Chester Parsons is Not a Gorilla

by Martyn Ford

  Soaring high through the clouds in the mind of a falcon, above the thick woods and roads and fields and houses, I could see the curve of the earth and the green land below, like a patchwork blanket spread to the horizon. A new bolt of energy now. As long as I kept moving fast, I could cling on.

  This was a great way of travelling – I covered the journey in no time at all. The Whispered Manor was somewhere around here, somewhere near the road, across from those cornfields and—

  There.

  I spotted it – tiny from this height – and tilted my body, tucked in my wings and dived, dived, dived, the wind roaring and screaming over my feathers. Near the ground, I flapped and pulled up, landing on the tarmac right by the gate. I hopped towards the building. Early orange sunlight was beaming behind the black towers and the huge garden was glittery with dew and cold dawn mist. That morning, the Whispered Manor looked like a castle from another time. Maybe another world. Something carved in a dreamscape.

  By the front gate, I saw the bald guard, standing there in his white robes – it was the same kid from yesterday. About my age, about my height.

  He would do.

  That whistling howl and I was in his mind. I looked down at my new human hands, flexing my fingers, making a fist.

  The falcon pecked at a twig in the road with its sharp beak, then flapped off into the air.

  What’s going on, I heard the kid think, get out.

  No, shut up, I thought. This won’t take long.

  Who are you? Wow. You’re powerful. Are you an elder?

  You’re damn right, man. I’m Wise Earth. Your … master. Now relax, I need to use your body for a bit.

  I dunno, I heard you were dead.

  Right. I grabbed myself by the scruff of my robe and pushed us back into the gate.

  ‘Listen here, kid, this whole place is a massive stitch-up,’ I said with his mouth. ‘You’ve been brainwashed by the star swimmers … Fred … Fred. That was your name, wasn’t it?’

  A whispering brother holds no name …

  I could see this kid’s memories – the day they brought him here, all the ways they forced him to remember. Quick, fractured images of Cold Rain shouting, threatening him with a sword. Telling him he could never go home.

  ‘An old star swimmer jumped into your mind when you were a baby. Don’t you get it? They literally take your body. Then they take your name away. Your identity. You don’t have to be that guy.’

  There was doubt here. Fear.

  ‘You’re scared,’ I whispered. ‘I get it.’

  My parents, he thought, I … I phoned them. They didn’t know who I was.

  ‘Yes. It’s a really nasty scheme they’ve got going.’

  They said they’d never had a son. No one reported me missing.

  ‘It’s all a giant trick – they change minds. They plant false memories. They can control everything.’

  Ideas … ideas are the most powerful force in the universe. That’s written on the banner in the sleeping room.

  ‘Exactly. Now listen, how would you like to shut this operation down? Expose it.’

  I can’t … Cold Rain … he’s … he’s a monster.

  ‘All I’m asking you to do is relax. I will do the rest.’

  I … I … OK.

  And, just like that, there was a surge of peace as we breathed and sighed. We were calm and the body was mine.

  Thank you, I thought, as I turned, opened the gate and ran. Straight up to the building, past the stone path, still broken from poor Carlos’s fall. I smashed in through the front door, using this kid’s shoulder as a battering ram. Then quickly through the stone corridor towards the huge meditating room that reminded me of a church, ignoring questions from fellow star swimmers.

  One girl stood in my way. ‘Morning sessions are not for the likes of you,’ she said as I walked towards her. ‘Brother, return to guard duty or you will be reported.’

  I barged past.

  At the door, I paused. Above, on a red flag hanging over the frame, I saw that symbol – the stickman, gold and stitched into the rippling fabric, looking down at me with all three of his eyes. Foggy memories flickered across my attention, like the fast shadow of a passing bird. Wise Earth designed that logo. It felt familiar in a way that’s impossible to describe – a sort of déjà vu that doesn’t wear off. Only gets stronger.

  I grabbed two metal handles and pushed both wooden doors open at once. They swept away, creaking loudly on the hinges.

  There were only a few kids in here – maybe twenty star swimmers sitting cross-legged on the red floor rugs. They all seemed astonished to see someone brave enough to interrupt the peace. Mouths were wide open, somewhere between shock and excitement. More of them were gathering in the doorway. Maybe they were keen to see how this unfolded.

