The Magic Book

by Fredric Shernoff

  “Goldman!” Nathaniel called. “Get your weapon at the ready!”

  The people of the enclave were on them. Nathaniel and Goldman fired their weapons and fought back, trying to pick out the most threatening of the targets. Nathaniel didn’t want to kill anyone who was no risk to him or Goldman, but those with long kitchen knives needed to be put down.

  The shots from the weapons sizzled off the walls and ceiling, and many found their marks. Nathaniel fought with his free hand, punching and throwing anyone he could make contact with. He pushed forward toward the front door as he fought, trying to plow a clear path through the lobby for Goldman to follow him.

  Even as they made progress against the attackers, more poured into the inn’s lobby, such that Nathaniel felt like the situation got worse the further along they went. They were hit and cut and clawed at on all sides. He did his very best to protect Goldman, but he knew the young man wasn’t going to get through unscathed.

  He heard Goldman’s weapon firing over and over again and realized two things: the weapon did seem to have a very extensive amount of energy it could deliver, though he still wasn’t convinced it was unlimited, and he could not say for sure that Goldman was only shooting at the most threatening of the townspeople. The man was in full panic, fighting for his life.

  Was Goldman wrong? Probably not, Nathaniel reasoned. This was war, even if the people fighting the war were being misled by Gustavus and the Authority. If Nathaniel and Goldman were going to survive to set things right, they had to fight back. He couldn’t keep picking his shots and allowing them to get overwhelmed.

  He grabbed the nearest man, who was attempting to get close enough to hack at him with a meat cleaver. Nathaniel plucked away the man’s weapon, then hoisted the man over his shoulder and pushed forward into the crowd. The technique worked as it had for him before, knocking the villagers in a sprawling, confused heap of falling bodies.

  “Goldman!” he called. “To the front door! We have a chance to get free!”

  He kept pushing. He heard Goldman’s weapon fire two more times, then it was silent. He wanted to look back, but he had to press forward. He drove the man on his shoulder into more people, finally reaching the door. He tossed the man into the crowd outside. That group was much smaller than he had worried it would be. It seemed half the town had flooded the inn.

  He allowed himself a moment to turn, and saw Goldman behind him, slapping at his weapon.

  “It’s out of power,” Goldman said. “Might need to recharge or something.”

  “Take mine,” Nathaniel said, and tossed his weapon to Goldman.

  They ran through the enclave, looking over their shoulders at the mob they were leaving behind. Goldman shot several people in the course of their escape, and eventually it appeared that the remaining mob thought better of continuing the pursuit. All the better, it seemed anyone who had wanted to do them harm, or at least knew about their supposed transgressions, had been in the crowd that had staked out positions around the inn. The rest of the village remained calm, and the few people they passed in the rapidly lightening morning seemed content to go about their business with only the occasional odd glance toward the two men jogging through town.

  When they reached the front gate of the enclave, Nathaniel stopped and held up a hand for Goldman to wait. They walked over to a small alleyway and hunkered down against the wall.

  “What’s wrong?” Goldman asked, struggling to catch his breath.

  “Word travels here. It may not be quite like the devices of your world, but the Authority seems to always have ways to know everything. Gustavus will know about the inn and will likely have the enclave perimeter secured.”

  “So we’ll fight.”

  “Aye, but we need to be tactical. We can’t just burst out there when they can fire their energy weapons at us from all sides.” He paused and studied Goldman, whose clothes were stained with blood. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, man. Just some scratches and whatnot. I think I gave better than I got.”

  “Let me see.” Nathaniel started prodding Goldman’s arms with an outstretched finger, investigating all the signs of damage.

  “Nate, really I’m fine. It’s just...agh! Fuck that hurts!”

  Nathaniel smiled. “I suppose it does. You got stabbed on your arm. It doesn’t look deep.” He grabbed the bottom of Goldman’s shirt and tore a chunk of the fabric away. He tied the strip securely around Goldman’s arm. “How does that feel?”

