“It went well. I figured it out. Nice call, by the way, smartass.” Jade hugged her lover. “I did it.”
“Yes.” HuanJen returned the embrace enthusiastically. “I knew you …”
“Yes, you knew, you knew. I needed to know. You forget that now and then. It’s comforting, but it is annoying.”
The Taoist mystic gave his lover a kiss on the forehead. “No, I remembered. I just can’t force you. Your first Guild test. And you knew what M was. And more. I know.”
“Yeah.” Jade released HuanJen from her embrace, keeping her hands on his hips. “I did it. I … I can do this. We can do this.”
“And?”
“I … always knew I could.” Jade rubbed her forehead. “It’s weird, it was real, but … there was a difference between me being able to do something and knowing I could … and you’ve got a true feces-eating grin, loverboy.”
“Just seeing you grow, learn.” HuanJen walked to the patio, beckoning for Jade to follow him. He smiled at her, then turned his attention to the city.
“I love watching your life Jade. You found a god in front of you, you went out to come back in. Seeing you grow, shine … was it instructive?”
“Somewhat, but my guess is I’m going to get a lot more instructed,” Jade’s green eyes twinkled. She felt a lecture coming on.
She didn’t. mind. HuanJen was who he was.
“There is no Outside,” HuanJen stated flatly. He had a way of saying the oddest things in the most normal tones. He could tell you of the Apocalypse in the same tone of voice he used to share recipes. “But when we think there’s an Outside, we’re lost.”
Jade nodded. “Yeah … you never really get away from anything. It’s hard to phrase.”
The mystic continued. “We imagine the world is separate, that there’s some objective judgment, some separate trueness, some Outside. With that belief, we come to dream of separate selves, of little people inside ourselves, and of perfect and always true forever objective judgments.”
“There’s just … one thing. One Unity. You call it Tao, but … I know words are limited.” Jade mused. She felt an odd sensation, as if the edges of herself were blurred.
“Yes.” HuanJen took her hand. His words seemed to come from a deep place inside himself. “Something exists, and it merely is. I have a reaction to that something, and that reaction merely is. I have a reaction to my reaction … and so on. A great sea of being, but no outside judge - judgments and feelings and soforth are part of it.”
“Yeah.” Jade closed her eyes. She felt like she was floating. “I know. It’s like things just ‘are,’ and there’s nothing to the right of ‘is.’ Something may be, but it’s not separately something. And … it’s all OK.”
“Yes. We do things because we do them. Because they are.”
Jade oppened her eyes.
“You feel you’re ready for the rest of your life?” HuanJen asked.
Jade nodded. “And if I’m not, I’ll become ready. And … I’m ready for life with you. I can be your equal.”
“You always were, all things level out. And you will be ready.”
“Love, I … why?”
“Oh, more on the Panoramic League.”
“Oh, wonderful, back to work …” Jade rolled her eyes. “No rest for the wicked or the virtuous?”
“Not when you’re being paid by Guild Esoteric, dear …”
RECONCILIATIONS
January 7, 2001 AD, Xaian Standard Calendar
Cardinal Byrd was a religious man.
Admittedly, it would seem to go without saying. As a Cardinal of the Xaian Catholic Church, as a member of the Guild Esoteric Council, it was expected he was religious, much the same way someone expected a doctor to have medical training. It went with the territory.
Such logic made people assumed he had to be religious. This was not the case. He was naturally religious, the way some people could naturally draw. He liked a good Mass, he liked a good hymn, he truly felt the universe was really a very orderly place. He believed in a God because he really didn’t see any other way to think.
He had come to Xai because he felt it was a beautiful example of the orderliness of things. It ran on and on, for thousands of years, through changes and transformations, always improving. It was a place of low crime and low violence because people had mastered the art of getting along, starting with the simple focus that in general fighting wasn’t worth it.
It was like a massive clockwork device, all things meshed together, spinning away to produce some harmonious whole. It was the kind of thing that made sense as long as you were willing to give it a chance.
