The Elders Read online

  Gustav stops in the middle of the square. “I see that the rest of my peers are here already. That means the meeting will be on time.”

  I look around. He’s right. Though masked, the Elders are easy to spot, and though Gustav didn’t explicitly say so, it appears the Elders don’t prefer the boring black, gray, and white colors. Instead, I see a whole spectrum of colors, from Victoria in pink to Alfred in orangutan orange.

  On the left side of the Square is a big black-and-white table. Gustav walks toward it, and as we approach, I see the twin Elders, Frederick and Louis, sitting opposite each other. Despite their masks, they’re easily recognizable. They’re each dressed in purple, with masks that are just strips covering their eyes, like Gustav’s. Their table has one of those checkerboard patterns on it, similar to tables in New York City parks. Fittingly, they’re playing speed chess on it. Given the number of spectators, their game must be an interesting one. It’s impossible to tell which brother is Fred and which is Lou (as I’ve decided to nickname him).

  “Transformative technologies are a double-edged sword,” one of them says after making his move. “Nanotech could lead to the deadly Gray Goo scenario, with nano-replicators gobbling up the whole world. Robotics and AI could lead to our extinction by a different route, with our own intelligent creations getting rid of us.”

  “Every technology has risks and rewards, brother,” says the other, countering a move, then hitting the clock. “The rewards have prevailed thus far. Nanotech can cure cancer and feed the world. AI can—”

  “Check,” the first brother says instead of arguing, and moves his bishop to B6 at the same time.

  The brothers continue the game. Their banter seems meant more for the crowd than for their own amusement.

  “They once played chess for two days,” Gustav whispers into my ear with something resembling pride. “Two Sessions that is.”

  “No way,” I whisper back. “Two centuries of chess?”

  “Indeed,” he whispers back. “They didn’t just play it; they also read thousands of books the Unencumbered wrote about the game. By the end of the second Session, they’d written their own books filled with new, revolutionary plays and unbeatable strategies. Of course, as you can imagine, it’s impossible for anyone to beat them. Unless one of the other Elders decides to also dedicate some time to chess, they have to play each other. The world’s best grandmasters and computers are no match.”

  “Checkmate,” the crowd around us murmurs.

  “Looks like Frederick will be our sacrificial lamb tonight,” the grinning brother says, finally allowing me to recognize him as Lou. “Gustav, what say you?”

  The old man nods gravely and walks to the middle of the square.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen,” Gustav says in a sports-announcer voice. “Today’s challenger will face Frederick.”

  People clear the middle of the square and go quiet. Everyone’s eyes are shining with fascination, but no one seems to want to volunteer for whatever it is Gustav is talking about.

  “Is anyone here brave enough?” Gustav urges, giving me a meaningful wink.

  The crowd thickens, but no one volunteers.

  “Oh, come on,” Frederick, the ‘sacrificial lamb,’ says. “I’ll up the usual prize to twenty years.”

  The crowd murmurs, but still, no one steps up.

  “Just think of it: twenty years in the Mind Dimension on the day of your choosing,” Fred taunts.

  At this point, I can hear people shuffling. The crowd parts as a lithe figure walks through.

  Though masked, I can tell the figure is female. No man has curves like that.

  She stalks across the space and confidently stands opposite Frederick. Something about her manner is familiar.

  When she moves into a fighting pose, I realize it’s Kate. I cringe as I remember what happened after she stood opposite me that way.

  Unlike me, Frederick doesn’t look at all concerned.

  “You may begin,” Gustav says.

  Frederick demonstratively examines his nails, a gesture that’s obviously meant to taunt Kate.

  Without saying a word, Kate approaches in that strange pattern I observed the other day and tries to strike Frederick.

  Only, Frederick isn’t standing there anymore.

  Chapter 12

  I don’t know how Frederick dodged Kate’s strike, but he did—so fast that my eyes didn’t fully register it.

  The crowd cheers; they seem just as impressed as I am.

