Preserving Hope

by Alex Albrinck

  What caught his attention more than her appearance and youth, however, was the noticeable trickle of Energy coming from her, bringing with it a notable flute-like sound of incredible purity. It had been his understanding that the Aliomenti were still working out the formula to unleash their Energy abilities. Elizabeth, however, already possessed them. Arthur most assuredly did not. Will wondered why that might be the case. Will stifled his look of surprise at his revelation, and a glance in her direction revealed that she’d made a similar determination about him.

  Elizabeth’s face, which had only briefly lifted up from the ground to spy on the stranger with the Energy, returned to its standard position, with her eyes aimed squarely at the dirt. “Here, Father,” she said. Her voice was quiet and timid, a far cry from the strong woman he’d known and loved in the future. Of course, Will had the ability to sense her true emotions, and those emotions were powerful. She hated Arthur, but did not, despite her timid behavior, fear him. Rather, she was putting on an act, feigning timidity to hide her strength, waiting to reveal her strength at the appropriate time. Though Will refused to reach inside her mind, the intensity of her thoughts and emotions was such that he could not avoid them, even if he’d tried.

  She wanted her father to love her. No more, no less. And it didn’t appear that she believed she’d see her dream come true any time soon.

  “Girl, where have you been?” Arthur snapped. “Have you been playing with that hideous hair of yours again? Stop wasting your time; no man will ever love you and those devil-spawned locks of yours. Serve our guest his meal, and then leave us.”

  Will, startled at Arthur’s angry outburst, glared at the man. “Sir, this girl is your daughter, and she’ll certainly never hope to earn a man’s love if she believes herself unworthy of it. She is a lovely young lady and I’m certain one day she’ll make a fine wife.” As he said the words, Will realized he was expressing a sentiment based on twenty-first century sensibilities, a sentiment likely to get him in trouble here. He was also contradicting a man not accustomed to being challenged.

  He sensed Elizabeth’s genuine thanks, though she kept her head down as she approached him. She placed the bread on the table, set the cup down next to the loaf, and poured water from the pitcher. “At your service, sir,” she said, in the same timid voice she’d used earlier.

  Arthur was still staring at Will, dumbstruck at the comment directed his way. He seemed prepared to hurl Will bodily out of his home due to his guest’s rudeness, but reconsidered, looking at the tall man with the black hair with a deeper discernment. Will detected no type of Energy scans, but was left with a sense that Arthur was a man who could read — and therefore manipulate — people in his own manner.

  “Perhaps you have a point,” Arthur conceded. “Elizabeth, you may leave us.”

  As the girl turned to leave, Will spoke up. “I’d hoped we could share this bread together, before she leaves, sir. A full loaf of bread would be too much just for me, and as such I’d like to share it with the people who have made my meal possible.”

  Elizabeth paused, waiting for Arthur to speak. Arthur looked at her, then at Will, and reconsidered before responding. “She may have a piece of bread, but she must leave,” he decided. “We have matters to discuss, matters which do not concern her.”

  Will shrugged, tore a large chunk from the warm loaf of bread, and handed it to Elizabeth. “Thank you for your hospitality.” He made certain to look directly at her face.

  Elizabeth nodded once, refusing to look up from the ground and meet his eyes. “I am delighted to be of service,” she murmured. She walked out of the small home and shut the door behind her.

  Arthur turned to face Will, his eyes flashing. “Normally, I’d have you thrown out of this community for daring to question my authority over my own child as you have done, Will. However, it is clear that you speak for what you believe in, without regard to what it might mean for your own personal situation. That leads me to believe that you possess strong character, unlikely to bend to popular demands or personal threats, and as such you are a man able to keep secrets.” Arthur’s eyes softened. “I have a proposition for you, Will. You are a man in search of a new community. We are a community on the lookout for new men of character to participate in our mission, but our mission is one which cannot be shared outside these walls. It promises to be one full of personal growth and enrichment, beyond what you could possibly imagine. Would you be interested in living in that fashion?”

