The Invisible Hand

by Chris Northern

  Even the thought of taking action was too much for me. I bowed my head and let the choices drift away from me. My gaze rested on my bound hands where they rested on my thighs. One finger was bent unnaturally. It reminded me of the torture I had endured and a shudder passed through me, leaving me even more sick and exhausted than I had been. I tried to focus my mind on something else. My hands were bound. I would have to cut the cords if I was to have some hope of keeping my balance. If I could find the will to move. I knelt in a sea of broken slate; their edges might be sharp enough to cut the cord that bound me. I shifted my knees further apart and reached between them to find a shard of stone man enough for the job. A bright movement was followed by the ring of steel as a knife struck stone and bounced once to land between my legs. I barely reacted. I was beyond surprise. Too exhausted to react. The knife lay there, a small throwing knife, blade and flat hilt together no longer than my hand. I leaned back from it a little and looked up. It took a moment for me to pick out the figure squatted a few feet away.

  It was a moment later that I recognised her as Silgar. It didn't surprise me. I was beyond surprise.

  We watched each other in silence, unmoving, for a good few moments before she prompted me. "You might have better luck with the knife."

  I struggled with the blade. Numb hands made hard work of it. After a while I gave up on my attempts to reverse the blade and hold it in one hand. Instead I held the hilt between my knees and worked at the cords that way. Slow even movements with little pressure seemed to work best. Silgar said nothing. I said nothing, though vague ideas struggled to make sense of themselves. I cleared my throat, coughed and spat out the result before I tried out my voice.

  "Why?"

  Silgar watched me and I watched her watching me. Her head tilted to one side, she considered my question. "Why not?"

  I shook my head and focused on the knife and the cord that bound me.

  "I don't like to be beholden to anyone?" Silgar made it a question, as though she mused aloud. Maybe she did. "You resolved a problem for me, after all. I feel indebted and don't care for it."

  I shook my head again, part denial and part pure bemusement. It wasn't all of it.

  "Caliran didn't hire me to protect him the way Sapphire protects you. I'm glad of that; it would have made my position far more complicated."

  Moving only my eyes, I looked up. I could barely make out her expression in the faint light; was that half-smile wistful? She wasn't looking at me. Her attention was focused elsewhere, across the lake behind me.

  "He has seen us now."

  I looked that way, saw that she was right. Sapphire was running flat out to reach us. The curve of the shore was between us. Behind him a handful of my men, Parast among them, were clustered around the huddled hostages. My attention returned to Sapphire as he sprinted around the shore. As fast as he moved, it would still take him time to get here. If Silgar were a threat to me, his effort would have been wasted. But whatever she wanted, killing me didn't seem to be it.

  "You were watching."

  Her lips twitched in a brief, private smile. "Your solution was extreme." She sounded as though she approved, her tone soft and warm for a brief moment. "Sapphire came too late. Imagine his frantic search. Imagine his fear of failure. He saw you take Caliran into the lake. Knew he was too late. Imagine his despair as he passed through Caliran's useless guards, killing them only because they stood in his way. His helplessness as he stared into the waters of the lake, knowing he could do nothing. Then his relief when he saw you move here on the far shore."

  "You envy him."

  She turned her attention back to me, her face hard and expressionless. "I pity him." Her expression softened a little as she looked past me once more. "Why do you think I let him live so often? Only because I hope he will one day grow out of his fanatic need for a master to give him purpose," she gave a bitter little laugh. "He is still only the product of his training, still what they made him."

  "And you are not?"

  Her gaze came back to me, hard and dangerous. "I choose my own purpose, and act to see it realised." She came gracefully to her feet and stepped close. "Give me my knife, now you are done with it. I don't want to stay here longer."

  I passed the knife up and she took it. She stepped back out of my reach and stood a moment, head cocked to one side as she assessed me. After a moment she shrugged. The knife disappeared and a moment later she held something else in her hand. "You are at the end of your strength, Sumto. So when you need to act, chew this." I barely felt the small and almost weightless object bounce off my chest and fall to the ground between my knees. I reached for it, so small a thing that I knew I'd lose it if I didn't pick it up at once. My fingers found it quickly and I gave it a brief look; as small as a pebble and wrapped in a leaf. I guessed it was a drug and wondered at her motives for giving it to me. I looked up to ask, but she was already several paces away.

  She seemed to merge with the half-light far earlier than would be natural. I closed my mouth, my question unasked. She was gone. I knew she wouldn't answer. It was clear that whatever her purpose was she would not tell me. I had no control over her or what she did. If Silgar headed for the city it could only be to kill someone. The irony that she would have been paid by Caliran with my money did not escape me. Maybe our paths would cross again. I fervently hoped that was not the case.

  I dismissed the thought. It changed nothing in the here and now. I was alone again. I needed to move. There were things that needed to be done, as soon as I decided what they were. Maybe I could still pull some gain out of the mess that surrounded me. Maybe I could still do something.

  Standing up would be a good first step.