  What’s really odd is that Frederick doesn’t counterattack. Kate clearly doesn’t care about that and goes in for another round.

  She’s moving more frantically. What she’s doing reminds me of how a martial artist would look in a sped-up and slightly pixelated video. All I see are limbs and legs, all aimed at Frederick, but none of the effort is doing Kate any good.

  She strikes at his head, and he dodges in that same lightning-fast manner.

  She tries to kick his leg, and he does something that, again, is too fast for my eyes to see. All I witness is the end result: Frederick is not there for Kate’s leg to kick.

  How does he do that?

  Throughout the fight, I don’t really understand his strategy or technique. My suspicion that he’s toying with her gets stronger. He seems to be giving the crowd a good show.

  Kate executes a barrage of attacks, her limbs reminding me of a jackhammer that’s been carefully programmed to follow some strange, mathematical pattern.

  Frederick dodges the lion’s share of the attacks, but Kate lands a few kicks.

  A grimace flits across his face.

  Emboldened, Kate walks back a few steps, then, in a blur, charges Frederick. This time, she, like Frederick, is so fast she’s nearly impossible to see.

  Before she can land a punch, something happens that my brain refuses to process at first.

  Frederick doesn’t do his super-quick dodging maneuver this time. Instead, he vanishes. Instantly and without traversing the intermediary distance, Frederick is behind Kate. And I mean, one second he was in one place, then instantly, he’s in another. There’s no mistaking it.

  Did he Teleport? I was under the impression it was only possible when you got pulled into the Quiet, but maybe that’s not the case. Alternatively, maybe the twins are working together, like in a stage trick. One of the brothers could’ve dropped into a hidden hole beneath the square, and the other could’ve jumped out of a similar hole quickly to achieve this disappearing / reappearing effect.

  Looking around, I spot Louis in the crowd, which destroys my ‘stage trick’ theory. I also don’t see any hidden doors in the square’s ground.

  The crowd cheers louder. I guess this makes more sense to them, since here I am standing in stunned silence instead of cheering alongside them.

  Kate’s back is to Frederick, and he moves as quickly as he did when he was dodging her attacks. He pulls the straps of Kate’s mask. Before she realizes what happened, the mask falls to the square’s floor. Shock momentarily shows on her now-bare face.

  I have to hand it to Kate; she still has some fight in her.

  She grabs his wrist and tries to use it as a fulcrum point to throw him to the ground.

  Then Frederick does that illusion-like maneuver again. He disappears from where he was standing and shows up behind her again.

  Kate’s hand is empty. If this were a trick, she would’ve had to be in on it and a good actress to boot.

  This time, Frederick does some kind of sweeping maneuver with his leg, and Kate falls to the ground, landing on her back. Having fallen that way myself, I know it must hurt like a sonofabitch, but she doesn’t show it.

  In a gentlemanly gesture, he reaches his hand out to help her up, saying, “That was a truly valiant effort, Lady Kate.”

  She mumbles something, and everyone claps.

  Frederick winks at Gustav, grabs his brother, and walks in the direction of the large gazebo on the eastern side of the square.

  “L
et’s follow them,” Gustav says. “With the festivities almost over, we should be able to get some privacy to talk with the others.”

  As we follow the brothers, I notice a few Elders heading in the same direction as us. I’m too perplexed to make small talk, though, still digesting the fight I just saw.

  “How did he do that?” I ask Gustav after a few moments. “I mean, I know from personal experience just how quick and deadly Kate is.”

  Gustav smiles. “Are you convinced now? Do you believe that if one of us wanted to make you Inert, you would be?”

  I nod. “If all of you can whoosh the way he did, then yes.”

  “Teleport,” Gustav corrects. “We can do that and more.”

  So my first guess was right. “People can Teleport once they’re already in the Mind Dimension?”

  “Only a few can.”

  “You mean just the Elders, right?”

  He smiles again. “Let’s save this for the chat we’re about to have. We’re almost there anyway.”

