Authors Note: This story is set in the world described in my story - The Recruitment. You need to read that first so you can understand this story.
On the Cliff, Overlooking the Sea
"There is pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is rapture in the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep sea and the music in its roar;
I love not Man the less but Nature more,
From these our interviews in which I steal
From all I may be or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal."
Childe Harold, Canto iv, Verse 178
Lord Byron
The old man stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea. His weathered face as inscrutable as the rocks about us; his eyes as grey as the sea below. A bitter chill wind blew from the south west making me shiver at the wildness of this place. Beyond the cliff the sea crashed into the rocks as it had done for a million years before and would do for a million more.
In the meantime, I took the opportunity to catch my breath. He'd spent the day showing me different parts of his property till he'd brought me to this clearing. While I was panting he was barely fussed. This from a man just over eighty and fifty years older than me.
"This is probably our favorite place here," he rumbled. "We hope to be buried here."
I wondered yet again how he'd managed to survive against the Government and the Paladins. He and his slaves Angelina and Linda seemed so isolated and vulnerable in this wilderness located in the north west of Tasmania. He turned towards me.
"We survive because the Land protects us Simon."
He was like that. Always answering the thought rather than asking the question.
"Um, I don't understand what you mean Ben."
He smiled.
"How did I know the snake was there Simon?"
I blanched at the memory of it. As we'd walked through the bush I could see and hear life everywhere between the trunks of the trees. Lots of wallabies bounding around, wombat holes half a meter in diameter and God knows how deep and birds making a thousand different sounds everywhere.
When I said walking what I really meant was I'd tramped, cracking every branch below my feet. He seemed to walk noiselessly, effortlessly.
Suddenly, he'd had me stop. From behind a rock a large, darkly banded snake slithered lazily across my path. It stopped to regard me with black, baleful eyes and then disappeared into the scrub. He'd pointed at the snake with his chin and simply said. "Tiger snake."
I shivered again. One of the most poisonous snakes in the world and less than a metre in front of me.
"I don't know. I wondered about that."
He smiled knowingly at me.
"Simon, you think I own this property. While true in civilized mans terms it is utterly false. I don't own the Land nor does it own me. I'm part of the Land as it is part of me. Whatever it knows, I know. Whatever I know, it knows. I knew the snake was there because the Land knew it was there. I know when others try to come against me because the Land knows. They may hide from me but they can never hide from the Land."
"You make it sound as if it's alive and aware."
"Alive, yes. Aware, maybe, but not as you know awareness. You have to surrender to it Simon, let yourself be part of it rather than be separate to understand. The easiest way to do that is to mediate in the wilderness, preferably naked. You'd be amazed at how much clothes keep us separate from everything in nature."
I'd been aware he was a naturist from way back. I was one myself though not in this biting cold air.
"The Land can also hide us Simon, just as it can keep me informed."
"How?" I asked curiously.
Suddenly he looked up, his eyes seeming far away. Then he smiled.
"Another time Simon. There's something I need to do. Why don't you head back to the house. It's down that trail over there a couple of hundred yards."
I wondered what had caught his attention but I knew he'd only tell me when he wanted to. I shrugged my shoulders and tramped down the hill.
...
As soon as he was out of sight the old man turned to face another man dressed in flowing orange robes, his head shaved smooth. He inclined his head.
"John."
"Ben," he replied quietly. "The Paladins will move against you tonight."
"Yes, I know. We're rather looking forward to it actually."
The monk nodded in understanding.
"What will you do this time?" he asked curiously.
"I think we'll join the trees for a while."
The monk looked about him with vision that saw more than just his eyes.
"Yes, I think the trees would like that. Like that very much," he said at last.
"So, what do you think of him?" Ben asked.
"I like him. I can see why you do as well. He has, as you say, hidden depths and a good soul."
"He reminds me of myself when I was young," Ben added. Then he snorted in laughter at himself. "God, that was such a long time ago."
His face became all serious. "Is he strong enough to win against her?" he asked.
"I think so Ben but nothing in this universe is certain. She's very powerful and well trained. She's also a fanatic who won't stop till one of them is dead."