  Getting my feet under me seemed to take an age to achieve. Each movement focused my mind a little more. It felt better to be moving, even though it hurt more. The pain gave me something to fight against. I needed that. My legs trembled but held me. I swayed slightly but kept my balance. I took a few breaths as I focused my will, looked each way, tried to see clearly, think rationally, make a decision. Sapphire was on his way. Maybe he would know what to do. Maybe I'd have a better idea than that by the time he got here.

  To stand and wait wasn't an option. I wouldn't be able to do it. I'd sit or fall and never stand again. But if I moved I might be able to keep going. I took the first hard step weakly, found I could do it, that it felt better even though it hurt more. I followed the first step with another; kept my balance and didn't fall. The third was easier. After that, I stopped counting. Each step took me closer to my goal, even though I barely knew what it was.

  A wracking cough stopped me in my tracks. I leaned forward with my hands on my thighs; I spat, breathed. The coughing fit left me shaky and weak and deep down cold. Unable to move for a moment, I stood like that and assessed my own state. It wasn't good, but nothing hurt more than it had. I steadied myself and straightened, ready to go on; found that Sapphire was there, a few paces away. I watched him as he closed the distance between us, saw him assess me critically. He seemed more satisfied with my condition than I was.

  When he stood in front of me, he looked across the broken plain and gave a little nod that way. "What do you want to do about them?"

  I shook my head. It wobbled. No offer of help. No expression of concern. Nothing but the next task, the next problem. He wasn't human.

  I cleared my throat, coughed and tried out my voice. "Who?"

  He didn't answer so I looked the way he had indicated, squinted through the half-light, tried to make sense of what I saw. There was movement at the tree-line about half a mile away. A lot of movement. In the light of the false dawn an army had emerged from the forest and begun to array itself there. The Lords of the Keeps had arrived. And they had brought their army with them.

  The laughter of despair and exhaustion is soft and brittle and doesn't last long.

  #

  "Well?"

  I didn't answer. Fear thrilled through me, releasing reserves I didn't k
now I had. I began to walk. A chill breeze blew out of the south and seemed to pass right through me. A shudder ran through my body but I pushed through it with my teeth gritted and my mind focused on what I needed to do. In the open and divided, everyone was vulnerable. If the Plain Lords attacked us, we were done for.

  I gestured ahead of us. He could move faster than I and there was no time to waste. "Go. Parast. Get the men back here."

  He didn't wait to question. In an instant he was gone. I fixed my attention on his receding back and followed as fast as I could. Behind me stood the trading post, an unknown. Across the lake, stood Darklake; in enemy hands. To my right, an army replete with individual powers whose abilities I could only guess at. Behind me, my men retreated. I had no idea where Meran and the other century were. Things couldn't be worse. I needed to draw things together. I needed solutions. I needed to think more clearly. I needed to act.

  When you need to act, chew this.

  Silgar's words drifted back to me. I had no clue about her motives, but I did know she didn't want me dead. If she had she would have just slipped a knife into me when I was helpless. I'd half thought to ask Sapphire to identify what the drug was, but there was no time for that now. Whatever the cost of its use, I'd have to risk it. With fumbling fingers, I unwrapped the small nugget of resin and popped it into my mouth. It was both bitter and sour; the flavour flooded my mouth with saliva. I swallowed. Warmth built slowly in my belly and began to spread. My pace firmed. My back straightened and my mind cleared as I began to incrementally increase my pace. My senses cleared. Energy flooded me in a slowly rising tide. I began to burn with it, suddenly as hot as I had been cold, as fresh as I had been exhausted. Confidence filled me. And strength. I began to laugh, flooded with a joy for life itself that I couldn't remember ever having felt. I couldn't contain the energy that flooded me. I needed to burn it off.

  With a whoop of pure pleasure, I began to run.

  #

  Fast as I ran, Sapphire still beat me to it. I saw Parast issue orders and a man move away around the other side of the lake from me. He would pass under the walls of the town, but there was no one on the walls. Darklake was no threat, not yet. They would still be organising, consolidating, celebrating. My mind rushed through the thoughts, my senses clear and the world bright. Everything was going to work out. I just had no idea how. It reminded me of being drunk. A wide grin spread across my face. Maybe better than being drunk.

  They saw me coming. Sapphire and Parast and the rest of my men turned to watch me. Their faces identical in degrees of concern and confusion. I laughed to see them. I wanted to hug them all. I'd missed them. I loved them like brothers; better than brothers. When this was all over I would throw a party for them. Dancers and drink, feast and festivity, laughter and light and whores, mustn't forget the whores. And gifts, gifts for all. Something for Sapphire. A sword - where was my sword? - it didn't matter. I'd fight my enemies barehanded and bare of armor; they would fall anyway. Victory was a foregone conclusion.

  The first flush of fiery energy began to fade but I hardly noticed. I slowed as I reached them, my grin faded to a broad smile; air filled my chest and each exhale was a pleasure. My legs felt shaky but strong. My whole body tingled, and under that a febrile trembling that sang of strength and vigour. I glanced around the huddled hostages and gave them a broad smile as I slowed to a walk and stopped an arm’s length from Parast.

