The minister took a deep breath, and the Obsidian quickly skittered away, heading for the door of the church. Beyond would be people, and more ways and reasons to exist in the Pattern, the great world-weave.
Mhadi moved quickly in a swirl of pale robes. He positioned himself in front of the fleeing entity, holding up a small book. A fiery smile formed across what would have been the Obsidian’s face …
… before it splattered against the tome like dirty rain.
“Glad I got that,” Mhadi said casually, obviously a bit shocked, “The Koran, Xaian edition. A hundred and one uses.”
“Sometimes they, ah, have physical sides …” Rake chided.
Mhadi tapped the book. There was a dull thunk. “Iron-shod. There’s a gentleman on Tucker who makes them. Does a nice Swiss Army Bible too.”
“Really …” Rake began thoughtfully. He had a certain predilection for tools and hardware and interesting gadgets.
“Hello? Woman here recovering from Nasty Supernatural Shit attack.”
Both holy men turned to look at Jade, who sat on the floor of the church. She looked more herself, though herself was obviously in a bad mood.
“Oh, sorry,” Rake nodded. “What …”
“Someone … someone probably from the Panoramic League apparently … decided to have some fun …”
“Oh.” Rake’s face fell, which was more like an avalanche as he was gifted in the face department. “We’d better, ah, get you to the apartment. Mhadi?”
“Gladly. I shall call a cab.”
“Yeah,” Jade said wearily, “Yeah. Huan, he needs more to worry about.”
Clairice Bell was one of the few of her friends in the medical profession on Xai. Yes, HuanJen was a herbologist, but he didn’t exactly count. Though they both certainly got called on a great deal by those who knew them.
In some cases, she appreciated it. On the Earth she had come from, Clairce never felt she’d been treated as a medical professional. It took an accident with a Cross-storm and an MRI machine to send her and half a doctor to Xai, where she’d gotten some respect.
“I’m here,” she’d found the door to HuanJen and Jade’s apartment open and had let herself in. A large satchel was swung over one arm - the equipment she carried for emergencies. When your neighbors knew you were Guild Medical word got around - though they probably wondered what she needed to do halfway across town.
The apartment wasn’t full, which meant that the word hadn’t gotten round yet. Jade sat on a couch, with HuanJen obviously doting on her. Rake stood nearby. Xianfu stood next to Rake, appearing vaguely out of place - of course he would, Lorne was at work and probably had Xianfu come in to check on Jade.
“Glad you could make it,” HuanJen said, not taking his eyes off of Jade. “Obsidian possession, focused, with shamanic incense, medium dosage, cut with neo-Pandemonium. I haven’t detected any spiritual problems …”
“I’m fine … “Jade said, thought it was obvious she was tired of saying it.
“Well, we’ll do a quick exam to see about any physical symptoms,” Clairce set her burden down.
Behind HuanJen, Rake gestured at the Magician-Priest, at himself and Xianfu, and then towards HuanJen’s study. Clairice got the message right away.
“Now this is going to take some time and can get intimate, so why don’t you guys go into the study.”
Jade gave Clairice an odd lock for half a second before comprehension flashed across her face. HuanJen was terrifyingly intuitive about people, but he had moments of utter dullness, and this hopefully was one of them.
“Yeah,” the Vulpine said wearily, “I’ll be fine. Give us some room.”
HuanJen seemed to get the message, or at least some of it, and stood. Rake took him by the arm and forcefully escorted him toward the Study. Xianfu intuited the situation and followed.
“He’s worried?” The nurse asked, extracting a thermometer from the satchel.
“Yes.”
“What …”
Jade shook her head. “Later. I talked about it enough. Just … tell me how my body is, my soul will be fine …”
HuanJen knew he was cornered.
Rake closed the door to his study and gave him a kind, fatherly look. Xianfu was trying to look friendly, though he also looked like he wanted to be somewhere else.
There was about to be A Talk. Normally he gave them, he wasn’t the target of them.
He strongly suspected it would be appropriate.
“Are you, ah, well?” Rake asked.