  “So this is how you crossed the room so fast back at the Castle,” I say, remembering how confused I was by the old man’s speed. “You Teleported?”

  Gustav takes off his mask. “I did. Now, let’s see how everyone is getting on.”

  With that, he enters the gazebo—our destination.

  My heart rate increases. Despite Gustav’s reassurances, the Super Pusher might be in this very gazebo. Furthermore, I now know I wouldn’t stand a chance against one of the Elders in a fight; that’s just transitive logic. Frederick did to Kate what Kate did to me. It’s not a comforting picture. The only thing that gives me a modicum of calm is the hope that the Super Pusher would not strike in front of the others.

  Unless Mimir’s message to me was, ‘Don’t trust a single Elder. They will gang up on you and make you Inert together.’ But no, that’s not likely. Given the distribution of power as it stands, them ganging up on me makes no sense, not when one of them would suffice for that task.

  With this not-so-encouraging logic, I gingerly follow Gustav.

  “Where are the twins?” asks Alfred, who enters with us. “I saw them headed this way.”

  Since he and the others have taken off their masks, I follow suit.

  “We’re here,” says either Louis or Frederick, and a few Elders move aside so Alfred can see them.

  “Victoria is the one who’s missing,” the other twin says.

  Everyone appears to be talking about the Celebration. Half of the Elders are sitting on comfortable benches around the gazebo, while the other half are mingling. As I look them over, I take comfort in the fact that not a single person here is wearing black, which further confirms what Gustav said: my attacker was not an Elder. Of course, if my attacker were an Elder, he could’ve changed his clothing, and maybe he hadn’t bothered using Teleportation when trying to kill me. On second thought, who says he didn’t? He showed up behind me without me noticing. Maybe it was Teleportation and not stealth? But then why run away from me instead of going poof?

  When Victoria walks in, flashbacks of our earlier encounter interrupt my thoughts. She winks at me as though she knows how I feel. I try to avoid looking down, so as not to draw attention to what’s happening there.

  “Yes, I know. I’m fashionably late as always,” Victoria says in a parody of Gustav’s voice. “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s not a problem.” Gustav ignores her jibe. “But now that we’re here, let’s talk.”

  Everyone goes quiet and looks at me expectantly.

  “What?” I ask no one in particular.

  “You’ve had time to think,” Alfred says. “What say you?”

  “I didn’t really—”

  “If I may,” Gustav interrupts. “You seem like a very curious young man. You’ve asked me about Nirvana, and you were impressed with Frederick’s ability to Teleport.”

  “Yes,” I say cautiously.

  “And I’m sure you’d like to learn about these things, as well as other things you haven’t even dreamed of?”

  I nod. “Yes, of course.”

  “Well then.” He folds his arms in front of his chest. “There’s only one way we can tell you these secrets.”

  “I think I see where you’re going with this and I have to say, I did have time to think about this whole business of peace between Readers and Guides.” I stop myself from squinting nervously.

  “And?” Gustav asks.

  “I think it’s a great idea, and I’d love to help.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Gustav says.

  My face clearly didn’t betray me this time, in large part because I meant what I said. It would be great to put a stop to the whole Pusher versus Leacher nonsense, and I would be happy to help . . . after I save my friends and family. That’s the part I leave unsaid.

  “I hope you don’t take us for fools.” Alfred rubs the top of his hairless head. “You will not learn any secrets until and unless you’ve proven yourself.”

  “That goes without saying,” Gustav says and looks at me expectantly.

  “Sure,” I say, my eagerness genuine. “How can I prove myself to you guys?”

  “To start, we would need to get to know you better, as we do with all Ambassadors,” Alfred says.

  “Okay,” I say “That sounds easy enough. What would you like to know?”

  “What he means is that you would live with us for some time,” Victoria says, her pearly canines flashing. “Given that four Sessions is what’s customary for a regular Ambassador, I propose we make it five in your case.”

  “I was going to recommend six, actually,” Gustav says.

