with memories, other people in her life that had shown such a presence. The clearest memory was of the old lady that had taught her the meditation technique that had got her noticed by Lars in the first place. That old lady had been powerful indeed.

  ‘Now you.’

  She looked at Lars and began shaking her head. ‘I don’t know...’

  Lars raised one finger. ‘Now you. Draw in your power, your awareness, your connection with the world. Shut it off.’

  Faith did as she was told, thinking how the others had looked to her, how they had felt. She felt herself perform a similar drawing in and realised that it was really very simple. Lars was nodding, smiling again. With a strong outbreath Faith relaxed, letting herself become natural again.

  ‘It’s hard work,’ she whispered, to smiles and chuckles from others in the room.

  ‘As with all things worth doing, it takes practice. And practice you must. Learn to keep yourself in check, learn to notice others around you that have power and learn to draw yourself quickly and tightly closed when the presence of others makes you nervous or uncomfortable. Learn to trust your instincts.’

  Faith nodded. ‘I will.’

  ‘I’m afraid that there is not much time to practice here tonight, my Brothers and Sisters.’ Lars’ voice carried genuine regret. ‘I am afraid that with all that is happening and all that has to be prepared, my time is largely spoken for. We will meet again as usual, but our time in Sanctum may be limited. My deepest apologies. In the meantime, continue your devotions and await the call. It will be soon.’

  James raised his blade, for the first time taking an active part in proceedings. ‘We believe in the blood!’ His voice was harsh and gravelly, his speech strained. Perhaps that was why he talked so rarely.

  The others in the room, Faith included, raised their blades. ‘We believe in the blood!’ they intoned in return. Another door led from the room and the
Degrees made their way calmly out of Sanctum. Lars leaned towards Faith as people moved, his voice a whisper. ‘Meet me upstairs in our room in a few minutes, once I’ve locked up.’ There was lust in his eyes that made Faith’s knees momentarily weak and her stomach flutter. She smiled at him and nodded.

  ‘What the hell were you thinking?’

  Gavin winced at the volume of the cop’s voice, pounding so close to his ear. He looked wildly at the man’s stubbled chin, his mouth working soundlessly. He really wasn’t sure what to say.

  ‘Seriously, you imbecile, people could have died! Was that your plan? Did you want to kill innocent people?’

  Gavin sneered, his heart pounding. ‘Who’s innocent, huh?’

  The policeman’s rage intensified. ‘Why? Why decide it’s your job to murder people? Who do you work for? Who put you up to this?’

  There was no way that Gavin would reveal his reasons. He knew the laws of his group. ‘No one. It was my idea. I act alone.’

  ‘Really? That sounds a little too much like a rehearsed speech to me. Are you a terrorist, Gavin? Has someone led you into believing that we’re all infidels and need to be cleansed?’

  Gavin laughed, genuinely amused. ‘You think I’m a radical Muslim or something?’

  ‘You tell me!’ the policeman roared.

  ‘I’ll tell you nothing.’ Gavin was sure that at any minute his bladder would let go, betraying the fear that made him sweat icicles, turned his stomach to jelly. What the hell was he going to do? He had to deny everything. Continued denial. He would have to cop whatever punishment he got. What would it be, a couple of years? Almost certainly a suspended sentence. He’d never been in trouble before in his life. Just stick with it, don’t let this damn pig break him.

  The policeman sat heavily in the chair opposite him again. ‘You know what you’re up for?’ he asked, his voice softer again, the rage suppressed for now. Gavin simply stared at the wall behind the cop’s head. ‘You’re up for a serious jail term, lad.’ He held up a hand and flicked up a finger with each point he raised. ‘Intention to commit an act of terrorism. Attempted murder. Membership of a terrorist organisation, because we will find out who you associate with. There are plenty more charges we can lay on you. You know what that means? You’re looking at twenty years, kid. At least.’