Xianfu nodded. “Yeah, look, I don’t know you that well but you don’t seem yourself.”
“Someone attacked my app … someone attacked Jade.” HuanJen’s voice held unexpected cold edges. “What do you think?”
Rake scratched his head. A question answered with a question. HuanJen was as easy to grasp as a handfull of water sometimes.
“I think you’re angry and scared,” Xianfu tossed out nervously. He appeared rather thoughtful himself. “I know what it looks like.”
“And I know what its, ah, like to fear for a loved one’s life,” Rake said simply, but his words echoed into years passed. HuanJen winced.
The Taoist sage didn’t look at his two friends. “This is not something I am used to. She seems fine. She is Jade. My Jade. She is always fine. But someone attacked her. Someone unleashed a supernatural entity in this city. My personal life and professional have always been one, but this is not the way I am used to.”
“And?” Rake asked.
“I am not possessive, I am not … but I do not want her to suffer, do not want her threatened. I cannot control her, will not, know I cannot, but … she was hurt.”
“She seems fine,” Xianfu scratched his nose, “Er, this is Jade. I may not know her as well as you two, but I know survivors and she’s one.”
“I know.” HuanJen looked at the two men, the suddenly took each in a ferocious hug.
“She is precious to me. She is magic. She is … this is difficult for me. I never . . this is different.”
“I, ah, know.” Rake patted HuanJen’s arm as the embrace ended. “Now . .. “
“He won’t do anything stupid,” Xianfu said curiously, getting quizzical looks from the Magician-Priest and the Minister.
“I can tell,” Xianfu’s handsome face split in a lopsided grin. “Hey, I know what its like to find what you didn’t expect. I also know guys who do dumb shit in the name of love, he’s not one.”
“Thanks …”
“Mildly stupid shit is a potential though, so don’t go acting as if you’re fine.”
HuanJen smiled and frowned at the same time in a remarkable display of facial acrobatics. “I . .. yes, it is a potential. No I won’t be pampering her.”
“More than you, ah, have, ah, already …” Rake added.
“More or less.” HuanJen smiled. “She would not have it anyway. I … my friends?”
The Outrider-turned-teacher and the holy man regarded the oriental sage questioningly.
“Thank you,” HuanJen said simply, “I … where there are no words, Rake.”
“Understood,” the minister nodded. Xianfu nodded also, figured later he could ask Rake what HuanJen meant.
“Now, there is one thing …”
“No, you don’t go out and coddle Jade or pry into what Clairice is doing,” Rake warned.
Xianfu nodded. “He’s right. Look, Jade …”
“I have to go use the bathroom,” HuanJen stated flatly.
There was a pause as both Rake and Xianfu assessed how stupid they should feel at that moment.
“Um. Go.” Rake gestured.
HuanJen nodded at his friends and exited the study quickly. Both Rake and Xianfu gave each other rather strained looks.
“I …”
“Yeah,” Xianfu nodded, “Lorne’s told me enough, easy to assume the guy’ll get involved.”
“Yes.” Rake exhaled forcefully, as if expelling tension. “You know, ah, our little group used
to be, ah, more relaxed.”
“I know.” Xianfu found a chair among the equipment and books in the study and sat. “Things change. For me? This is still calm. When you’re Outriding life’s an adventure, even if you’d rather it not be.”
“I, ah, imagine.
Xianfu looked around the study. Books. A shelf of odd ingredients. A workbench. A desk. The room seemed both larger than it should be yet crowded.
“We’re going to have to wait here until Clairice gives us the go-ahead,” the former Outrider acknowledged unsaid facts.
“Yes. It shouldn’t, ah, be long.”
“Claricie seems damn good, yeah,” Xianfu looked at the floor, “Um, Rake?”
“Yes?” The minister’s brow furrowed. Xianfu sounded rather unsure, unconfident.
“I watned to say thanks for not giving me and Lorne grief over the relationship, the guy-guy thing.” Xianfu shrugged. Rake, inwardly cringed a bit - occasionally he found himself making up for others who had wore ministers robes.
