The Balance Omnibus

by Alan Baxter

  ‘Fuck that! How can you say something like that?’

  Isiah clenched his jaw. ‘Because I have to.’

  Petra hung her head, staring at her hands in her lap. She said nothing.

  ‘Perhaps I’m just a bit more used to it than you are,’ Isiah said eventually, his voice distant.

  They drove on in silence for a while before they arrived at the car rental business. It only took a moment for Isiah to return the vehicle, apologise for forgetting to fill the tank and pay the outrageously punitive rate per litre that the company deemed suitable for such transgressions.

  Petra stood on the pavement outside watching the traffic go by. Isiah put an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her to him. ‘I am sorry, you know. I really don’t like it any more than you do.’

  ‘What if that horrible old woman’s prediction was true? That image she showed you, of Faith dead and bloodied. We may have just set that course in motion.’

  ‘We may. Or we may have prevented it. Or it may happen regardless of our intervention. There’s no way to be sure. I often have a little more access to that kind of knowledge than most, but right now I’m on my own.’

  ‘So we just wait and see?’

  ‘Yep. And we do what we can to help along the way and hopefully, all things in our favour, we may prevent the ONC from gaining power and keep Faith safe into the bargain.’

  ‘So what now?’ Petra returned Isiah’s hug, laying her face against his chest.

  ‘I guess we have some time on hand. Perhaps we should head back to your place and see what more there might be to learn.’

  Petra nodded against his chest. ‘Carry me there, will you? You’re far more capable of travel than I am and all this work with Faith has made me tired.’

  ‘Sure. But we can’t go from here. Let’s find somewhere quiet.’

  Gusting, icy winds buffeted Isiah and Petra as they arrived back on the broad courtyard before the main hall of the Temple of the Dragons. Bending against the weather they hurried to the doors and were let in by young, serious faced Magi.

  ‘Why can’t we travel to somewhere nice and warm inside?’ Isiah asked, brushing snow from his shoulders.

  Petra smiled. ‘Everyone arrives outside. It’s safer from a security point of view and, well, it’s more polite.’

  ‘I suppose so.’

  There was a cough from behind them. They turned to see Cai Wu standing inside the main training hall. He looked them up and down as they bowed to him, returning their bow with a smirk curling up one side of his mouth.

  ‘What?’ Petra’s expression was defiant.

  Cai Wu chuckled. ‘Nothing at all, my dear Petra. I was just noticing how much more entwined you and Isiah appear to be.’

  ‘What do you mean, entwined?’ Petra looked down to make sure they weren’t holding hands.

  ‘I don’t mean externally, petulant one,’ Cai Wu said with a grin. ‘What brings you back? What have you learned?’

  Isiah noticed a blush creep up Petra’s cheeks, her lips pressed into a thin line. Suppressing a smile of his own, he said, ‘We have learned some, but not much. Although we should have someone on the inside now. It’s risky, but worth it.’

  Cai Wu nodded gravely. ‘Many a great deed is preceded by enormous risk. The mark of the hero is taking those risks without any knowledge of their outcome, perhaps even with the certain knowledge that they will fail.’

  Isiah shook his head. ‘I can’t see myself as a hero, Master Cai. But Faith certainly is.’

  ‘Other Magi have arrived back to report. Tell me of this agent of yours as we walk.’ He turned and led the way towards his quarters, Isiah explaining the Faith situation as they went.

  By the time they reached Cai Wu’s door, the old man had heard enough. ‘Good. I can see what you’re trying to do and indeed the risk is high. And maybe unnecessary. But the more information we have, the more chance we have to do something right. Knowledge is power, after all.’ He pushed open his door and gestured inside. ‘Go in, go in.’

  Isiah and Petra entered and saw others sat on the floor as they had before. Some of them Isiah recognised and others were Magi he had yet to meet. They sat and waited for Cai Wu. He joined the circle carrying a tea tray with small china cups and an ornate pot. In silence he poured tea for each of them, handing the cups to his Magi and finally to Petra and Isiah. Then he raised his own cup and they followed suit. The tea tasted good, strong, revitalising.