  I look them over, not comprehending. Then it dawns on me. “You want me to spend six days—as in, six hundred years in the Mind Dimension?”

  “We know many people who’d give their right arm for such an opportunity,” says an Elder whose name I have yet to learn.

  “Right, of course.” I try to keep my tone even. “And I’m honored, but I kind of have something to do off-Island, something that can’t wait even one day. Any chance you can teach me a few things now, and I’ll prove my worth when I get back?”

  “Impossible,” Gustav says, his gaze darkening. “Part of the reason we need this time with you is so that you can understand which secrets are worth knowing and which are not. For instance, you’ll learn that Nirvana is an unfortunate waste of Reach—a resource that is much better spent on extending our Sessions.”

  Crap. I can tell by Gustav’s expression that he won’t budge on this. Still, I feel like I should at least try. “How about one Session?” I suggest. “Wouldn’t a hundred years give you enough time to get to know me?” If they go for this, I’d have to hang out with a bunch of strangers for an entire lifetime, but I’d bear it if the end result was learning how to enter Level 2.

  Gustav gives an adamant shake of his head. “Six Sessions, that’s the best we can do.”

  I conceal my intense disappointment and say, “I’m afraid I can’t do that. I really do need to get back. With or without you teaching me, I have to leave the Island as soon as possible. I’d be happy to return and prove myself later.”

  “In that case, you’ll spend this one Session with us, and then we can discuss the possibility of you returning,” Gustav says, his features tightening. “One Session won’t take any real-world time away from your life.”

  It’s true, but the idea of spending a century of subjective time in here while Mira and the others are being held captive feels wrong. Abhorrent, even. Not to mention, this would give the Super Pusher all the time in the world to make me Inert.

  I take a calming breath, remembering how good they are at reading hesitation. I remind myself that Kate just went through public humiliation over spending twenty years in the Mind Dimension. Indeed, people would give a limb for such a chance. If the Super Pusher doesn’t kill me, I could use this time to figure out who he is. Focusing on this, I try to sound as enthusiastic as I can when I say, “That sounds like a
reasonable request. I’ll do that much.”

  Gustav looks at me like a hypnotist. He probably noted my hesitation, but I hope he realizes that people hesitate before making big decisions all the time.

  Finally, he nods, almost as if to himself. “So it’s settled,” he says. “Why don’t you go enjoy the rest of the Celebration while we talk amongst ourselves?”

  Translation: they want to talk behind my back. And since I couldn’t be happier to leave them, I just say, “Thanks. I’m looking forward to getting to know you all.”

  It’s only after I leave that I realize I’m now without an Elder chaperone. If Gustav was right and my attacker was not an Elder, then I just became exposed. But hey, if the Super Pusher attacks me and I survive, I’ll be one-hundred-percent sure my enemy is not an Elder.

  As I walk, I notice there are fewer people around. The few who are here have taken their masks off, but most still wear their black kimonos.

  One such figure turns out to have a familiar face, so I shout, “George.”

  A few of the people look at me in confusion. George waves and walks over, and I notice he looks tense, his features tired.

  “Darren, what a funny coincidence. I was just looking for you.”

  “You missed some cool stuff,” I tell him. “Did you see Kate fighting Frederick? It was insane.”

  “I’m sure it was spectacular,” he says, not sounding particularly impressed. “Listen, I spoke to Alfred during the Celebration, and he requested that I introduce you to someone.”

  I feel worry coming on. If an Elder were the Super Pusher, Alfred, with his interest in history, would be at the top of my list of suspects. I dismissed him thus far because he’s a bit too thin to have been my attacker, but what if he asked someone else to carry out his will? Could George be taking me to see that same attacker now?

  “Is everything okay, Darren?” George looks genuinely concerned.

  “Yes,” I lie. “I was just, err, wondering why he didn’t mention it. I just saw him.”

  George waves his hand. “He wouldn’t have bothered other Elders with this. Besides, I know he thinks I’d be the better person to introduce you to her, even if I disagree.”