Flight of Fancy

Chapter XXXIV: DELIBERATIONS

After careful deliberation and a bad night’s sleep, the chairman of the Sages had to admit to himself that for the first time in his role as Number One, he was at a loss about what to do with the current situation. It was a strange feeling not being able to sleep. This had never been a problem for him before. As Sages, they had decided fates of whole nations and had destroyed whole civilisations to further their ambitions and nothing phased them. He himself had overseen the destruction of many innocent lives and hadn’t lost any sleep or shed a tear. It was merely collateral damage to the overall plan for humanity. Every war had casualties. It was only now, when faced with a problem with seemingly no solution, that he was finally realising what it felt like to be human and worry about things. There had never been any need to worry before because they were always on top of any situation, with people willing to do anything to climb the social ladder. Even though that hadn’t changed, there was nothing the Sages could tell their minions to do for them. No command or nudge in the right direction would help them this time.

Number One had to admit to himself that he would have to go in front of the Sages assembly with nothing. There was nothing of relevance he had to offer. He hoped against all hope that one of the other members would have something more constructive to offer. As far as he was concerned, all the angles had been considered.

Still, routine had to be observed, thus he put on his best suit, expensive enough to feed an African village for a year. Nothing less would be expected of him. If all else failed, there was something resembling a back-up plan in his head. It was something of a last resort, but if it needed to be done...

Hopefully, one of the other Sages will have some wisdom to impart.

He put on the suit, shirt and tie, meticulously, making certain nothing was creased, out of place and that everything was symmetrical. He needed to maintain at least the illusion of composure in the face of something that petrified him to his very core. A foe was at their doorstep, with powers unlike any they had seen before. This enemy could most likely destroy them without the Sages even being aware that anything was happening and their lineage would be forever erased from Earth’s history.

It wasn’t exactly the best time for such thoughts, especially when it was presumed he would show nothing but strength and composure, as befitting the chairman. It was very trying, though, to be in a situation, where he had absolutely no control. He was used to being completely in control at all times and on top of every situation and every person.

When Number One was completely convinced every part of his attire was in perfect order, it was time to go to the meeting room and face the music, so to speak. It was not exactly that he had anything to be afraid of, however the chairman was expected to be the man with the ideas and if somebody else came up with a better plan than him, then his position would be put in question. He himself would question his capabilities and eventually would have to relinquish his seat.

He walked slowly to the meeting room, trying to compose himself on the way there and hoping not to bump into anyone. This was no time for small talk, even though the Sages did not really do small talk. Still, you had to exchange pleasantries and your stream of thought would get disrupted. As luck would have it, the path to the meeting room was clear, even though it did not do much good. There was still no clarity in his head and no solution presented itself. At this point, he was even hoping for some magical intervention.

Nonsense.

Magic had no place with the Sages. They dealt with logic and outsmarting everyone else. That was how they had survived through all the years, continuously staying on top of the social order.

Number One was now dangerously close to the meeting room.

Just a few more paces.

Everyone in the room would see that he had absolutely nothing to offer and his backup plan was something a child would think of. It was so simple.

If you lose a game of Monopoly, just throw a temper tantrum and throw the board.

That was pretty much how ingenious his backup plan was. It had come to this – resorting to child-like solutions. In a way he hoped that someone would think of something better, however he also dreaded it, for obvious reasons.

The most important thing was that the sanctity of the Sages remain intact.

His ego would have to be stroked some other time. If another Sage proved to be his better, he would step to the side. When he first met the other Sages, there was nothing better. Now that he was in charge, it felt beneath him to just go back to being merely one of them. True, it was a privilege, but it would also be a slap in the face to his leadership abilities.

As he walked into the room, all the other members of the council were already there, waiting for him. There was a murmur of hushed and anxious voices all around him, even though he had walked into the room. Usually, his entrance commanded silence, but something was different. There was a sadness at seeing his fellow Sages like this. What were usually proud and dignified men were now nervous wrecks, ready to implode upon themselves. He had a feeling that there was no master plan.

Nobody came up with anything.

It could be deduced from the confused faces that nothing was resolved. He looked all around the room and not one of them seemed at ease, not a single person content and self-righteous about coming up with a perfect plan.

Time to start.