  “Not bad. You have medical training?”

  “I don’t know what that is.”

  “Like, you know, doctors. Healers. You know how to take care of someone who’s injured.”

  “Aye. We had to learn basic techniques as part of our training. One of the many responsibilities of a Great One to the normals. I’ve forgotten much of it. By the time of my advanced studies I wasn’t in a mood to learn, or to do anything, really.”

  “That’s got something to do with Amara, doesn’t it? That girl you met on your Rumspringa.”

  “Rum…what?”

  “Never mind that. I’m right, aren’t I?”

  Nathaniel nodded. “That experience changed me. Just like these recent experiences have changed me and how I view everything. I wish all of this didn’t bother me so much.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That mob…they believe the worst about me and my people. After everything we’ve done, eons of service to the normals, Gustavus flipped them against me so quickly.”

  “Meaning there was always some kind of distrust there.”

  “Aye. It was like kindling waiting for a match.”

  “Look,” Goldman said, “I can see why that bothers you. I know what just happened was fucking awful. We were put in a position to have to kill people, and not the ones who really did wrong. But we were defending ourselves, Nate. And we got out of there causing as little damage as possible. You still took the high road. You’re still playing the part of the Great One, whether they see it or not.”

  “I hope so. I hope our actions lead to the results we seek. How’s your weapon?”

  Goldman picked the weapon up. “It hums again. I think that’s a good sign. What the hell are these things, Nate? How does your society just have super advanced guns that nobody understands?”

  “I wish I knew. The Authority has access to a trove of this sort of weaponry, which we now know includes devices that can temporarily take away my abilities. But if I had to wager, I’d think Gustavus doesn’t know any more about these than we do. He’s inherited the role of overseer to the grand lies and the mysteries, but he didn’t create them.”

  “Comforting thought.” Goldman held up the weapon, aimed it at the ground several feet away, and pulled the trigger. A bolt of energy slammed into the dirt, leaving a black spot. “Well, this works.”

  He picked up the other weapon and handed it back to Nathaniel. “Should we be on our way?”

  “Aye. We have a while yet before we reach the capital.”

  They exited the alley and walked toward the enclave gate.

  Nathaniel wondered if they would encounter the guard who had allowed them passage into the enclave, and if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. It turned out not to matter, as the guard had been replaced at his post. Nathaniel hoped that was a shift change, and that the man hadn’t been punished for allowing them in.

  Whether Gustavus had heard about the incident at the inn or not, there was not a huge contingent of guards surrounding the enclave, just a double duty configuration with two guards posted on either side of the gate, rather than one.

  “Cover me,” Nathaniel said. He ran at his full speed past the guards, who turned to follow him.

  “Stop right there!” one guard shouted. “I said stop!”

  Another guard fired at Nathaniel, then another. One of the shots hit him in the side, but he ignored the pain and kept going. He heard more shots in a frantic, rapid pattern, and knew Goldman was attacking.

>   He turned around and saw two of the guards on the ground, and the others aiming at Goldman, who had his hands above his head. Nathaniel fired his weapon and dropped the remaining guards.

  “That was messy,” Goldman said as he jogged over to Nathaniel. “Thanks for saving my ass. I fancy myself a bit of a cowboy, but this shit is harder than it looks.”

  “You’ve performed more than admirably,” Nathaniel said. “And it’s always going to be messy. War isn’t easy work, and we are forced to make it up as we go along.”

  “I keep trying to tell myself this is all some sort of dream,” Goldman said. “Makes it easier to justify killing people. But it’s as real as it was when we fought in my world.”

  “We’re soldiers, even though we were conscripted into this battle and didn’t volunteer for it. We have to do what soldiers have to do.”

  “It just shouldn’t have to feel so awful to do the right thing,” Goldman said. “And worse, doing it shouldn’t come so fucking naturally to me.” He dabbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, then turned away.

  Nathaniel put his arm around Goldman’s shoulders, being careful to avoid the knife wound. “I am with you in this until we avenge both our worlds. And we will shoulder the burdens of all of it together.”