  Directly ahead of me, at the end of the long aisle, I saw him.

  Cold Rain. My nemesis.

  I walked fast past the candles, through the still incense smoke, which curled and spiralled at my sides.

  He was sitting on his small raised stage, his sword resting on his lap. I went straight up to him, ignoring the confused expressions from the bald teenagers behind me. No time to be sneaky – I just needed my body and I needed it now.

  Arriving at the front of the room, I stepped up on to the stage, snatched the sword from him, threw the sheath off – which clattered on the stone – then pointed the end right at his face, just like he’d done to me.

  ‘Hey, wake up,’ I said. Then I turned the blade on its side and whacked him on the top of the head.

  There was a gasp from behind – mouths covered, faces shocked, more kids filing into the room.

  Gradually Cold Rain opened his eyes and frowned. He didn’t seem at all scared.

  ‘Hi, Chester Parsons again,’ I said. ‘Firstly, you killed my dad, which is not OK. Secondly, pushing me off that roof? Absolutely unacceptable. Carlos was kind enough to lend me his body and you just ruined it. You crossed a line. Now, I’ll only ask once: tell me where my body is or I’ll cut off your head. That’s not a joke. I will literally chop it off and throw it out of the window.’

  More gasps from the growing audience.

  ‘I told you,’ Cold Rain whispered, touching what would soon be a sore bruise. ‘The answers you seek lie with Wise Earth.’

  ‘OK, let me ask him,’ I said, glancing at the ceiling. ‘Oh yeah, I am Wise Earth. He jumped into my brain when I was a baby. And he didn’t tell you freaks which one – so you couldn’t kidnap me and shave my head and all that other stuff. By the way.’ I turned around. ‘The bald thing, the robes. You guys look ridiculous.’

  ‘Welcome home, brother.’ Cold Rain smiled.

  ‘Remember the promise?’ I looked back at him. ‘That I’d return and give you a right good stabbing.’ I wiggled the sword near his face. ‘Well, here I am.’

  Cold Rain laughed. ‘And you recall at such a young age – this must be a record. Oh fate, what paths she weaves.’ He sounded sarcastic.

  Hundreds of kids were standing behind me – word had spread fast and now the meditating room was packed with star swimmers. Young ten-year-olds, shoulder to shoulder with teenagers and wrinkled men and women. All of them bald. Half of them were whispering to one another: ‘Wise Earth has returned?’

  ‘Is it true?’

  ‘Could it be?’

  ‘Who the hell is Chester Parsons?’

  ‘A bowl of sunshine, a bowl of—’

  ‘Shhh, listen.’

  ‘You don’t believe me?’ I asked.

  ‘If it is indeed truth you speak, then you need not ask such questions … You taught me once that the answers we seek are closer than we think.’

  ‘No. More. Riddles,’ I said. ‘You know where my body is, don’t you? You know who took it?’

  Smiling again, Cold Rain nodded. ‘Oh Chester, Chester, Chester,’ he whispered, picking a hair from the sleeve of his black robe. ‘Yes. I know who took your body.’

  ‘Ah,
I knew it!’ I said. Which was kind of true – I knew Cold Rain knew something. My mind was racing. All this gave me another boost of energy. Now all I had to do was get him to spill the beans. (That’s a weird saying isn’t it? Spill the beans? If someone spilled beans near me I’d be annoyed, especially if it went on my clothes.)

  Although he’d relaxed enough to give me full use of his body, I still felt little blips of fear from Fred. This was, for him, extremely risky. Sure, he could say that I took control and made him say this stuff, but Cold Rain wasn’t exactly fair when it came to dishing out punishments. And yet, at the same time, a part of Fred was enjoying the moment – it was certainly more interesting than guard duty.

  Maybe it was wrong to wander through his memories, but they kept popping up – probably triggered by coming face to face with Cold Rain. I saw the day Fred arrived at the Whispered Manor. He was nine years old. And he wasn’t kidnapped, he wasn’t snatched in the night kicking and screaming. No. He simply packed a bag and walked here. It must have been terrifying – watching yourself stand up, go outside, and start hiking somewhere with no clue why. I agreed with Wise Earth. This stuff had to stop.

