Written for Dannymay 2021 Day 24: Power

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Sam sat by Danny's bedside at the hospital. He had, despite everyone's best efforts, failed to wake up the last two days. The doctors said he was just sleeping, like the other recent coma patients, but… Well. They didn't know what Sam knew.

She was worried.

(Danny's teeth were flat. No sign of his venom. She would have liked to see a silver lining on the cloud.)

Tucker had come by earlier, but then he'd left. His family didn't understand the importance of Danny, not like hers did. Now. After Sam had opened them to what the world could be.

(And what a world it could be. Danny could lead them into an era of peace and tolerance, where everyone loved their neighbors. If only he were here.)

(One apple tree only went so far.)

Sam jumped at a small, polite knock on the door. An older man in a suit stood in the doorway. He held a briefcase in one hand and wore a fedora.

"Hello, miss. Are you Sam Manson?"

"Yeah," said Sam. "Are you with the hospital?"

"No," said the man, moving into the room and taking the other free chair. "But I do think we have something in common."

"Oh?" said Sam. Without taking her eyes off the man, she sought out the nurse call button on Danny's bed. "Do we?"

"Yes. You see, I represent a certain entity."

"An entity."

"Indeed. He is known to us, his followers, by a number of names, but the one we know to be most true is Clockwork."

"Alright," said Sam, "you have my attention. Who are you, and what do you want?"

The man smiled. "My name is Hortatio Gayne, and I only wish to share my knowledge regarding the… natures of our respective patrons. And perhaps offer some advice and support for a young leader only now gathering her flock."

"You make it sound so creepy," said Sam. She hadn't relinquished her grip on the call button.

Horatio shrugged. "It is what it is. We do, on occasion, have to protect ourselves from unfriendly listeners."

"Unfriendly listeners."

"Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to embrace what we know to be the truth."

"And what is that truth."

Horatio leaned forward. "That what we call reality is the merest shadow of a far greater existence, filled with glorious and perfect beings of the spirit we can barely comprehend." He sighed, as if longing, yearning for that world. "A world in which we may earn our place. A world we can someday hope to see realized, here. If, if, we work carefully."

"And that means… what? I let you run things for me?"

"Of course not! One cannot serve two masters well, after all. Your patron must have followers dedicated solely to him, of course. Given the closeness of your patron and mine, however, does it not behoove us to cooperate, to better serve them both?"

Sam leaned forward. "Okay, first off, I'm not serving anyone. Danny is my friend. We're friends. Secondly, before I agree to anything, I want to know exactly what it is you're trying to work towards or whatever."

"That will be a lengthy discussion."

"I've got time."

Horatio pulled back his sleeve, revealing not one or two but three watches on his arm. "Very well." He looked back at Sam. "Then I shall speak frankly. Through the powers of our patrons and their kin, who are also called the Others, it is possible to create a world without suffering. But only if everyone opens themselves to them and their power. Not an easy proposition."

This had been Sam's conclusion as well, except…

"Other than Danny, the rest of them don't seem all that friendly."

Horatio grimaced. "That is true, I'm afraid. But they do not act from malice, but a desire to understand us. We are so very different from them. Which is why it's important to handle them carefully."

"Meaning what?"

"'For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.' You've heard this before, yes?"

"Sure."

"It is the same with the Others. Only, compared to them, we are so incredibly small."

"Please don't do the ant comparison. It's so cliched."

"I am speaking more of physics than biology." He closed his eyes. "Compared to them, we are tiny. Even so, as much as they influence us, we influence them. The effect is difficult to see. A single human would have trouble pushing a train car. But several working in concert…" He trailed off, suggestively. "But it is important to work together. Hence the existence of ritual and rite." He put his briefcase on his lap and opened it, revealing a number of labeled manilla folders. "I have some items you may wish to build upon or take inspiration from. I have found them efficacious."

"You're talking about, what, mind control?"

"They enjoy it, by all accounts," said Horatio, shrugging. "Their range of emotions are much greater than ours. Their ability to love is…" His eyes glossed over. "Exquisite. Far beyond our own. And they express it with things like this."

That did seem to line up with what Danny had told her.

"What's the catch?"

"Catch?"

"What do you want out of this?"

"You mean, beyond the swifter realization of my dearest dream? I will likely be long dead by the time everyone reaches the enlightenment we have been so generously given, my soul commended to the eternal service of my patron, in whatever manner he wills it. But I intend to do everything I can to speed the arrival of that happy day and reduce the suffering of my fellow human beings." He held Sam's gaze, steadily.

She didn't believe it. Danny was one thing, but few people were genuinely altruistic. That's why they needed Danny so much.

"And, perhaps, I hope to gain the favor of my patron by aiding the one he considers a son."

There it was.

"Okay," said Sam. "And are rituals all you've got in there?"

"Oh, goodness, no. I have some recruiting ideas that might appeal to a young lady of your particular and peculiar means as well."

Sam sighed. This was still all kinds of sketchy, but the opportunity to build Danny's support network before he woke up was too tempting.

"Let's see them, then."