  “Thanks. Which way to the center of the territory?”

  “It’s this way. But let’s proceed with caution. There’s something not right about this. It’s far too quiet.”

  They walked around the perimeter of the enclave and moved toward the main road. In the distance, Nathaniel could see a figure approaching, but the bright glare of the rising sun made it hard to see more than a small shadow.

  “There’s someone up ahead,” he said. “Be on guard.”

  Goldman sighed. “Is it too much to hope that it’s a sane villager with no weapons? I’m not looking to shoot anyone else for at least the next hour.”

  They walked slowly, watching the shadow as it got larger. It was a man. A minute later, Nathaniel realized it was Gustavus, walking toward them with a broad grin. He held something small in his hand.

  “Shit,” Goldman said. “It’s that bastard Gustavus. Where are all his guards?”

  “There’s something unsettling about this. Be ready to shoot if I give the word.”

  “Aye aye, captain.”

  “Nathaniel!” Gustavus called with false cheer. “I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard you and your friend escaped. But here you are, despite all the obstacles I put in your way.”

  They were now about twenty feet apart. Gustavus’s hand was blocking most of what he held in it.

  “You’re right,” Goldman said. His voice was shaking with fury and he raised his weapon. “We killed every motherfucker you threw at us. And now you can come with us and pay for your crimes, or you can join your friends in hell.”

  “Such a tone!” Gustavus said. “Nathaniel, you really need to teach your friend respect.”

  “Your games cost the lives of too many people,” Nathaniel said. “It’s over, Gustavus. It’s time for the Authority to be revealed for what they truly are.” Even as he heard his own strong words, Nathaniel felt creeping doubt. Something was wrong about the whole scene.

  “Nathaniel, you have much to learn.” Gustavus closed half the distance between them. He paid no attention to Goldman, who continued to aim the weapon at Gustavus’s head.

  Gustavus brought out a small syringe filled with a red liquid.

  “What, you’re going to inject us with poison?” Goldman asked. “You come at me with that needle and you’ll lose your head before you take two steps.”

  “Oh, no,” Gustavus said. “The needle isn’t for you, it’s for me.” He plunged it into his arm and pushed the red liquid into his body. Gustavus roared in pain and fell to his knees. His body convulsed, vibrating with a rapid rhythm like nothing Nathaniel had ever seen.

  Nathaniel looked at Goldman, who looked back at him with fear and confusion. He gestured at his gun and Nathaniel shook his head. Maybe the foolish man would kill himself and save them the nightmare of defending their actions to the people of the territory.

  Gustavus continued to scream and shake for what seemed an eternity. Then he fell to the ground motionless. Nathaniel took a few tentative steps toward him, getting close enough to see that the man was still breathing in shallow, ragged gulps of air.

  Suddenly, Gustavus began to laugh. He sat up, cackling like a mad man. “Oh, if only I’d known this years ago,” Gustavus said. “I had a theory, and nobody would dare listen to me.” He got back to his feet.

  “I told them, these so-called Great Ones aren’t magical. They are simply a relic of a time of the gods, like the energy weapons! And much like the weapons, they are things that can be controlled by the people of this world. But I knew on some level it went even deeper than that! I knew that what makes you so special isn’t truly special at all. It’s something that can be passed along. So when I had the opportunity, I took a sample of your blood.”

  “You’re insane,” Nathaniel said.

  “Nay, that couldn’t be more removed from the truth. I am as I was always meant to be. I am the leader of the world, and I finally have the power that the leader should have always had!”

  “Goldman, end this,” Nathaniel said.

  Goldman fired the weapon. Gustavus ducked so quickly Nathaniel’s eyes could barely register the movement.

  Nathaniel sprang into action. Gustavus side-stepped him, as he himself had done to the giant mutants. He fell forward, and Gustavus kicked him, then drove a fist down into his face. The man was at least as powerful as the mutants had been.

