D. MacHale - Raven Rise

My head hurt, and not just because I had been beaten up.

“So what?” I exclaimed. “What’s the point? Let’s pretend you’re not lying. Again. Let’s say that everything that’s happened between us was all some huge philosophical debate that used the people of Halla as pawns. Why? Who are we trying to prove something to? Who’s running this, Saint Dane? What’s the prize? If this war is truly over, then it won’t make any difference if you let me know what’s going on.”

Saint Dane blinked. I saw it. He didn’t answer right away either. It was the best possible response I could have hoped for.

I smiled.

“It’s not over, is it?”

“It was over when you quit, Pendragon,” he spat at me. “It was the ultimate display of weakness. You are incapable of making difficult decisions. You flinch in the face of adversity. Your so-called morals have been your downfall. When you buried the flume on Ibara, it opened the door for the Convergence.”

“But it isn’t over, is it?” I said, goading him.

Saint Dane’s face grew dark. His eyes flared. He stood quickly and strode to the panel with the dimmer switch. He hit another button. The red drapes that covered the one wall parted automatically. I struggled to stand and look at what was being revealed. There was a long glass window, but it didn’t look outside. I had heard all about this place from Mark and Courtney and Patrick, but seeing it was still a shock. Hearing about it and seeing it for myself were two different animals. I couldn’t breathe.

The window overlooked a huge room that seemed to me like a cathedral. Or a big theater. There were multiple rows of green seats all facing the same direction, with a center aisle dividing them. It was exactly as my friends had described it. It wasn’t a cathedral. It wasn’t a theater. Roughly ten yards in front of the seats, was the flume.

“Look familiar?” Saint Dane asked. “This is the flume that was unearthed next to the subway tracks in the Bronx. It’s now the Conclave of Ravinia.”

The room we were in was some kind of private viewing area that overlooked the seats from a level above. To the rear of the huge space was a wide staircase. I saw people coming down and filling up the rows. They could have been arriving for a church service. Or a movie. Or a school play. There were all kinds of people. All races. All ages. I saw families with little kids and people who arrived alone. They all seemed to be dressed pretty well. Some had what looked like traditional costumes from other countries, and some even wore military uniforms. They filed in quickly and quietly. Several of the red-shirt guards were stationed around, leading people to their seats like ushers. They didn’t have guns. I wondered if the people knew they were robots.

There were two flags on stands up front, one on either side of the flume. There was an American flag and a red flag that had the star symbol on it. Saint Dane and I stood there, looking down at the growing crowd. He let me take in the scene for a few minutes before speaking again.

“This conclave is the prototype,” he explained. “The first. It will be repeated throughout Halla. I will admit to you, though the end result was never in doubt, events did not play out precisely as I anticipated.”

“So what’s different?” I asked.

“I fully expected you to become the leader of Ravinia.”

I laughed. “Me? You thought I was going to be like that guy Naymeer?”

Saint Dane nodded. “How many times have I asked you to join me? I felt certain that eventually you would see reason and take your place at the forefront of this movement. I was wrong. It was not meant to be. I’m not sure if I should commend you, or pity you.”

“There was zero chance of that happening.”

“Apparently. And so the honor went to Naymeer. He is now the Traveler from Second Earth and the leader of a revolution. Your loss.”

“What’s this all about?” I asked, gesturing to the rapidly filling space below. “What are they doing here?”

“Naymeer was given the key to Halla,” Saint Dane answered, pointing to the Traveler ring on my finger. “A key you have as well, but Naymeer was not afraid to use it for more meaningful pursuits than sending mail. He opened the door for the chosen. The Ravinians. They will be the leaders of a new Halla. The same will happen on each and every world. The truth of the grander existence of man will be revealed to those who are worthy of leading the way. Those people down there are the first. Many more are joining every day, from all over the world. They are not necessarily people of wealth or power, but they share a common philosophy. They do not tolerate anything less than absolute perfection.”

“There’s no such thing as perfection,” I countered.

His eyes flared. His lips curled into a smirk. “Not yet.”

I wanted to hit the guy.

“Weakness will not be tolerated. On any level. The advancement of our societies will be the singular goal. It is all about the greater good. There will be no room for pity or second-guessing.”

“And no room for humanity,” I added.

“Humanity is nothing more than an acceptance of failure. We do not accept failure. The goal is too great.”

“And what exactly is that goal?” I asked.

“Utopia.”

I had to let that sink in. Saint Dane really believed he was working to create an ideal Halla. Trouble was, there was no place in that ideal world for most of the people already in it.

“What about Third Earth?” I asked. “You destroyed an ideal society. That’s not exactly Utopia.”

“It is no longer about territories, Pendragon. There were ten territories but only seven worlds in Halla. Each will have to be torn down and stripped of its prior imperfections before it can be allowed to truly flourish. What happens on Earth is simply part of that process.”

“Do those people down there know that they’re setting something in motion that will lead to the ruin of their own society?” I asked.

Saint Dane chuckled. I was amusing him again.

“They know sacrifices must be made. They accept that. Part of their strength is the ability to make difficult choices. That’s why it was so important to reveal the true nature of Halla. They understand there is life beyond the few meager years they will spend here. They are working to create a perfect, eternal life for themselves as citizens of Halla. The same will happen on each world. It will begin with conclaves such as this. The strong will join together to unify Halla. There will no longer be barriers.”

Things were becoming clear to me, and totally overwhelming. The Convergence was going to create a single, unified Halla that was under the control of Saint Dane. For the first time, I was beginning to see how it might be possible.

“You know you’re a total hypocrite,” I said.

“And how is that?”

“You’ve based your whole philosophy on the fact that the people of the territories make dumb, selfish choices that hurt them in the long run. Yet that’s exactly what you’re taking advantage of. You’re tempting these people with the promise of some kind of perfect existence. Aren’t those people down there being just as selfish as anybody else? I guess that means you think it’s okay to be selfish, so long as it helps you get what you want.”

“There is a difference,” Saint Dane replied. “Yes, I’ve influenced these people through Naymeer. I’ve tempted them. I’ve given them hope for a better world. But in this case, the choice was mine, and I am correct. If Halla is to flourish, my way is the only way. These people simply recognize that fact.”

I looked at the demon, who was keeping his eyes on the people as they filed in. The room was nearly full.