Chapter 4: Sar'ha

Chris has surprised me with his actions; he doesn't depend on my knowledge of the Art but has appeared to have made his own version.

It was on the train that I found out that he could manipulate the physical world without any problems, in my world we have the limitations of the body which defines our power, if he learnt that from the Black Scrolls then it would mean that anyone could be all powerful.

Using the power from the train to revitalise his body and still retain enough presence of mind to return any excess to the machine was a shock to say the least, I certainly wouldn't have thought of doing that. There is more to this person than meets the eye.

Bringing me into his daylight world, without expending his energy or mine, is also something that I wasn't aware of, maybe I should be reading the scrolls ... but no, that isn't allowed to me, if my father even thought that I would touch a Black Scroll he would ... but then what would he do? Would he do anything at all?

I decided to wait and see, then I watched Chris work some kind of magic within the train although he avows that he used none at all, with just a few words he was able to induce panic within the carriage that we travelled in so that when the Guardian of the train announced that it would not stop until the final destination they began to revolt and cause damage to the train making it stop.

I challenged Chris about this but he stated that he only used something called human nature and not magic at all.

When we arrived at an Inn he did use magic to convince the girl behind the accepting desk to give us a room and lodgings within the Inn. The room had one of those television screens and the people were talking about the problems in the train, I expected Chris to laugh at their actions but he didn't.

I learnt that some people were harmed during this and berated Chris for causing this but he pointed out that he hadn't actually done anything, just their own foolishness had allowed them to be hurt, to be honest I couldn't really fault him on this.

While he was sleeping — for that read studying his library — I was able to learn more about how this world viewed Chris, they had hourly news reports in which Chris featured, he was labelled as a missing patient requiring medication to help to control him, I never realised just how sick he must be. But I put it down to the Doctor trying to impress upon the guardians that Chris was dangerous. Due to this I decided not to venture out into the city.

I slept until Chris awoke and ordered breakfast; he could have just refreshed his body and mind from the power in the room, but didn't want to do so preferring to do this naturally, I was now in the image form seated in front of him. I informed him of the news and he nodded.

While he was eating his meal I realised that he had an idea, "You've just thought of something?" I asked him but infuriatingly he didn't answer me but picked up the telephone again and spoke to the person known as Room Service.

He held up a small box and told me that it was his cell phone — a telephone without wires — and explained how people could trace him through his normal number, I have to admit that his explanation lost me but he continued by saying that he could talk to other people without the guardians knowing where he was.

There was a knock at the door and a man handed Chris a small package for which Chris thanked him, removing a small item from his phone he replaced it with the contents of the package and dialled a number.

He wasn't happy with the reception he received from the first contact but tried again before speaking at length with another, his name was recognised and he was able to tell his story — he didn't include meeting me for obvious reasons.

After speaking he removed the object from his phone and threw it away, then he went to a table where there was writing material provided, he quickly removed the decal from the top of the sheets and began writing.

After a few minutes he began complaining of an aching hand and so I suggested he move a computer to the room.

He told me that what he needed was something called a laptop which he didn't have but then he concentrated and soon there were several metal and plastic parts lying on the ground, but Chris shook his head. "It's what I wanted but not like this. I know how it's supposed to look. Oh. Construct the thing!" He said and immediately I felt his power take the parts and began to assemble an object, I could see items passing through each other, not around but through, until there was a folded flat case before me. Chris opened it up and showed a keyboard with a dark window, this was a laptop?

I shook my head, "Did you learn that from a Black Scroll?" I asked as I didn't know such a thing was possible.

Chris shook his head, "No, I just pictured what I wanted and then it happened, what's happening to me?" He asked me but I didn't know what to say, this was more than a master spell, this was higher magic. How was he able to do this?

Chris pressed a button on the laptop and the window lit up. He pressed on an image and a new screen opened up and he began to enter words onto the window, telling his story once again.

"Just have to send this to the papers; I have a list of addresses here!" Chris said and began a new program, merging his last work into the new program and then opening a communications — he told me that he was emailing the file to others to read. Then he sat back.

"That's all I can do for the moment." He said with a smile.

At lunch time we watched the television, the news was mainly of Chris and his report to the man earlier, I didn't understand as what they played wasn't the same as Chris had spoken, but the meaning was still the same.

Chris smiled at me, "That was better than I could have hoped, now all that is needed is for human nature to take its course" He said, but I still didn't understand what he was getting at.

Chris surprised me by getting up and going to the door of the room. "I think it's time to show myself outside." He told me with a smile.

I frowned, "But what about the guardians will they not try to stop you?" I asked him.

He laughed, "I expect them to and with the aid of the Art I'm going to let them." He said which told me nothing.

