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“Nothing visible to the eye provides a reason.”
Johnny Truant, House of Leaves
“The US
Knights have long been seen as a renegade faction,” Erik said, his words
echoing inside Everett’s
attention. “Ever since their schism decades
ago from the knights proper of the rest of the world, as well as their
movement from the official colors of blue and silver to red and black, they
have been held at arm’s length.”
“You say that like it should
bother me,” Everett
countered with an indifferent look on his face. “I wasn’t aware that there was a governing
body of knights. Is their a
council? Some kind of democratic
process? Or is it a theocracy like the
Knights Templar?”
“We came here in the spirit of
good will,” Richard said coldly at Everett’s
left.
“No, you came here in the spirit
of meddling in the affairs of the US
knights,” Everett
returned. “And I don’t know why you
saw fit to seek me out, but…”
“We saw you on the road,” Donovan
said with a somewhat bored tone. Everett blinked. “Yeah, we were just driving by and I said
to Erik ‘hey, he looks like a knight’.”
Erik looked away in embarrassment, unable
to find the strength to confront Everett’s
gaze. “The point is,” the tall knight
across from Everett
said, “we want to reach across the pond as it were. We want to work with the US knights to
put an end to what we feel may be a very dangerous figure.”
Everett looked down, thinking. “What do you think he’s doing?” he
extended.
“We don’t know,” Erik said. “We only suspect.”
“What do you suspect he’s doing?” Everett asked, growing
irritable. “He’s gathering an
army. Okay, to do what?”
“Do the math,” Richard said
slowly. “You said he has some ‘weird
language’ that can work magic. He’s
raising an army. Does that not potentially
smell like disaster to you?”
“Sound, yes,” he said. “Is, no.”
He looked across the table at Erik.
“Look, okay, I’m willing to help.
But help with what?”
“Alan has tried to recruit you,
yes?” Erik asked. Everett nodded. “He will do so again. When he does, try to get information from
him.”
“And tell you,” Everett surmised. He shook his head and leaned back in his
chair. He sighed, looking at the lamp
that hung over the table, the bulb hidden by a festive cover. “What do you think he’s doing? I mean, worst-case scenario.”
“Worst-case scenario?” Erik
specified. “He’s going to attempt to
unify the knights under one banner.”
“That wouldn’t go over well,” Everett said, still
leaning back, balancing his chair on two legs. “The FBI is watching the knights, all of
us. Any attempt to unify is knocked
down pretty quick.”
“Do you know that for certain?”
Erik asked. “When was the last time
the FBI did something like that?” Everett didn’t
answer. “My dear friend, the FBI, like
many government agencies, is very busy with real and imagined threats. And a threat that is often well-behaved,
such as the knights, could easily slip by without notice. Moreover, if Alan’s ‘weird language’ is as
potent as you insinuate, then the FBI’s control might not be enough.”
“Then the military,” Everett suggested.
“And how would that look?” Richard
asked. “Knights versus the
military.” Everett thought about it for the
moment. “It is to the understanding of
most knights that the US
knights are still…sensitive about not being an officially sanctioned military
under the United States. If the military were to come to squash any
trouble, how do you think the knights would respond?”
“Badly,” Everett whispered.
“Everett,” Erik said, “we’re here in a
spirit of cooperation. We want to help
you. We also want the US knights to
rejoin the rest of the world. But that
has to begin by us working together and, at the moment, we may well have a
common foe.”
Cars shot passed the shopping
center. Its crowded parking lot was
sweltering from the heat of the day.
The electric buzz of the air was devoid of bird calls. Only the chirp of distant insects kept the
din of the passing traffic company.
Everett stood back as Richard and Donovan
got into the car, leaving Erik by his door.
“Please consider what we’ve said.”
“I will,” Everett said, almost grudgingly.
Erik turned to get in the car,
then paused. He pulled out a set of
folders. “I know you do not trust us
yet, for which I do not blame you, but perhaps this will help you to understand
some of our concern.” He held the five
folders towards Everett.
He took them hesitantly. “What’s this?”
“Dossiers,” Erik said. “On Alan and his four primary
cohorts.” He stepped back from Everett, giving him
space with the folders. “Give them a
read; you and your men. Get to know
the five knights who have come to your city.”
Everett
looked at the folders, then at Erik.
“And when you’re ready, give us a call.” He took a step into the car and shut the
door. Everett remained as they drove off, the folders
weighing him down.
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