  Will, trying not to chuckle at the phrase “beyond what you could possibly imagine,” considered his words, more so than his actual answer. He’d come here for just this purpose, after all, sent twelve centuries into the past to integrate into this community and protect Elizabeth from whatever threatened her. “That sounds very intriguing, Mr. Lowell.”

  “Please, call me Arthur.”

  “And you can call me Will.”

  “You’ll want to use only given names in this village, Will. Family names weren’t used by the founding members of this village, and it is tradition that those who join give up the use of any family name they might possess. I have a family name because I married and had a child, but it is a name few utter.”

  Will nodded. “I understand. Arthur.” He noted the brief flicker of pain on Arthur’s face as he instructed Will at this point.

  Arthur smiled. “There is an oath of secrecy shared by those who live in this village. We may share of these secrets within these walls, but not outside. Do I have your word that you’ll not share these secrets, or our aims and goals, with anyone not invited to join our community?”

  Again, Will chose his words carefully. “No one will hear about it from me.” But I can nudge them telepathically, or write about it all I want. And I will. And what if I want to invite them and you don’t, Arthur? They’ve still been invited to join my community, haven’t they?

  Arthur considered Will, studying his face. This was a man who seemed innately tuned to human body language and facial expressions, a man who would likely make a sound living in the future playing cards or interrogating prisoners. Will remained serene and calm, sending gentle waves of Energy at Arthur, giving Arthur the sense that Will was one worthy of trust.

  After a moment, Arthur nodded. “Very well, then. You are hereby admitted to this community, and we will see to it that you receive lodging and become part of our operation in a manner that suits you best. What was your previous profession?”

  “I was a merchant, buying and selling goods.”

  Arthur raised an eyebrow. “Very interesting. We have many carpenters, farmers, butchers, smiths, woodsmen, bakers, cooks, tanners, millers, cobblers, brewers, weavers, and even a locksmith living in this village. But we have only a small handful of Traders who can barter top prices for our goods in other towns, and secure low prices for the supplies we need. I believe you’ll fit in well with that group. Does that suit you?”

  Will nodded. He had no idea what it meant to be a Trader in this era, but believed he could adapt well.

  Arthur stood and clapped Will on the shoulder. “Wonderful! I need to take Elizabeth to Eva, and Eva is our lead Trader. Walk with me, and I’ll give you an overview of our group, and then show you to your room.” He walked out the door, and Will followed.

  “You see, Will, our group believes people are capable of a great deal more than most can imagine, let alone accomplish in their short, sickly, and frankly inconsequential lives. Our goal is very simple: we seek to find the limits of human potential and growth, streamline the means of achieving it, and then use those talents to increase our personal wealth.” Arthur stopped at the small single-person dwelling next door, knocked, and continued walking. A moment later, Elizabeth stepped out, eyes facing down, not looking directly at either man, and followed.

  Will, who had been walking behind Arthur, lengthened his stride and caught up with the shorter man. “If we figure out the answers to those questions, wouldn’t it be beneficial to tell everyone? How can we
stand by and allow our fellow man to live in sickness and poverty if we can show them how to avoid it?”

  “There is no way to measure the success of these techniques if they are available to everyone,” Arthur replied. “Many would find a way to use our knowledge for evil; the only way to prevent that from happening is to carefully screen and select those we allow into this small community, and limit the practice of what we’ve learned to those living here.”

  Will shook his head. “I don’t agree with that. The best way to lift humanity as a whole is to spread this knowledge around as we learn it. The best way to ensure that no one uses the knowledge gained for evil is to make sure it’s spread so widely that no one can control that knowledge for their evil purposes.”

  Arthur stopped and turned to look at Will. “You made an oath, Will. You gave your word that you’d share nothing of what you will learn outside these walls, and that means you can do none of what you just suggested.” His gaze narrowed, and his look became menacing. “Are you reneging on your oath only moments after it was made, Will?”