So when something went wrong, it was your fault. Xai was fine, the Universe was fine, God was in his Heaven.
Byrd was feeling very guilty because, therefore, recent events were partially his fault.
“Cardinal?”
Byrd’s mind was back in his body. He was in his office at the Guildhall. It was the afternoon. He was talking to HuanJen.
HuanJen the Taoist mystic. HuanJen the Zone Cleric. HuanJen, sitting in one of his guest chairs, as unremarkable as a raindrop. Thin man, oriental, a white streak in his black hair, wearing some simple coverall. Harmless.
Byrd knew better.
Some people were the teeth of gears. Some people were gears themselves. And in the case of HuanJen, Cardinal Byrd was quite sure he’d gotten the shaft. A little over a year ago he had seemed so unremarkable, so forgettable …
“So, what do you think?” Byrd asked, looking out of his office window. Beneath, Xai spun on in living clockwork-clicks.
“I think the Panoramic League and others are upset.”
It was a typical HuanJen answer to a question like that. Byrd mentally kicked himself. You had to be careful with questions around him - you were in a terrible danger of getting answers.
“Thank you. What do you think that I have not also thought?”
“Ah.” HuanJen nodded. “Let me try to phrase it properly …”
Byrd waited for the response. HuanJen trying to politely encapsulate utter chaos.
Byrd blamed himself. The Panoramic League had decided to end their existance, breaking up their alliance of artist-mystics up and sending them into the Guilds. So, of course, someone reliable and likeable and harmless yet dedicated was necessary to guide them. HuanJen fit these categories, and he was retained for troubleshooting by Guild Esoteric, partially as a way of keeping him out of the media spotlight after an unexpected burst of fame.
At the time the idea had come up, Byrd would have liked to have said “I hadn’t been thinking.” Sadly, he had been thinking, he’d just not done a very good job of it. Ignorance was easier to excuse as it wasn’t always voluntary.
“What occurred had may possible identifiable causes. During a ritual reading of poetry about the future, one poets work was replaced with the classic Xaian death symbol. This was taken as either a bad omen or as someone trying to sabotage the performance. Needless to say as their final performance was cut short, a saboteur would likely be considered to have reached his or her goals.”
“And you sensed …”
“A wide assortment of occult activity. Events like these, emotionally charged events, produce them as you know. When you consider the Panoramic League has a variety of gifted people, it was inevitable. Jade and I saw some minor Obsidian manifestations, syncronicities, and light distortions. If you …”
“I’ve heard reports from other Guildmembers who attended. All the same. To be expected, really. Clyman’s Borelli sphere shattered, though I suspect that’s partially because he let his children play with it. Your …”
“I already heard from Dealer Zero. He got a headache just trying to take a reading.”
“Spiritual smog.” Byrd sat at his desk. Events like this were always hard to read, sending diviners and seventh sons and daughters into confusion. The mysterious things of the universe sometimes got more mysterious the closer you looked.
“Acc
urate. The League is not exactly a readable entity at this point.” HuanJen’s voice became that of a lecturer. “As they become less defined, there is less to read as is …”
“What are we going to do?” Byrd asked, throwing his hands up. “I’m …”
“I know.” HuanJen looked down.
Byrd nodded. “Yes. I really didn’t feel this would be trouble, HuanJen. Over and done and finished, and, well, you were the least likely to offend people.”
“And Jade?” HuanJen cocked an eyebrow as he inquired about his assistant.
“She offends people equally so she was safe as well.” Byrd managed a smile. “That wasn’t funny, was it?”
“Well, it’s accurate, I suppose.” The Taoist mystic had a fond look in his face. “She passed M’s test. She had it figured out awhile ago, but she had to digest the information.”
Byrd grinned. “Makes sense. M. The Dark Saint. The unknown god. Yes. Well, I hope it prepared her for whatever’s coming next.”