“It’s, ah, fine,” Rake smirked, “I always take the stand God is, ah, less of an asshole, ah, than anyone else …”
Eventually the crisis passed. People came to the apartment to check on Jade, Clairice finished her examination, every clerical person in the group gave her a clean bill of health, and everyone tried to be comforting to a woman who was not noted for particularly needing it. Reports were filed, email sent, phone calls returned.
As evening closed in, an uncomfortable silence settled over the couple of HuanJen and Jade. The mystic bustled around preparing dinner. Jade watched television. Its not that there was anything on, it was just a good distraction.
“OK, now we talk,” Jade finally said when the silence had gotten to her. If rules were meant to be broken, so was silence.
“Yes, I agree.” HuanJen sat down.
“And could you …”
Jade felt a glass of cold Spectral pressed into her hand.
“… thanks,” the Vulpine finished.
“There is …” HuanJen began.
” … a lot to say.”
“Yes, we …”
“… we’re used to knowing there are some dangers.” Jade scowled. “Are we to the point in our relationship …”
” … where we can finish each others sentences? Obviously.” HuanJen smiled.
“OK,” Jade put her glass down. “I’m gonna say it. I know, right now in your head is a little Taoist caveman with a club and a little white stripe in his black hair who wants to go out and bash the guys that did this to his woman. I accept that, OK? Now this is probably new to you so lets not see a bunch of rampaging male ego. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” The Magician-Priest said pleasantly. “It is new to me. But … I understand, I understand you as well as the situation. I will adapt. I have already stopped pampering you … more than I usually do, that is.”
Jade’s smile was edgy sunlight. “Yeah. Now. OK. Someone just tried to blast an Obsidian into my head. What are we going to do about it?”
“The mix in question was much more powerful than the usual shamanic mixes. It was cut with the latest mix of Pandemonium. It wasn’t an expert blend though - I had Brownmiller give it a look. Oh, and his wife wants to go shopping when you have the chance.”
“Great. Yeah. Also … who’d be this fucking stupid? I mean come on …” Jade gestured widely, “I mean if someone in the Panoramic League didn’t like me, this’d be obvious. If it was someone trying to make them look bad, it’s obvious. It’s dumb no matter what!”
“Yes,” HuanJen’s eyes stared into his own thoughts, “Then again, if someone tried to threaten the league by sabotaging their last performance, that too would be stupid, that is an obvious way. If it was a League member, that too is obvious. Something is going on.”
“Huan?”
“Yes.”
“Ahem. Duh!”
“OK, it is obvious,” Huan_Jen shrugged, “in fact, its so obvious, we need to think this over. As in too obvious.”
Jade raised an eyebrow. “This is a situation where anything happening is, by definition, illogical. A no-win situation you’d have to be an idiot to think you can win or you can do anything. I mean, these are freaking entertainers and mystics, a group of clowns and clerics, there’s no reason to mess with them, no reason to do anything, this is just … one of those things!”
“Yes.” HuanJen leaned forward as if examining something invisible, resting his right arm on his knee, cradling his chin in his hand.
“One of those things …” Jade’s eyes narrowed. “The Leaguers never made any secret they didn’t all like this.”
“Sun and Moon admitted their concerns and had no problems about arguing in front of us,” HuanJen added.
“And if anything went wrong its goddamn public, they are known, even if they’re more of a historical curiosity.”
“There’s nothing rational,” HuanJen added.
“Yeah.”
“What do you feel? What do you feel about this?” The Magician-Priest asked slowly. The air in the living room seemed thick, more real.
“I …” Jade felt something inside her, a perception inside-out from what she was used to. “Something is very wrong, but only in people’s heads. This screams ‘something dumb.’”
“Dumb things have a way of spreading until they are dreadfully clever.”
“True.” Jade noted the emphasis on the word ‘clever.’ HuanJen’s background had taught him ‘clever’ usually meant ‘sharp enough to cut yourself and others.’
“I know what to do.” The cleric stated suddenly, startling his apprentice.
“What?”
“Nothing?”
“Ah.” Jade’s mind spun. “Is this usual nothing, or this whole effective-Taoist nothing that seems to get things done before some asshole knows it?”