The chairman sat down in his chair in the middle of the desk at the head of the room. To the left and right of him were Number Two and Number Three. They would never challenge him. It was an unwritten rule of the Sages. They would not present a plan, but would only back up any solution he had. In case, he failed miserably, he would be expected to hand over his seat to Number Two. Number Two would thus be rewarded for his loyalty and given the opportunity to prove himself. Anyone else, though, could speak up and voice their opinion.

Finally, there was silence in the room and everyone waited for the chairman to begin speaking. He waited a few more seconds, calmed himself and began: “My fellow Sages, it is a very difficult time for us. We know that we have been breached by an enemy that is unseen to us and with much greater capabilities that we possess. We have all taken time to deliberate about a possible solution to this difficult situation. Alas, I must admit that my deliberations amounted to no great clarity. There has never been a situation like this in our history, never such a threat to our existence. I fear that any solution for this peril has been shrouded from me and I ask you, my brethren to offer your advice. If there is no clear course of action, we will naturally discuss possible contingency plans, which I have considered, however they would be beneath us and our intellect. Thus, I am hoping that any one of you would offer a more pertinent insight.

There was a silence in the room. Number One could make out hushed murmurs, but there were no distinct voices. It appeared that they were hoping for his input, just like he was hoping for theirs.

Number One waited a bit longer and finally another member of the council stood up to speak. It was Number Five. Number Five had always been a thorn in his side, often contradicting his plans and coming up with his own ideas. The chairman had to admit that Number Five reminded him of himself at that stage in his life, when he was trying to rise into the chairman seat, always trying to be provocative and in the limelight.

“Indeed, you are correct, Number One,” started Number Five. “This position is unlike any in our history. We have faced many foes and may dangers, but all of them seen and tangible, ultimately easy to control. It is the mark of a great leader to lead his people in times that are most turbulent, as is the case here, however you have chosen to put this responsibility on our shoulders.”

There was a gasp in the room. This was about as clear an insult as the Sages permitted. Number One remained in his seat and restrained himself from making any reaction.

Let him finish. Perhaps it is my time to retire. Let someone else deal with this mess.

“I believe,” continued Number Five, “it is the mark of an even greater leader to admit to his faults and ask for assistance. This is a burden that should be shared by all of us and should not fall on the shoulders of only one man.”

Number One couldn’t believe the turnaround in the speech. Number Five was actually defending him.

“I too am at a loss,” said Number Five. “I have no answers regarding this alien force or whatever it may be. What I do know is that we must find a way to make it as difficult as possible for this enemy to take what is rightfully ours.”

As he sat down, Number One realised that even though Number Five had officially endorsed him, he had also strengthened his own position and gained the respect of other Sages, who would be voting for him to go higher up their social ladder.

Soon enough, he will be Number One. But not yet.

Number Five had decided to play by their rules and not go for a direct attack. Instead, he had decided on a waiting game, where he would become the chairman in the long run.

Hmmm, thought Number One, this situation must be beyond him as well.

Number Five would probably wait out this storm and try to stake his claim when the waters would be clearer.

Very clever.

The chairman was impressed with the depth of logic and tactic from Number Five. It definitely reminded him of himself.

The room was waiting for some kind of reply and apparently nobody else had anything else to offer, so the chairman stood up again: “That was extremely well said, Number Five. I commend you for your words and I echo them. This is no time for division, we must stand united as one. In the past, we have always tried to abide by the wisest suggestions, regardless of the speaker. In these times, we must put out head together and come up with any plan that will enable us to continue our way of life or at the very least make it difficult for our opponents. We will not give up without a fight.”

All of a sudden, there was a better mood in the room and the Sages seemed more like the composed selves of old than the lumbering shells of even a few minutes ago. This filled the chairman with hope and he continued. “I have pondered about a plan that is almost child-like in its simplicity, however it may also be just as effective as child logic can be sometimes.”

As the crowd silenced, the chairman explained his plan in detail. At the end of his speech, he was greeted with applause and the plan was approved by all. Even though it had seemed like a shoddy piece of work, it was still better than anyone else had come up with, which was nothing.

So, it was time to put the plan in action. The chairman arranged for a meeting with Keffler. This was too precious to leave in the hands of the emissaries. They needed to deliver this task to Keffler themselves. Even though the chairman was too important to see Keffler himself, he needed to make the preparations for the meeting. He would put everything in writing, with great attention spent on all the details.

Nothing must be overlooked or forgotten. Our futures depend on it.

His future as Number One, however, was very much certain.