  But even though it was definitely evil, this was a pretty clever recruitment scheme. Keeping the idea of the star swimmers alive over countless generations – getting the children when they were young. Changing their minds to serve the cause. Then sending them out to collect more kids? Man, it was kind of ingenious – even if individuals didn’t want it to continue, the system meant it always would, as no single person was actually in control. Wise Earth was right again – ideas really are the most powerful force in the universe.

  Dr Vladovski had told me, ‘Brain is hardware, thoughts are software – a bad idea is like a virus. It can spread and spread and spread.’

  Finally, I understood what he meant.

  The grand meditating hall was now full. I reckon every star swimmer was there – a sea of bald heads and white robes, all staring up at the stage, watching this confrontation unfold. I wondered how many wanted to be here – truly, themselves, without any interference – and how many were trapped. Trapped by their own thoughts, trapped by the bad ideas of old dead minds.

  But now it was time to focus on the goal at hand. My body.

  ‘Right, tell me,’ I said.

  Still sitting cross-legged on the ground, in front of the long red and gold flags hanging down the walls, Cold Rain looked up and blinked. And then, with a smirk, he whispered … ‘No.’

  So I lifted the sword and held it behind my shoulder, like a baseball bat. ‘OK. Fine,’ I said. ‘Next stop, decapitation station. Goodbye, head. Ready?’

  Someone stepped forwards, as though to come to his defence. But he showed them a hand and they retreated back into the crowd.

  He didn’t seem particularly bothered by my threats. After a few seconds, he even bowed his head, moved his long brown plaited ponytail aside and showed me his bare neck. ‘Do what you must.’

  ‘I will.’ I squeezed the sword’s grip.

  ‘Go on then.’

  ‘I am about to chop your head off.’

  ‘I see that. I am waiting.’

  ‘OK then. Here we go.’ I took a deep breath in, lifted the sword a little higher and tensed my jaw. Then I sighed. ‘Look. Dude. Obviously I’m not really going to chop your head off.’

  ‘I thought not.’ Cold Rain looked up at me again through the thin smoke. ‘Weak as ever I see.’

  ‘Just because I won’t murder you with a sword, doesn’t make me weak.’

  He shrugged. ‘We appear to have reached a stalemate.’

  Suddenly, I felt dizzy again, dropped the sword and slumped to my knees in front of him. Candles flickered at the edges of my vision, orange flames blurring like a fog.

  Uh, Fred thought, sorry to interrupt, but, uh, is this … is this the end of your plan? If so, it’s not very good.

  ‘Please,’ I whispered. ‘Just tell me the truth. I haven’t got long. I’m begging you.’

  ‘The truth?’ Cold Rain picked up his sword, then stood, looming over me. If I hadn’t been so dazed, I would have been terrified. ‘The truth is I do believe you,’ he said. ‘I knew with whom I dealt the moment I tried to seize control of that great jungle beast beneath the garden’s moon. There is but one Daahsuti master capable of such resistance … and he is you, Wise Earth. My oldest friend. I feared many a winter would pass before you remembered. The truth. Oh, the truth. The truth is I am tired. The truth is leading the star swimmers without your command is … impossible. Unbearable. The truth is I can no longer endure the weight of this, this heavy crown. The truth is … I …’

  A single tear rolled down his cheek.

  ‘Um.’ This was awkward. I didn’t know what to do. I struggled back up to my feet and, frowning, patted him on the shoulder. ‘It’s all right, man,’ I said. ‘Don’t cry … it’s …’ Then I remembered he was my nemesis, so I stopped comforting him.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ He was blubbing now. Loads. It was extremely uncomfortable. I rubbed my neck and looked round at the star swimmers behind. They were cringing as well – one of them shrugged at me. Seeing this brutal, scary, mean master of theirs break down into tears was obviously a shock for them too.

  When I turned back, Cold Rain fell forwards and hugged me.

  ‘No.’ I pushed him away. ‘I mean, yes. Good. I’m glad you’re sorry. For which bit though? You’ve done loads of wrong things.’

  ‘For everything.’ Cold Rain sniffed, then threw his sword down on to the stone floor. ‘Wise words. You always spoke the truth. You were right. The things we’ve done, brother. No more can we darken young minds for the cause of star’s light. No more. No more … I yield. You win. I shall remove my elder robes.’