  “I made my oath, and I am a man of my word,” Will replied. “But that doesn’t mean the community won’t agree to change its approach in the future.”

  “It’s highly doubtful that will be the case,” Arthur said. “You see, in our earliest days, we were able to reduce our rate of sickness and improve our overall health. That’s helped us produce better goods to sell to other towns and cities, and achieve better prices for what we buy and sell. Our improved health means that our minds work better and more quickly than those we are dealing with. We’ve done well, and have developed modest wealth as a community. That might be enough for most, but not for me or the rest of the members of this community. No, Will, we believe we’ve only just begun to see what we’re capable of doing. And it has nothing to do with merely making a lot of money.”

  “What do you mean, Arthur?” Will asked.

  The man’s eyes gleamed. “Because some of our members have already seen what human beings are capable of becoming. And we aim to match and surpass such wizardry.”

  III

  Trader

  Will blinked. “What do you mean, they’ve already seen it? What is it? What wizardry are you talking about? What have they seen?”

  Arthur laughed. “Come now, Will. You’ve been a resident here for mere hours, and you’ve pledged to remain here for the rest of your life. You’ll come to understand what I mean soon enough.”

  They walked down the main pathway of the village, passing several nondescript buildings as they did so. “What are those buildings?” Will asked.

  “We call them the Stores,” Arthur replied. “Our craftsmen use them to store finished goods that will eventually be carried to the various towns and villages visited by our Traders. The Shops are on the other side, where they work creating their goods. We also have spots for our bakers and cooks to make food for the community. Everyone pays them a copper a day for their food; they buy some of the raw grains, nuts, berries, livestock, and woodland creatures our farmers and foragers produce to make the daily meals for our community, and we store the rest in the silos to live off during the winter months. You can buy from the craftsmen here if you need such items as blankets and clothing. Since you’re to be a Trader, you can also buy those items in other towns if you’d like. Blankets and cloaks are very important here; we’ve found it does get quite cold in the winter.”

  Each of the Stores was labeled with a sign indicating the type of wares inside. Fabrics, earthenware dishes, furniture, woolen fabrics dyed multiple colors, and blade weapons of various sizes and styles filled the interiors. “The Stores are nearly full, which means that Eva will need to commence a Trading mission soon,” Arthur observed.

  The Shops used to produce goods stretched out behind the Stores, and Will watched as a potter molded clay into the shape of a bowl, while another stoked a fire in a kiln. Further down the “street,” he could hear clanging sounds as smiths beat metal into swords, and hammering as carpenters assembled furniture.

  “Many of our wares are larger in size. Our carpenters build wagons our horses can pull, and we load the wagons with as much as we can. We get the most out of each trip because each Trader drives a separate wagon to the remote town or city. Since we didn’t know you’d join us, you’ll need to ride along with someone else. Our Traders will typically return with supplies that consume much less space, so they’ll sell one or two of the wagons on each trip as well.”

  They reached the end of the street and turned to the right. “This community is well-planned,” Will observed. “You have a wall and a gate, houses lining the wall as a second barrier, and your most valuable resources — the goods produced by the craftsmen, the grain in the silos, the well — those are all in the middle in the most secure positions. I’m impressed. Most towns aren’t built with that degree of foresight and organization.”

  Arthur nodded. “Like I said, we need to protect our interests, and we built ourselves up with that in mind from the start, trying to anticipate how we might get attacked. We built our village in a forest, for example. That’s secure because, with good roads and two rivers nearby, people have no need to enter the forest. We have to keep our numbers down because too much expansion means extending the walls.” He paused in front of a house just before the current “street” ended, which bore a small slat of wood with the name Eva painted on it. “And this is Eva’s room. She’s the head Trader here, so I’ll introduce you to her.” Arthur knocked on the simple door.