  I couldn’t keep still. "We need to be moving," I told him, lightly.

  He gave a measured salute as he studied my face intently. I could see the doubt in his eyes. I wasn't interested in dealing with it. There was no reason to wait, so I walked past him. "Bring them," I gestured vaguely to the hostages. I didn't need to give them any attention either. Ultimately they would do whatever they wanted. And so would I. Everything would work out. “And the money.” Everything.

  I centred my attention on the town of Darklake and headed that way. The first thing to do was get rid of the hostages. If I returned them to their families they would no longer be my concern. Possible outcomes drifted busily through my mind but I paid them little heed. Whatever happened would be what happened and would be the right thing. Confidence and optimism filled me to overflowing. I only glanced back out of curiosity. They followed in my wake as I had known they would, Sapphire first and closest. A moment later he was by my side. I faced forward and continued on my path. He studied my profile intently but I paid him no mind. Whatever he did or said was fine. Or if he said or did nothing, that would be fine too.

  "What are you planning to do?"

  I wasn't planning anything and nearly said so. "Give these people back to their families, first." I gestured vaguely at the assembling army. "Then deal with them."

  He gave a nod, then a shrug, and then said nothing. That was Sapphire. Whatever happened was fine by him. We were like brothers; I felt that very keenly right then. That we were the same. We lived in the same moment, lived life the same way. No consideration of outcome, no fear of consequences. Just what seemed right and see what happened, and then react to that. Win or lose, succeed or fail, live or die, it was all the same. All the same as long as you did what you felt was right, as long as you kept moving forward.

  We were halfway to the gate when a troop of riders began to emerge. They turned our way and spread out as they rode toward us. They spread out and approached on a wide front as we closed the distance between us. There were fifty of them and only a handful of us. They were mounted, armed and wore armor. It didn't worry me. I focused on the centre of the line, where Elendas rode unarmed. One of the men beside him was Resh Ephannan. If there was violence I would kill him, and as many more as it took to end it. It wasn't an issue. Their loved ones were here; they wouldn't risk harm coming to them in the midst of a melee. None of the riders bore naked steel. They thought they had won just by force of numbers. They had seen the runner pass before Darklake; seen his goal; knew that he would bring back my men. Doubtless knew what would happen to them if I was killed. And that was the worst that could happen. It wasn't that it didn't matter. More that it didn't signify anything. Things only have the significance we attach to them. My death was no longer a significant outcome. The world would go on without me, and I would go on without it. Maybe that's the way Sapphire felt all the time; maybe that was how he could be so reckless with his own life.

  I took a quick look around me, to make sure I was aware of all that was happening. The army of the Plain Lords had completed its manoeuvring and was arrayed in strength. They could wait, would wait until I was ready to deal with them. My confidence and optimism were so strong that I felt no surprise when I looked to the north and saw movement there. There was no doubt as to what I saw or what it meant. It was a clear as the brightening day that it was the vanguard of Meran's force that marched into view at the far end of the pass. They must have forced the pace through the night to arrive now. I'd almost been expecting them. Of course they would come just when I needed them. The world was mine and marched to the beat of my drum. Everything would work out and be perfect. Everything was perfect.

  Resh Ephannan had also seen them. He called a halt and reined in his own horse. The line of mounted warriors came to a ragged halt. The illusion of unity collapsed as arguments broke out and some moved on to meet us, others pushing forward a few hesitant steps. A moment later they all came on again, their cohesion turned to confusion. The woman and children bunched behind me began to spread out. One or two passed me.

  I glanced over my shoulder and saw my men close up behind me, attention focused on the potential threat of the warriors ahead of us. They were too few to stop it and made no attempt to do so. They knew better than to attempt the impossible.

  The trickle of movement rapidly turned into a flood on both sides. I slowed my pace just a fraction. By the time I stood before Resh Ephannan and Elendas there was no cohesion left to his force. We were ignored by families joyfully reunited. Two women stood close to either side of Ephannan's mount, tea
rs in their eyes. As I closed the distance between us, he reached to exchange a touch and a word or two. Anista and her son were also reunited, but there were no tears there. Elendas watched me intently. Ephannan divided his attention between his loved ones and me. No one else paid us any mind.

  "You are no enemy of mine," I told them. "You have your people back, and I ask nothing in return."

  Ephannan cast his gaze over the men and women around us. They weren’t listening and I could see his dissatisfaction with that. The safe return of their people should have been a triumph for him, binding them to him. In this moment they were not a gift given by his hand, no longer proof of the value of his leadership. Caught up in the moment, the men and women here attached no significance to their reunion.

  I lowered my voice. "You turned your hand against me, but only because your loved ones were threatened. I have returned them to you and make no demands in return. Let it end there." He saw it and accepted it. With poor grace - but he accepted it. Whatever else he had hoped to gain, the opportunity was lost.

  "Elendas," I turned my attention to Anista's son and raised my voice as I did so; "Darklake is yours. I endorse your rule and will support it with force of arms should the need arise." I fixed Ephannan with my gaze and let him see my determination. "I do not expect that need to arise."