Finua

Chapter 38: Sonder Magi

The Long Table itself—the actual piece of furniture: a heavy black rectangle of ancient petrified wood from some sacred tree of life that had wailed in agony when it was cut down—when not being mobilized in the purple war tent, was fastened into a special seminar room, with high, arched ceilings and walls laced with intricate stone pillars, within Cerrex's tower. Lavender light drizzled lazily from above, although there were no windows and all surfaces were opaque, and everyone's voice echoed formidably whenever it was their turn to speak.

Vrelden, Cooper, Yusla, the Ram, and Anthruan sat with me around the Long Table. Kwer sat in her usual spot in the corner. Her face was blank.

"They're all so upset!" Yusla began proudly. "They don't know what to do! Here's the thing: when you tell someone a lie that is bold enough, wrong enough, indefensible to a fault, then what can the other person possibly say except 'no it's not?' Which sounds weak as hell, like 'no, you.' Not gonna change anyone's mind. But what else is there to say? If I go outside, and it's freezing cold, but I say 'damn it's burning up out here,' what could you say back? 'No, it's hot.' Sounds about as convincing as what I said, except I'm not restricted by reality and I can respond literally however I want. I can call you a thief, and repeat that it is indeed freezing outside. Now anyone who wants to check the temperature will hear that the person with one answer has been accused of theft, and one hasn't. All of a sudden, everyone thinks it's probably really cold outside."

"But the thermometer reading remains," the Ram pointed out.

"Now they're doubting whether the thermometer works," Yusla corrected.

"What happens when they step outside for themselves?"

"They'll see a bunch of idiots sweltering in full winter gear, and they'll feel like idiots themselves for going against the grain!"

Anthruan clapped his creepy little hands with approval. "Beautiful, I love it! Well done, Member Yusla... and of course, Lady Finua, on whose shoulders every operation now rests."

"Thanks, Anthruan," I said in a low voice.

"Okay, so now everyone has been tricked into hating each other," Vrelden said hypothetically. "Now what? What happens to these people? What happens to those of them who are our enemies? What happens to Flameeso and Berahd?"

"They'll start turning on themselves," I answered. "They'll start turning on the High Queen."

"You don't sound very happy about that," Lady Finua.

"I have a lot on my mind."

"Then please, share it with us."

"Are you fucking kidding me, Vrelden?" Cooper said loudly. "You know what personal stuff she's been going through. Quit demanding validation."

"We must all be mindful of others!" Anthruan said with fluorescent brightness. "Lady Finua, I believe this new underhanded agenda of ours will bring justice to those whom have escaped it for too long."

"Thanks, Anthruan," I said in a low voice. His mouth twitched.

"Now this whole propaganda train is Yusla's thing," Cooper continued. "So if the Dark Lady needs to take a break, for any reason, then Yusla can carry on without her for a while." She looked at me. "If she wants to."

I took a deep breath. Little did poor Cooper know that this was my "break," and that if none of these recent things had happened, I would have told Yusla to shove it, and probably would have moved forward with Vanessa's blockade idea. Hell, maybe I would have gotten over the whole Sh'raitha annexation and just moved on. Who knows?

"It all sounds very devious," admitted the Ram. "But in the end, we must ask ourselves, 'does it contribute to the Dark Mechanism?' Does it move society forward, away from the humane, and into the industrial? Does it accumulate capital for us?" He looked at Yusla. "Well, does it?"