I had no choice but to go with him, although he allowed me to share his consciousness I was still tied to his body, as we descended in the lift there was a woman with a young girl, she was about 4 cycles old, the girl kept looking at me. I smiled at her and she smiled back.

She pulled on her mother's hand and whispered something. "No Natalie there's nobody there." The woman said with a sigh, Chris glanced at the woman and then at me. I nodded my head.

"Perhaps she can see my invisible friend," he said with a smile, "I've been told by others that she's always with me, so Natalie's a very special young lady." He added as the lift made a tone and the doors opened, we left the lift leaving the woman open mouthed and Natalie waving goodbye to me, I waved back to her.

"How can people see you?" Chris asked me surprised.

I shook my head, "I would think that she has some power within her, if she was trained then she would become an apprentice in the Art." I said

"How would you approach someone that young?" Chris asked me.

"In my world the families approach a master and then he would test the child and give them a training schedule, but here... ?" I couldn't finish as there was no masters to train them.

"So what she needs is someone to watch her and to guide her," he said and thought for a moment. "Casper." He said to the air and then a light appeared in front of us, Chris smiled, "you know what to do?" He said and the light bobbed before flying back to the hotel.

"What have you done?" I asked him

"Given her a chance, don't worry only she will be able to see Casper and when she learns more about him she'll find me." He said and then raised his hand to stop any further questions.

I was thinking about what he had done, he's decided that he would take the mantle of a Master and train her? But how would he know what to do? I didn't know how to counsel him but then a vehicle arrived and Chris sat in the back I, perforce, sat with him.

"The Pump Room please." He said to the driver and sat back as the vehicle drove away.

I watched the driver as he glanced in the mirror, "Just visiting Bath mate?" He asked.

Chris smiled, "Yeah, I was going to Cardiff but with all the fuss yesterday I decided to stop here." He told the man.

"You were on that train, what a bummer. You know who I blame, the blasted foreigners that's who." The driver said dismissing any other possibilities.

Chris shook his head, "You're probably right." he said smiling.

"I know I'm right, I mean it's all their fault that we're in this recession, I was listening to a passenger and he was going on about it, he must know something." The driver was in full flow.

"Oh well, that's settles it then, it must be true." Chris was smiling to himself.

"Of course it's true; you shouldn't believe everything them people say on the tele, they just mouthing what they've been told."

"That's certainly true, I know someone who's been framed as something he isn't, but that's going to change soon." Chris said as the vehicle came to a stop.

"Really? Who's the guy?" The driver asked as he took Chris's money.

Chris smiled and left the vehicle, "Me." He said simply.

The driver blinked and then looked closely at Chris, "'ere your that Beaker bloke the cops are looking for, you're supposed to be dangerous." He said

Chris nodded, "Well you know what they say, 'you can't believe everything they say!'" he repeated the driver's words and then walked away. I watched as the driver picked up an instrument and began speaking into it

"You know he's telling others that he's met you." I said to Chris who nodded.

"That's what I wanted; the police will be informed that the dangerous patient is now in the centre of Bath, near a highly visible part of the city." Chris said and then dodged some youths riding two wheeled vehicles without regards for others using the area.

"Get out of the way you stupid fucker." One of the youths said as he approached.

Chris shook his head and muttered something and the youth was on the floor, his transport had transformed in to a rusted pile. Chris walked up to the youth and pulled him to his feet. "Now you listen to me punk, I don't care about you or your bike; you will obey the law or worse will happen to you. Now get out of here!" Chris pushed him away and then looked at me. "I knew someone who was seriously injured thanks to idiots like him. I just had to make a point." He said.

We spent some time looking around the large bathing area which I learnt was built over a thousand years ago by some invaders. I noticed that Chris kept looking around for something and so I asked him what was wrong.

"I expected to have the police - that's the guardians to you Sar'ha - to be here to arrest me, I don't understand why they're not." He said.

"Perhaps you're still affected by the hiding spell?" I said knowing that until Chris decided to reveal himself he wouldn't be noticed.

He smacked his hand on his forehead, "Of course, they'd have to rely on CCTV to find me and then..." He muttered a few words and I felt the hiding spell dissipate, "that's better, now we'll see action." He said.

I heard a commotion from behind us and looked back, there were several men dressed in blue approaching, I pointed this out to Chris who smiled. "Now for the fun." He said and turned around with his arms away from his body.

The first man who approached us stopped and regarded Chris. "Excuse me sir, but are you Christopher Beaker?"

Chris nodded his head, "Yes I am officer, and I take it you want to arrest me. Can I ask what for, I mean what crime have I committed?"