Chapter 30: Charm (1/2)
“And what is this?” I ask as I get out of the carriage.
We are in the middle of a meadow off the beaten path. Besides Loth’s moving fortress there is also another one, an actual coach of outdated but solid make.
“That’s yer ride. I need to keep Asni and the wagon with me, ya know?”
“Yes yes, I was referring to the man.”
A prisoner kneels between Loth and Dalton. Sinead is standing a hundred paces away, busy drawing a pile of something in a notebook. From the smell, I assume it to be carrion.
“We were set upon by bandits, if you would believe it. We thought you might want some breakfast.”
The captive’s eyes widen in surprise. Having someone hunt for me feels like a bad habit to develop but I would not want this man's life to go to waste. I can indulge for a night, I suppose.
I draw closer and take in the man’s appearance.
Is this some sort of test?
“Is something the matter, Ari?”
“Loth dear, do not tell me you have not noticed what is wrong? This man is no bandit.”
“Excellent.” Whispers the wind.
We all turn to Sinead as he makes his way to us.
“I was afraid that you would simply miss it, Nightwalker. I am pleased that it is not so. As part of our agreement on safe passage, I believe I still owe you a bit of information and so I have decided to turn it into an impromptu lesson. Consider it a mark of appreciation for yesterday's timely assistance.”
The Fae pockets his book and pen then turns to me with his hands against the small of his back. There is an intensity and fire to him that even his gaunt figure cannot dim. He smiles, pleased like a well-fed cat.
“Trickery, lies, and deception. Those are the greatest tools of your kind. It is not the strength of your arms that moves nations against one another, but a well-placed letter, a forlorn love or a single word at the right time. We both know why it must be so, do we not?”
It is so because we would lose ourselves then lose our lives to a united humanity. There is no need to voice this, however.
“And how do they unravel, those plots and conspiracies? By the pull of a single thread. Find one inconsistency, unmask one perpetrator and the whole scheme falls apart like a house of cards. This is why it is so exciting, no? Patience and meticulous planning against paranoia and observation. The eternal balance of the secret battlefields. Tell the class, oh dweller in the dark. Tell us what you saw. And then I shall guide you on the next step.”
I am loath to indulge him, however I am quite eager to learn from his experience.
“This man smells like soap and his clothes are rumpled but clean. His beard is trimmed and I can smell wax. Expensive. His skin is too healthy for someone who spends much time outside in squalor. Finally, his self-discipline is admirable. He is ex-military and lives in town. This is a mercenary.”
“Precisely! Observe the clean shoes as well. Amateurs always get the shoes wrong. And the guns! Too expensive. Too modern. Outlaw outfits rarely manage to obtain uniform gear. No, we have been deliberately attacked.”
Dalton and Loth are only surprised but for a moment. Soon, their gazes turn calculating and our prisoner fear turns to stark terror.
“And before you two lovable meatheads take out the pliers and hot coals, I would ask your patience. I wish to instruct the Lady of the House in the subtle arts of suggestion.”
Oh, this is going to be good.
“What annoys me the most on this forsaken plane of existence is not the fact that your kind enslaved my own. It is not even my unfulfilled wish to regain my true power so that I may turn my jailors into quivering piles of flesh for all of eternity, no. What truly sets me off is how pathetically primitive your mind techniques are. You had millennia of existence to come up with something fun and still miserably failed! I know that good techniques are wasted on mortals, but still, for the love of art! You should not settle for mediocrity! It is thus my greatest pleasure to introduce you to this most hallowed of pursuit. Now, Nightwalker, how do you perceive your own Charm?”
“Like a rope.”
Sinead turns into the living embodiment of condescension. I need to learn how to draw properly so that I may immortalize the arrogance on his face if only to have a frame of reference when I eat him later.
“A rope. Truly. I expected so little and am still disappointed. Well, do you notice that this rope changes as you proceed with the manipulation?”
“Yes. It can be strong or weak, taut or loose and it frays under pressure, just like my tolerance for rude behavior.”
“Yes, hrm, a fair point. Obviously the strength of the bond reflects the depth of the relationship. Time and genuine care will improve it better than brute strength. The frays appear when you force your victims to do something against their will. The more unreasonable or absurd the request, the more they will fight it. Even the frailest human mind will buckle and fight if you, say, ask them to kill their own child.”
I hope he does not speak from experience, that would be rather distasteful.
“You will, if you focus, notice colors and patterns in your... rope. They are the marks of emotion. Not all bonds are the same. I find that love trumps all, though terror is a close second. Now, the basics. What do you think is the most important thing in manipulation?”