  ‘So,’ Cai Wu said at last. ‘What more have we learned?’

  Meera raised a hand, her skin dark and shiny in the low light. ‘The members from the Americas all appear to have moved on. It would seem that the massed migration is well under way.’

  Another Magus that Isiah had not met before raised his hand. ‘The same can be said for Europe, Master.’ His voice was extremely deep, his accent a mish mash of several European sounds. ‘We have watched and those that have not left already are preparing to go.’

  Cai Wu nodded. ‘It would seem that before long the entire ONC will be in Australia. But for what, exactly? This is the question. They are obviously gathering to perform some celebration or ritual. Our prophecies talk of a dark god rising and we know these people have such an agenda. But where and what are they planning?’

  ‘Hopefully we may know more about that soon,’ Isiah said. ‘If Faith comes through for us, we may get some valuable information.’

  Cai Wu looked at Isiah for a long time. Long enough that Isiah began to get uncomfortable under the weight of that gaze. He raised a questioning eyebrow. ‘You are central to all this,’ Cai Wu said. ‘Regardless of this young girl that could supply us with valuable information, what else can we do. What would you do?’

  Isiah drew a deep breath. He didn’t like being central to all this. He liked to work on the periphery, guiding and prodding those that were central to any given scenario. And usually his prodding would be done with the advice and guidance of the Balance. Now he found himself at the centre and the Balance conspicuous by its absence. What would he do? It was a good question. ‘I’d like to storm wherever this Sorcerer is and tear his head from his body,’ he said. ‘But the problem with that is twofold. One, we don’t know where he is and two, he has some pretty powerful and capable generals at his command.’

  Cai Wu nodded, smiling, offering no response. The others sat still, watching Isiah. Petra put her hand over Isiah’s, apparently deciding not to be concerned with what Cai Wu or anyone else thought. Perhaps she realised Isiah’s position better than he had given her credit for. ‘Well,’ he said. ‘I suppose that the best thing to do in the circumstances is to watch those generals. We can only presume, but it’s a fairly safe presumption, that the Sorcerer is in Australia. Or will be soon. Presumably the Optimates, his generals, will rally their forces by his command and, at some point, they will all gather together. Ideally we’d prevent such a gathering from happening but, if we can’t prevent it, we can at least be aware of it as it happens.’

  Cai Wu nodded again. ‘So, short of learning any more from insiders or any other source, we must watch. I will station a Magus to every ONC Optimates that we are aware of and have that Magus follow and watch from the shadows. They can report to me and I will be sure to inform everyone of developments. A time of trial and challenge is fast approaching and I believe that you, Isiah, will bear the brunt of it. But we will do all we can to support you.’

  Isiah nodded as Petra squeezed his hand. ‘Thank you, Master Cai. I appreciate it. Petra and I will continue to watch the Sydney ONC and hopefully find out more about this Lars character that runs it. He appears to be quite high up in the organisation. And we will hopefully learn more from Faith in the meantime.’

  Taking their leave from the meeting, Isiah and Petra walked along the stone corridors, hand in hand. Cai Wu was right; it seemed as though things were coming to a head, like a kettle coming to the boil on an open flame. Except this was a kettle that couldn’t be removed, so if the flame was inextinguishable,
boiling over was inevitable.

  ‘We don’t have to go back to Sydney just yet,’ Petra said, almost a whisper. ‘It’s only been a couple of hours.’

  ‘What do you suggest?’

  Petra smiled and turned around, leading Isiah back the way they had come.

  Faith sat on a 380 bus, concerned by recent events. She didn’t really remember going to the beach or why she had decided to go. She sort of remembered being at the beach, then deciding to head back. She had walked up Bondi Road to get a bus. But how did she know where to go? Maybe she had asked someone. It was disturbing, but something inside told Faith it was all right. She was a bit burned out at the moment, a bit overwhelmed. And she was very tired.

  No matter. She felt quite recharged by her afternoon on the sand, enjoying the summer sunshine and sea breezes. She had had time to think and she realised there were so many things she wanted to ask Lars about. Things she had taken for granted or assumed she would learn about in due course seemed somewhat more important all of a sudden. Why should she wait to learn? Lars was pushing her along, by his own admission he was fast-tracking her. Surely she deserved to know more about what was happening in that case.