  Nathaniel heard the crack of energy again, and this time the shot connected. Gustavus grunted in pain and stumbled away from Nathaniel. Goldman fired again and again. Gustavus took the shots, his clothes smoldering and burning where the blasts landed. He put his hand over the end of the weapon and yanked it free from a terrified Goldman. Gustavus bent the weapon in half, then flicked it at the side of Goldman’s head.

  Goldman collapsed, and Nathaniel tackled Gustavus, pulling both the man’s legs out from under him and driving him as hard as possible into the ground.

  “How does it feel?” Gustavus yelled as he wrapped his hands around Nathaniel’s throat. “How does it feel to have met your equal?”

  Nathaniel pulled the hands off his neck and head-butted Gustavus, sending blood spurting from the man’s nose.

  “You aren’t my equal!” Nathaniel said. He watched as the blood dripped down Gustavus’s face. “You don’t know what it means to wield the power of a Great One! You don’t know the sacrifice, the dedication!”

  Gustavus jabbed him in the eyes. They welled up immediately and Nathaniel squinted, temporarily blind. “I don’t need to know anything about your people,” Gustavus said as he began punching Nathaniel over and over. “I do things my way. And now, with the power of the Great Ones in the hands of the Authority, I will rule this land forever.”

  Nathaniel heard another zap of energy and knew that Goldman had reentered the fray.

  “Don’t you understand?” he heard Gustavus say, “I can’t be hurt!”

  Nathaniel’s eyes began to heal, and he opened them enough to see a blurry image of Gustavus standing over Goldman.

  “Gustavus!” Nathaniel called as he got back to his feet. “Face me!”

  Gustavus turned around, and Nathaniel saw the blood flowing freely from the damaged nose.

  “Give up, Nathaniel,” Gustavus said. “It’s over for—”

  Nathaniel darted in before Gustavus had time to react, and punched him so hard the man left the ground for nearly a second, before crumpling to the earth.

  “Holy shit.” Goldman looked at Gustavus with shock on his face, an expression Nathaniel could now just begin to read as his vision continued to clear. “How did you do that? Is he dead? I hope he’s dead.”

  Nathaniel stood over Gustavus. “Nay, he seems to be breathing. Barely. I knew he was weakened
when I saw his nose wasn’t healing. What did you do to him?”

  Goldman held up the remaining energy weapon. “There’s a little switch on the side here.”

  “And you tried it?”

  Goldman smiled. “Nate, I’m a fiddler. I fiddle.”

  Nathaniel laughed. “Well done.”

  “Thanks. What are we going to do about him though?”

  “If we don’t kill him, his powers will likely return.”

  “So you’re going to do it?”

  “It would be what he deserves.” Nathaniel looked down at Gustavus’s bruised, bleeding face. He thought about Esther and Achmis. “Aye, it would be what he deserves,” he repeated. “But killing a defenseless man is not who my friends and family would want me to be. It’s not who I want to be.”

  “What then?” Goldman asked.

  “Let’s get him out of here.”

  “You want to take him with us? Nate, did you get hit in the head too many times? He wants to kill us. He killed your friends, remember?”

  “Aye. But he also knows things. And the things he doesn’t know will also help to guide us.”

  He bent and scooped Gustavus off the ground, tossing the man over his shoulder like a sack.

  “Either way, we can’t leave him here.”

  VII

  Epilogue

  They stood in Opellius’s house, weary but victorious. The journey back had been slow and difficult, and they had faced some opposition as they worked their way back to the hidden tunnel with Gustavus in tow.

  They had been forced to take several more lives, and each of those senseless deaths weighed on Nathaniel’s conscience throughout the journey. The Great Ones were not born to be warriors of this sort. They weren’t supposed to have to use their power and gifts to kill those without those abilities. He knew he fought in self-defense, as did Goldman, but all the deaths were taking a toll on him, and he believed they placed a blemish on his soul that may never come out in any of the worlds, nor in whatever might come after.