“Subtlety?”
“Wrong, though not entirely out of topic. The answer is: the other. You are not stabbing a target, you are painting a masterpiece. Every working is different even when it involves the exact same person. You need to understand your target to some extent so that you may obtain the best results. A proper session is nine parts eloquence and one part magic. Without eloquence, you will not even understand which are the best questions to ask.”
”Let me take an example. You, Vassal, what is the first question you would ask our guest?”
“Hum, do you have mates and are they on their way here?”
“Not bad! I’ll give you three out of ten. The proper question is: am I in immediate danger? What tells you that his 'mates', as you call it, are the only things that threaten your life? Hmm? What’s your name lad? How should I call you?”
The man struggles a bit before admitting to himself that this is not exactly vital information.
“Hendricks, sir.”
“And Hendricks. Do you believe me to be in immediate danger?”
Silence.
“Maybe a little bit eh?”
The man reluctantly nods.
“It’s not that the knife would have saved you. You saw us fight. Do you believe yourself fast enough to capture a hostage? Indeed not. Now be a good lad and drop it on the ground.”
Dalton pales as an open straight razor drops from the captive’s bound hands. Loth seems a bit displeased.
“First thing I’ll teach ye when we’re back is how ya frisk properly.”
“I’m sorry sir.”
“Now, now, do not let yourselves be distracted! Remember, open-ended questions! Do not let your preconceived ideas get in the way of the truth. Do not demand a flower when you could inquire about the whole bouquet.”
“What are you doing to me?!” Asks the mercenary in a panic.
Sinead considers him for a second as if remembering that this is an actual living being and not just the point of his demonstration. How does the puppet dare speak out of turn?
Before things can get any further I step forward and our eyes meet.
I smile kindly and brush a strand of errant hair behind his ear.
“Shhh do not worry, my friends are a tad strange, but I am here for you. You are safe now as long as we get what we want. You want to help us, don’t you? Help us then leave?”
“Yes...”
“Hendricks was it?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“My name is Ari. These men here just want to protect me. Do you understand?”
“Yes Ari.”
“You are strong. And courageous. Are you an army man?”
“Yes ma'am, I was a Marine before I signed up with this outfit.”
“A Marine eh? You served aboard a ship then?”
“Yes ma'am, I had the honor of serving aboard the USS Wasp!”
“Indeed! And you signed with 'your outfit' afterwards then?”
“Yes, ma'am, seven months ago, hrm. The pay is very good. You understand, I am sure.”
“Of course! Soldiers are never well paid, even during a war, are they not?”
“Absolutely ma'am. A disgrace is what it is.”
“And I understand that your current employer would better reward a man of your talents?”
“Yes, they do what needs to be done and they know who to hire for that.”
Keep him talking, keep him saying yes, build a rapport, make him talk about himself. Those are all things that I learned from my dad and from Achilles. I understand now that this is the heart of Charm. My ability to mesmerize is only one more tool in my arsenal and if I am not careful it will become a crutch. I will have to use it now, however, if I hope to reach the next part of our conversation. I place my hands on the sides of his head. He is close now. My cool breath ruffles his dark hair.
“It sounds dangerous.”
“Why yes, it is, obviously...”
“You have been placed in danger, my good Hendricks, by incompetent people,” I add with a frown.
“Yes, in danger.”
“They don’t know how to work with you. They didn’t know how to use your skills. Yes?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you think it’s unfair? You’re so good at what you do, and they waste your potential so...”
“Yes...”
“Truly unfair. We should do something about it. We are friends, are we not?”
“Yes.”
“And friends protect and help each other. Yes?”
“Yes, protect and help.”
“So we should go and see them, those that sent you here.”
“Yes, they are not far.”
“Truly?”
“Yes, they wanted us to bring you to them.”
“Us as in....”
“Either the bearded one or the blonde woman.”
“And that is why you were hired?”
“Yes.”
“They showed themselves to you?”
“Yes. Two officers from the continental army. Bunch of pricks.”
“I bet they looked arrogant and thought they were better than anyone else.”
“Yes. Yes! Just because they are still in service. As if they didn’t buy their rank! Hah!”
“This place is desolate. How would you ever find them?”
“Easily Ari, just follow the road west until you come across an abandoned farm with brown brick walls and a burned down barn. They are waiting there.”
“Thank you, Hendricks. Gentlemen?”
“I want to talk to those fine gentlemen promptly. Do hurry.”