  A woman with platinum blond hair opened the door, revealing what looked to Will to represent the medieval English equivalent of a dorm room. One wall featured a small bed, more of a cot, and a trunk for personal possessions. The other wall featured a simple table with a wooden stool, and a stone basin, presumably used for washing. A single window framed the door. Several candles were located on the table. The floor was dirt, and he could see embers from the small fires lit there for warmth. A small opening in the ceiling provided ventilation from the smoke.

  The woman herself was imposing. She was tall by the standards of the day, and she displayed none of the timidity Will saw from Elizabeth. “Good morning, Arthur. Have you brought Elizabeth?” Her gaze was cool at best. Will needed no Energy or Empathy to detect friction between the two. Given his feelings about Arthur, he suspected this woman might become a strong ally.

  “I have, Eva,” Arthur replied. Will expected some type of handshake, but instead the woman dropped a small silver coin into Arthur’s hand. Arthur pocketed the coin. “Elizabeth! Inside!”

  The girl scooted past Will and into the small building. She’d said nothing during the walk, though Will had detected her emotional reaction to the conversation he’d had with her father. Her contempt for the man was so strong that Will almost didn’t need Empathy skills to feel it. He sensed that she felt a strong rapport with him, though. Will puzzled over both Elizabeth’s hatred toward her father, and the transaction he’d just witnessed. He did detect a quick glance by Elizabeth in Eva’s direction, and for the briefest moment saw a flash of a smile. Eva’s steely gaze softened for a moment at the look from Elizabeth, and she patted the girl on the shoulder as the young woman stepped into the room. The look was brief, however, and quickly hardened again as she returned her full attention to Arthur.

  Eva’s hazel eyes fell on Will, and she perused him with a calculating, though not unfriendly, look. “And who might you be?”

  “My name is Will. I’ve recently joined the community.”

  Eva’s gaze snapped back to Arthur. “Really? And who was part of this decision-making process, Arthur?” It was quite apparent that these two were rarely in agreement. He also detected a faint hint of Energy at work; certainly more than a mere neophyte, not quite so strong as Elizabeth, but certainly something. He made a mental note of it.

  “He checks out, Eva. And he’s a former merchant. We need more Traders. You’ve said so yourself.”

  Eva looked at Will
once more. “And what type of trade did you engage in, Will?”

  Will thought quickly, trying to determine which of his businesses and experiences from the future would best translate into this time. “Tools used in construction, and medicines.”

  Arthur gave him an appraising look. “Medicines, do you say? Intriguing. We have few injuries or illnesses requiring treatment here, but it’s best to be prepared. We’ll need to set you up as our village doctor.”

  Will, who knew only the basics of first aid, thought to protest, but then nodded. “I’ll certainly help out in such circumstances, but I merely sold them. I did not make them. I am willing to learn though.”

  “Nevertheless,” Eva said, “that knowledge will be useful for our next Trading mission. We will always have need of medicines in this community, and few have any knowledge of them. None of our number has a sense of how to price medicines; it is one of the few areas we suspect we are overcharged.” She glanced at Arthur. “I’m not sure how you found this man, Arthur, but you’ve lucked into someone who appears competent.” She extended her hand to Will, and gave him a warm smile. “Welcome.”

  Will took it, and the Energy the woman possessed was even more apparent. Her eye contact was steady, but it was clear as her grip loosened and then tightened, accompanied by a barely-perceptible facial twitch, that she’d detected the Energy from him as an electric shock. He had no idea what her level of understanding of Energy was at this point, but one thing was certain. The ride for his first Trading mission was going to feature some very interesting conversations.

  “Thank you,” Will replied.

  “Will shall reside in the open room next to you, Eva, so you’ll be able to easily teach him how we prepare for our Trading missions.” Arthur glanced to the building to his right, situated in the corner of the running wall of rooms. It was also, Will noted, as far from Arthur’s house as one could get in this village. He smiled inwardly at the symbolism. “I note with interest that our last room in now filled. Will, perhaps it is an omen that you are the final piece to the success of our community.”