“She was prepared, she just never knew it.” The Magician-Priest’s eyes twinkled, eliciting a smile from Byrd. Byrd seemed rather fond of he and Jade, which doubtlessly made this situation harder.
“Yes, and I’m sure she’ll be spewing mystic bullshit like that quite well.” The Cardinal sighed. “What are we going to do about the Panoramic … what are you going to do, HuanJen? I know this isn’t a crisis but … well it’s part of being Guild Esoteric.”
“They asked for jobs, for Guild memberships, for integration. Jade and I will continue and watch and work.”
“When you watch things happen.” Byrd almost made the sentence a question.
“Only because of where I’m usually watching from, I fear.”
Byrd wished their was a patron saint of witty responses. Any good hagiography needed one.
“I’m going to have to trust you, HuanJen. I don’t want this to get any worse. I am going to trust you.” Byrd’s mouth wrinkled into a humorous grin. “Which, sadly … is how we got into this in the first place …”
January 8, 2001 AD, Xaian Standard Calendar
Jade Shalesdaughter was looking over what was left of the Panoramic League.
The League had been camped out in large room of Hixx’s Convention Center, apparently because proprietor Genvira Hixx was something of a traditionalist who was generous to the native arts. The Center was a maze, expanded over the years much like Shard Tower, and there was something there for every need.
Jade had found something she had wanted - a place to observe the League’s great common area.
There was a small deck, probably for maintenance of the lights and fire system, high on one wall of the chamber that was central to the League’s temporary home. A few questions and a batted eyelash or two, and Jade had been allowed access.
To watch the League.
There were less of them now, less colorful mystics and odd artists. Below her there were less tarpaulins covering supplies, less boxes, less of everything. Many had gone on to other jobs, other Guilds, some had left in frustration or out of a sense of adventure. Perhaps half of the League was still in the hall, if that.
So many had gone because of the incident in the final performance. A file clutched in one graceful, black-furred hand contained a report on those that had simply given up.
The incident. A simple, ridiculous incident, a poem being mixed up with a scroll containing a Xaian death-symbol used in some other performance. It seemed like nothing, but the Panoramic League were a fusion of cleric and entertainers, and it had been seen as a sign or a threat. They were used to looking a bit further into things, and she wondered how much of them looked into the future and how many just looked into their own heads.
Maybe some weren’t even looking at all.
Emerald eyes took in the sights below. No one saw her. Perhaps no one wanted to. Jade understood her lover HuanJen’s strange ability to remain unseen when needed now. It was nice to be unseen.
A figure in green slouched across the room below. Jade unfolded from her sitting position and dashed off down the stairs. She had something to do, though she wasn’t sure why. Well, she was sure why, she just didn’t know how to say it.
Jape the Mock walked towards one of the storage rooms appropriated for the league. His usual outfit of infinite-shades of green seemed less bright than usual. He hadn’t felt the heart to go all out, and so had left out his favorite sequened bits and rhinestones. He didn’t appear flashy, it appeared like he wanted the universe to forget he was there.
He was a special breed among the League, who entertained with sarcasm and pointed humor, peering into souls and speaking unpleasant truths. He appeared to have too many unpleasant truths to deal with as of late.
“Jape.”
The Mock stopped. His high brow furrowed. “Jade?”
Jape turned around. The Vulpine apprentice cleric was looking at him in almost a matronly manner.
“Hey.” Jape nodded. “Got the report?”
“Yeah, I …”
“Fourteen people just left after the incident.” Jape’s voice echoed hllowly. There was something missing. “Just left. How do you leave hundreds of years? How do you leave … something older than some Guilds? Some cities? I looked at them … and I didn’t want to look.”
Jade wanted to say something, but no words presented themselves to her. She merely nodded and said “I understand.”