  He started to undress. ‘Um, no, no,’ I said quickly. ‘Leave them on, it’s fine.’

  ‘So be it.’ He pulled the cloth back up over his shoulder. ‘If diplomacy remains a path we might together tread, I would like to propose a deal.’

  ‘I’m listening.’ I felt woozy but curious. Concentrate, Chester, I thought. Hold on just a bit longer.

  ‘As per your instruction, I shall disband the star swimmers,’ Cold Rain said. ‘Every order shall fall.’

  ‘Good. And no more baby stuff? No more kidnapping? No more mind control? No more murder?’

  ‘If this is your wish, then it shall be so. All I ask, Wise Earth, Chester Parsons, whomever you choose to be, is that you permit me to live the rest of my days in peace.’

  ‘Aw, I dunno,’ I said. ‘You kind of killed Wise Earth – that niggles me a bit. Also, you sort of pushed me off a roof. And you definitely killed my dad. Not sure we can just call it quits?’

  ‘I did not kill Jack Parsons. I never gave such an order.’

  ‘Who did?’

  ‘A whispering brother – a silent swimmer. Any one of your loyal recruits.’

  ‘Under your command.’

  ‘So high. So mighty.’ He wiped his tears away and managed a smile. ‘I wonder, are you yet to explore your memories? Over the last nine hundred and ninety years, how many babes in arms have you taken, how many storytellers, singers, scribes and even curious peasants have you had slain for the swimmers and the secrets? If it falls this day, the axe of justice shall cut us both.’

  This was annoying. I wanted the moral high ground.

  ‘Yeah but … that wasn’t … that wasn’t me.’

  ‘Who are you, if not the sum of your memories? The totality of all you’ve seen, of all you’ve done, of all you know?’

  ‘I mean … I suppose …’ I sighed. Maybe he did have a point. ‘We’re going to put it on TV. It’s all getting exposed. You’ll end up in prison. I can’t stop that from happening, even if I wanted to.’

  ‘Do as you must,’ he said. ‘Fill every screen in the land with the truth. But fear not. It takes more than flesh and bone, steel and stone, to keep me caged. Just please, do not order my death. Let us proceed with honour and commit th
e old ways to the past. At least … at least permit me to live.’

  To be honest, I had no intention of actually killing him – not really. But he didn’t need to know that.

  ‘Um … All right. Fine. I won’t have you killed. But … but you’re getting off lightly here.’

  I felt a strange kind of relief from somewhere, somewhere deep down inside me – a bit of Wise Earth shining through. I guess I had done what he promised he would – returned and stopped the star swimmers. I frowned at the thought – it was quite straightforward in the end. Like driving. Everyone makes such a fuss about stuff, but once you do it, it’s like, oh, actually, it’s not hard at all. Overthrowing an ancient cult of evil mystic mind jumpers? Walk in the park. Piece of cake. Literally easy.

  Maybe too easy?

  ‘So wait, hang on,’ I said. ‘I let you live and then what? What do I get?’

  ‘The answers you seek.’

  I squinted at him. ‘Just to be crystal clear, we’re talking about finding my body, right?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good.’

  ‘Perhaps a return to form might just put an end to this identity crisis of yours.’ Cold Rain smirked.

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘I shall show you. First, what is your electronic mailing address?’

  ‘My … oh, my email? What, why?’

  ‘It is my desire to send you a message.’

  ‘Can’t you just …’ I stopped myself. I’d learned by now that people like Cold Rain don’t really do direct communication. ‘Fine.’ I sighed. Then I gave him my email address.

  He removed his phone from the pocket of his black robe. As he spoke and acted and even looked like he was from the past, it was weird seeing him tap away on a mobile.

  ‘Alas, we need not look far for the truths that matter most.’ His phone made that little whooshing email-sendy sound. ‘There. It is done. I have laid a stone for you on the path you wish to travel.’

  ‘How do I know this isn’t … I mean, why should I trust you?’

  ‘To Chester, I would say, boy, you have no other choice. And to you, brother, I could never tell a lie.’ Cold Rain closed his eyes and nodded, as though in respect. ‘Ask yourself who would gain the most from such a crime. Ask yourself what light has come from such dark, what good has flowered from such seeds of evil. Return to your sister, Chester, you will need her today more than most. Now, if you don’t mind, I must fly.’