The Free Radical

(excerpt from The Watchmaker by Steve Wilson from his 2013 album The Raven That Refused to Sing and other stories)

Any fool can pull a rabbit out of a hat, thought Rodney. But I was born into the Art… and just because you’re black– a Black Magician, no less– doesn’t mean that you’re hellbent on evil… just a little mischief, just to stir the pot, so to speak…

“Rodney! What are you doing?”

“Just look at yourself, you fool!”

“Remember the prime directive!”

Oh no, it was the Brethren! They’d always had difficulty keeping Rodney in line, but so far they’d kept him stifled, bottled up. They’d strong-armed him into to accepting his role as the eyes and the ears of the Forest, but Rodney was something more than that; he was the proactive urge that threatened to burst his heart if… if he didn’t do something!

Rodney took evasive action; he was in no mood for another scolding.

For two days already they’d argued back and forth, Rodney advocating an interventionist scheme, while the others were more than content to just let the One Life play things out in a more sanctified manner. But Rodney was impatient, and what’s more, so were they. They wanted Rodney’s intervention, his sweet black magic.

And besides, Rodney had spent time at the reflecting pool. He’d meditated– deeply.

He was no skittery waterbug, skating atop the mere surface of things. No, he was good and ready to dive-bomb the shit out of this reality!

The World yearned for a catalyzing event, something to rip off the painted mask of a floundering leadership. It wasn’t like Rodney was planning on creating something wholly new; even he knew that wasn’t his place. No, he just was going to work with the elements that were already in motion… and give them a little nudge… kind of like “accidentally” bumping into a stumbling, bumbling drunkard. Everyone was expecting him to tumble to the ground anyway; Rodney was just hastening the process.

What good was it possessing black magic anyway, if you couldn’t help the natural course of events along? Yes, Rodney felt the correctness of his view as he cawed the incantation. He waved the magic feather– which one was the magic one? That was something no raven would ever reveal, not even Rodney.

Now all that was left was to wait… and not very much longer at that…