“I’m sorry I’m not myself, I really am keeping track of everything. Just have to get another ream of paper for my printer. I’ve … got to get going …”
“Jape,” Jade began, “Look, I know there are questions …”
Jape’s blue eyes blazed into azure sunfire. He seemed to look straight into Jade and into somewhere else. The vulpine felt an odd discomfort, and an itching in her palms, an instinctive urge to strike out.
… then Jape looked at the floor.
“Only about some things. I will give you the latest requests for employment by tomorrow.”
“Yeah … thanks.”
Jape walked away. Jade felt an odd need to hug him or something.
He was annoying, yes, but it was who he was. She understood that, and seeing him so dead was terrifying and unsettling. She missed the days she wanted to kick him in the crotch, since being annoying was him. Jape not being annoying was like HuanJen without his strange well-meaning-ness, or Buster without breath that could melt earwax.
“He’s not taking it well,” said a voice next to Jade. It was a calm, rational voice, obviously trying to say irrational things. It was quite good at it.
“Hello Tradell.” Jade greeted the green-robed Master of the Council of Mirrors, one of the co-leaders of the League. Tradell’s hood concealed a wan smile. He had rather pleasant eyes, Jade felt, and his look was sad and gentle.
“I’d say ‘well met,’ but we aren’t.” Tradell quipped, or at least tried. Tradell, obviously, was not one of the League who went on stage for his humor.
“No.” Jade’s brow furrowed. As of late she could occasionally feel the flow of life around her, and it felt odd. “None of this feels right.”
“No, it isn’t. I worry for Jape, he’s a hard worker, a good man. Long family line in the League.”
“Yeah …” Jade felt her sympathies for the Mock continue to throb behind her eyes. “Um … how are you?”
Jade hoped Tradell wasn’t going to make small talk. She barely knew him, and she had the odd feeling he was one of those quiet people who, given an opportunity, could engage in a massive verbal onslaught.
“Fine. You?”
“Um. Fine. Look, at this rate, were’ just going to establish we’re fine, Tradell.”
“Sorry.” Tradell shrugged. “I’m not sure what to say. You certainly seem calm.”
“I’ve had a lot of interesting experiences lately. I’ve got some perspective lately. I …” Jade felt her recent experiences in the back of her mind - it was easy to talk about them, almost too easy, so she kept silent. ” …
I went through a lot.”
“I see.” Tradell smiled after a moment. “Haven’t we all. By the way, HuanJen arrived and immediately got called in by Father Sun and Sister Moon. I figured you would want to know. The usual meeting room.”
“I … thanks.” Jade nodded. “Let me guess, follow the yelling?”
“Probably. I’m going to go about my duties. You know how it goes.”
“You have no idea …” Jade said, turning to leave.
The Vulpine worked her way through the corridors of the convention center, towards a meeting room she’d come to know all to well. It held the multicolored Panoramic League symbol …
… and Tradell was right. There was yelling.
“You have no idea?” Father Sun. Angry. It gave Jade chills - he sounded like her father. There was something archetypal to him when he was upset.
“Sun, please …” Sister Moon. Surprisingly calm. Probably taking HuanJen’s side.
Silence. Jade knew HuanJen was replying, just not loud enough to carry through the door. She hoped his usual placid manner worked - at times it backfired on people.
“I see …” Sun, calm now. HuanJen had performed some verbal akido. Jade knew how this was going to come out - her mentor was being so reasonable he wouldn’t fuel an argument, and things would be calm. However she wasn’t sure how long calm would last around here.
Jade felt guilty for eavesdropping. The guilt lasted about a second, doing the emotional equivalent of a walk-on role.
“We would still like an investigation.” Moon said. She was surprisingly nice to HuanJen, which Jade hadn’t expected. She suspected that Moon was trying to make up for Sun’s ranting.
Another reply, too quiet to hear. Jade knew it would be something about parameters and interests and specialization, which all boiled down to ‘I am doing what I came to do.’
“I see.” Sun’s reply was still calm.
Jade took that opportunity to knock on the door, hoping to telegraph a “I’m knocking and I hadn’t been listening” signal.
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