  She watched people from the bus window all the way back to Oxford Street. People fascinated her more than ever, her new perceptions feeding her information constantly. Keeping her own persona tightly hidden, a matter of habit now, she stepped from the bus and strolled through the streets to Lars’s house.

  She could hear Lars talking animatedly as she let herself in. She followed the sound of his voice into the kitchen, smiling broadly as she walked through the doorway. Lars looked up and his expression was one of anger and relief rolled together.

  ‘I’ll call you back.’ He snapped his phone closed, ending the call, and strode up to Faith. He took hold of her shoulders and stared hard into her eyes. ‘Where have you been?’

  She was taken aback, a little scared. She was also affronted that this should be the greeting he offered her. ‘I went to the beach. I had some fresh air and sunshine, that’s all.’

  Lars was still staring into her eyes like he was looking for something. ‘You went right off my radar. Did you talk to anyone?’

  ‘Your radar?’ She was angry now. ‘You watch me when I go out? You, the disappearing man that fucks off without telling me where you’re going or how long you’ll be? You weren’t even here when I left. Again!’

  Lars was angry too. ‘Don’t you dare think to take that tone with me, girl. Anything could happen to you. You’re in a dangerous place right now, with abilities that can get you into trouble but not enough skill to get you out of it.’

  ‘You watch over me?’ Faith asked again, not prepared to let that tidbit of information go.

  Lars pushed her into a chair at the kitchen table. He took a deep breath, running one hand over her hair, took a seat opposite. ‘I am an Optimates of the Ordo Novus Cruor. With that position comes incredible power, but also incredible responsibility. Everyone that joins my Gather becomes tied to me. At any time I can feel where they are. I can’t tell much about them, but I know if they’re near or far, I know if they’re happy or sad or scared. This isn’t a Scout group, Faith, it’s a very serious and very powerful organisation. I care about you deeply and when I couldn’t feel you on my return I got very worried.’

  Faith thought the concern in Lars’s eyes was genuine, but she still felt the need to ask questions. ‘I’m sorry. But I’ve been thinking and I have some things I’d like to ask you about.’

  ‘Where did you go, Faith?’

  ‘I told you. I went to the...’

  ‘Where did you go, Faith?’ Lars stood, leaning on the table to stare down at her. His eyes were angry.

  Faith didn’t like where this was heading. ‘I went to the fucking beach! What is wrong with you?’ Lars shot out a hand and grabbed hold of Faith’s chin. He stared hard at her eyes and began to mutter under his breath. She pulled at his wrist but his grip was strong, her jaw felt like it would crack. ‘Let go of me!’

  ‘Hold still,’ Lars barked. ‘If I couldn’t feel you then you might have been compromised.’

  ‘Compromised?’

  ‘Just relax and let me look.’

  She felt as if something was floating across her face, a silk cloth being drawn against her skin. Then the feeling sank sickeningly through her skin and she felt something drag through her skull, then her brain. It was not a painful experience, but it was disgusting, invasive. ‘Stop it! What are you doing?’

  Lars’s expression was determined, his concentration complete. Then, with a noise of disgust, he let go of Faith, pushing her back in her chair as he did so. ‘Something has changed.’

  Faith rubbed at her jaw, her eyes flashing angrily. ‘Did you spot a new found dislike of you in there?’ she snapped.

  Despite himself, Lars could not suppress a slight smile. ‘You are such a feisty little bitch.’

  ‘And you’re a fucking blond mystery fucking... weirdo!’

  ‘Don’t be angry with me, love.’

  ‘Love? Fuck off. What did you just do to me?’

  Lars sat again. ‘Someone has been looking at you. And I mean looking closely, like I just looked at you.’

  ‘I think I might remember that happening.’

  ‘You might not if they were good enough. But there’s no trace of anyone left there and I don’t know anyone that good. Not to say such people don’t or can’t exist.’

  She stared across the table at him, not sure how to respond to that. What was he suggesting? That people had been looking into her brain without her knowledge? She didn’t like to consider if that was even possible. ‘I’m fine,’ she said.