“What do you think …”
January 19, 2001 AD, Xaian Standard Calender
Nothing happened to the Panoramic League.
There was some report that Jade had been hurt. But nothing definite. Besides, it was just a rumor.
Nothing was happening.
HuanJen was busy when people tried to contact him. Email was answered late. Phone calls got an answering machine.
Nothing happened.
It was very, very effective.
It was ten minutes before the ultimate showdown.
Ten minutes until the world changed.
Ten minutes until Exorcist and Goldenray battled Summoner Seven and Catacylsma over their actions in the Xaian Wrestling Federation.
Apocalypses, people found, were much more enjoyable when handled by actors. Real people tended to mess them up terribly.
The crowd at Garnet’s house now consisted of six people; she and her husband, Rake, Clairice, Dealer Zero, and Brandon. There were rumors there would be more.
“Think they’ll show up?” Brandon asked, tossing a potato chip into his mouth. He was laying on the floor in front of the television set, his legs propped oddly on a footstool. He appeared to be comfortable, so no one commented.
“HuanJen said he needed our help,” Slate intoned from his usual seat on the couch, “he will. It also is easy to explain things here. And, Rake …”
The minister had been returning from the kitchen with a tray of drinks. “Yes? I … ah, yes, I ah, know. You will, ah, appreciate it.”
Zero blinked. He appeared quite relaxed, sitting near Brandon, his trenchcoat hung up in the coat closet. Suddenly he seemed apprehensive.
“Why am I worried?” the diviner asked.
“Trust …” Rake began.
There was a knock at the door. With a nodd from Garnet, Clairice rose to open it, ushering HuanJen and Jade into the room. Both wore winter coats - the weather had gone back to being unexpectedly cold this evening.
“Just in time,” Garnet crossed her arms, “we have eight minutes to butt-kicking. I expect you two to stay.”
“Oh, we will …” Jade began.
/>
“She talked me into it.” HuanJen cocked a thumb at his lover. “but before wrestling, I have … a favor to ask. We do.”
“Go for it,” Clairce said, sitting back down, “hey, we’re … well some kind of family.”
“Oh, it’s not much just some help,” HuanJen tried not to smile. It wasn’t a humorous smile. “We need help doing our jobs. So its much harder for people to reach us …”
January 23, 2001 AD, Xaian Standard Calendar
Richard Nax didn’t see the Usual Tuesday group at his bar. He wished they were here.
He wanted to ask questions. Admittedly, he’d probably keep himself from doing it as it was impolite.
In the rumor-matrix of Metris, bartenders heard quite a deal. Everyone talked to bartenders of course, often in highly altered states of consciousness. When you tended a bar and also owned it, you heard even more.
He knew for instance that Helena Hixx and Luther Turlow were indeed a couple. Not the rumors, a real couple. The wife of the florist who had done some flowers for Turlow had stopped by for a drink.
He knew that Guild Esoteric, Guild Medical, and the Gendarmes were discussing ways to coordinate better. Guild Esoteric still had their hotline in place, after all.
He knew that something was up with the Panoramic League. That related to his guests, many of whom were from the University or Guild Esoteric. That specifically related to the Usual Tuesday bunch with HuanJen.
It had come to his attention that HuanJen and Jade had become limited in their interactions with the League. Something had happened to Jade. In fact, fewer people had seen them, though there were those helping out with his Zone Cleric job.
The Esotericists who knew weren’t talking, or at least didn’t think they were. The League was obviously getting frantic - he’d heard that they were arguing constantly. In his impression some of them hadn’t been too happy with HuanJen and Jade, which made it more confusing.
He wasn’t exactly a spiritual man, but he felt the Esotericists knew what they were doing. SO he watched, and waited …
… and listened.
January 24, 2001 AD, Xaian Standard Calendar
There were times to tell the truth and times not to.
Sister Moon was an artist, at least in part. All members of the Panoramic League were. Truth was something that only worked if you didn’t do it all at once - truth unadorned was cold data, not communication. A whole truth was usually harder for people to take.
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