Ben sighed.
"This is the bit I find so hard. I could kill her myself but he must face this test alone and learn the start of his real power."
He looked squarely at the monk.
"Please protect the girl John. She deserves better than what they'll do to her. They'll also need help with the police afterwards. And keep the Paladins and the Government off his back till he's strong enough to deal with them himself. One more thing, keep the illegal loggers out. I don't want them desecrating the Land here. I've probably scared most of them off but they're persistent."
"It will be done," John assured him.
They clasped hands.
"Farewell Ben."
He nodded and, without a word, turned and walked back down the path. The monk stood overlooking the sea, absorbed in the thunder of the surf as it surged against the rocks below.
...
With the men out of the house the woman slipped away quietly into the trees behind the barn. There she knelt in silent prayer before carefully hurling her thought far away.
'Father Samuel?'
'Sister. It is good to hear from you. Do they suspect anything?'
'Not that I'm aware of Father.'
'Are you ready then?'
'Yes Father.'
'Tonight then. Kill the whore Angelina. In his grief Lammond will be vulnerable. Strike hard and fast. As powerful as you are, you're no match for him if you give him half a chance. Don't kill him though. We've worked too hard for that. We want him alive and converted to the faith. We need his power if we're ever to deal with the Buddhists.'
'I understand Father. It will be done as planned. What do you want done with Simon Struan and the woman?'
'We're curious to know why he's taken an interest in Struan. See if you can find out why. Other than that, deal with them as you see fit.'
A chill smile crossed her face.
'Thank you Father. I know how important this is but I feel so defiled at the same time. It will be a relief to end it.'
'I know your revulsion at the role you play Sister. I share it. Soon it will be over and you can be cleansed. Now accept my blessing.'
The ancient words, spoken in Latin, were a soothing ointment to her soul. She stood up and carefully made her way back to the house, wrapped in the role she detested so much.
...
It was a gentle slope back so I let my thoughts wander over what Ben had told me. I remembered back to when I'd been recruited by the Neutrals. How they'd initially told me there were no individual mind controllers. They were either in the Neutrals or part of the Buddhist order or captured or killed by the Government and or Paladins.
While mostly true I'd learned there were a few exceptions. Powerful individuals who'd started off in the Neutrals but then left and somehow managed to survive. All of them liked to live in reclusive wilderness locations for reasons nobody understood.
While I appreciated being part of the Neutrals, there was something in me that called out to find out more about these loners. I started asking questions to learn more. However, I soon learned there was little to know as they were almost impossible to find.
Half way through the search my wonderful slave Sonya was killed in a hit and run accident. They never found the driver as the car had been stolen. She'd been mine for almost seven years and the grief I felt stopped me in my tracks.
Three months after her death Marnie came into my life. A lovely figure, not too bright, and with no children and dependents to get in the way. She almost fell into my lap and was easy to capture. I found out then that she was a rather shallow person but she still brought a light back into my life as she enthusiastically served me. I resumed my search.
Not long after I heard about Ben Lammond living in the remote parts of North West Tasmania. I decided to try and track him down so I could talk to him. Trouble was, I had no idea how to find him. We took a plane to Hobart and then hired a 4WD. After that we drove to the nearest town where I'd heard he lived, hoping to see what I could find out. In the end I didn't find him, he found me. He was waiting for us in the town as if expecting me. It was the first of many mysteries I was to find about the man.
The trail led to a wide clearing with Ben's house snuggled in the middle. There was a large barn out the back for the horses and goats. On one side a huge vegetable garden enclosed in a large structure made out of fence posts and chicken wire. I'd been told this was mainly to keep the possums out or they would gorge themselves silly on the food Angelina grew. A chicken coop was nearby holding several chickens.
Alternative energy sources were everywhere. A large collection of solar panels on the roof, a couple of windmills scattered around, and a small shed to one side that housed a large array of batteries. Behind the shed were a couple of large gas bottles. These powered the stove, the fridge and the instant hot water system. On the other side was a 20000 litre water tank. The smoke of a wood fire wafted out the house's chimney and the warmth it promised was very inviting compared to the chill winter air around me.