  Lars nodded. ‘Strangely enough, you do seem to be fine. I’m sure something has happened, but I’m damned if I can see what. Maybe I’m being paranoid. Why couldn’t I feel you?’

  ‘Maybe I was just in a place where it’s hard to get, you know, reception. Like mobile phones? They have drop-outs all the time.’

  ‘Hardly the same thing.’

  ‘I’ve been practising what you taught me in Sanctum a lot, hiding myself. Perhaps I’m getting better at that?’

  Lars shrugged, dismissive. His eyes were dark.

  Faith decided to change the subject. ‘So where have you been? What’s happening?’

  ‘I’ve been to the outback. Things are coming to a head.’

  Faith nodded. ‘Really? What’s happening, Lars? What are you preparing me for? I was at the beach and I started to wonder about all this. Why are you moving me along so fast?’

  ‘Thinking at the beach, were you? I’ll tell you this much, love. The biggest Gathering in ONC history is approaching. We will bask in the glory of Yath-vados and a new age will be born. I’m moving you along so fast because I want you to be a part of it. I want you to be by my side.’

  Faith looked at the window behind Lars for a moment, watching a big crow hop back and forth along the sill. That damn bird seemed to keep coming back. Maybe she should feed it or something. ‘Why do you want me by your side?’ she asked, without looking back at Lars. ‘Why me?’

  ‘You are beautiful. You’re young, keen, potentially very powerful. I see in you something that I rarely see in anyone and I don’t want to let you slip away.’

  ‘Are we really going to raise a god? Is Yath-vados really going to become strong enough to make change as drastic as you suggest?’

  Lars leaned his elbows on the table, cradled his chin. ‘Have you read the Bible?’

  ‘Sure. Not recently though. And not really read it. I’ve skimmed bits of it.’

  Lars smiled. ‘You should read it. It’s quite a tale. Especially the Old Testament. The god of the Old Testament is a bastard. He’s a wrathful, vengeful, egotistical maniac. He loved blood and sacrifice and he would empower his people to massacre entire tribes, razing their homes to dust. By the time the stories of Jesus were under way this god had transformed into some sandal wearing hippy of a god, comp
letely at odds with the creature portrayed in the Old Testament.’

  Faith looked back to Lars. ‘So what? What’s your point?’

  ‘Our god, Yath-vados, is like Yahweh of the Old Testament. He has passion and drive and will empower us as Yahweh empowered his people. He is a god of action and power, of might and retribution. Not some washed out shadow of his former self like the god of the Bible became.’

  ‘But are we really capable of making Yath-vados into a god like that?’

  ‘Yath-vados already is a god like that but his power has waned over time. He needs the power of our faith and devotion to regain his former glory. Our faith gives him power and his power gives us the ability to make this Earth our own.’

  Faith stared at Lars, his words echoing around her mind. Even with all she had seen, all she had learned, this seemed so far outside reality. She knew people had worshipped gods for as long as there had been people. She prayed to her Pagan gods herself and was convinced that on some level, in some place, they heard her prayers. If this was true of Yath-vados too, then she could accept that, but was there really more to it? Was the power of this group really enough to change the world? Was this likely to be a new Crusade in the name of a new god?

  ‘You wonder, but you don’t dismiss,’ Lars said. ‘You’ve seen our power, at least in some small part. You know we are capable of more than most. You know we can do the things we claim to do.’

  ‘Can you really, though?’

  Lars smiled an almost predatory smile. ‘Oh yes. We can do the things we claim and more.’

  ‘So when will all this happen?’

  ‘People are coming from all over the world. Our people, Faith. Our people are Gathering and the time will be upon us soon when we change the world forever.’

  ‘Where?’

  ‘Why all the questions?’

  Faith shrugged. ‘You keep disappearing. It leaves me time to think. You want me to be a part of this. I want to know more of what this is.’

  ‘In time you will stand beside me and be integral to everything. In not much time at that. As for where, that doesn’t matter now. People are beginning their journeys and, when the time is right, I’ll take you there.’