INTRODUCTION:
Hello readers.
Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Daniel Carson of the Horizon Initiative. The HI have been well known for their artifact related pursuits since before I was even a Wandsman. I hope this article serves to show a side of the HI's operations you all might not have considered before through the perspective of this fine gentleman.
THE INTERVIEW:
Q1: A simple one to start with, what do you think makes the Initiative special?
Unlike the Foundation, Global Occult Coalition or other groups like them, we operate on a different layer of the veil. No-one really cares about us or what we do. We're ants beneath the feet of men. It's freedom in a sense. Limiting in another.
Q2: Can you tell me a personal story from your past that informs who you are today?
I… sure…
[The following was told while staring out of the window intently.]
My grandfather was a falconer. Even to the end he was dedicated to the damn birds. I used to have to stay over at his countryside home every weekend. I remember one night, when I was twelve. He woke me from my slumber and told me to get my coat and follow him outside.
By then, I knew those woods like the back of my hand. But he didn't take me to the forest. We entered it, sure, but he just kept going. Before I knew it, we were in a large field I didn't recognise, not a man-made structure in sight. It was then we called his falcon, which in the moonlight appeared to be a vibrant scarlet colour. He asked me what I thought it was. I asked him to clarify.
"Look into the falcon, maggot," he said. I-I-I did.
It was incomprehensible — Like a fractal intertwined with rotting fractals. Like a fire constantly ablaze and dampened beneath a blizzard. I could not protest as he went on.
"The falcon senses weakness. It is always truthful. It senses a slither of strength. It is always deceitful. Like all things, it is a paradox, a mistake. You do not understand. You will."
He proceeded to angrily rant to me like a madman about his trade for an hour, all while that falcon glared at me. By the time he finished and dragged me back to his home, it was 4 AM. I couldn't return to sleep. The darkness just kept laughing.
I don't think he was lucid during the experience, he kept calling me "private."
Q3: I've heard you've been… strapped for cash, per se, as of late. How has that sort of situation affected staff morale?
Morale is like the tides. Ebb and flow. Not much to say on that front.
Q4: What does your Initiative think of the Wanderer's Library?
Mixed. To simplify: a decently long history.
Q5: Why did you accept my request for an interview? I assume, considering your position, you have quite the busy schedule and, correct me if I'm wrong, I don't believe you've accepted any offers made by one of the Wandsmen before.
Well, that is perhaps a lengthy story. I shall give you a shortened version.
I respect the mission you and your group have chosen to undertake. While I know you and me do not share similar beliefs, I believe you and your fellow Wandsmen have produced good work. I couldn't possibly undertake one of these interviews until I had properly engaged with your group's work.
Q6: If you could be any animal, what would it be?
I think you already know.
["A falcon?" I asked. He nodded silently. I asked "Why?"]
I… it's complicated.
Q7: Do you have any thoughts on the destruction of France?
Q8: Can you name three people who've inspired you most and why?
Hm…
Well first would have to be Director Eli Burgess. He is my boss, mentor even. He's everything I wish I was. I couldn't praise him enough. Second would probably be Raymond Baskerville. He's resilient, he's good at what he does. He probably wouldn't agree but I'd call him a friend. Third would be… probably my father. After my grandfather died, he took up the trade. He hasn't been the same, sure, but a madman is better than a coward.
Q9: What would you say has been the best moment of your life?
The last time I saw my grandfather with that blasted Falcon eating his guts. First time I wasn't scared of that feathered devil. It was just another beast of the earth. A mystical beast, sure, but a beast all the time. In the hours after, through all of the panicking and grief the rest of them had, all I could think about was the bird or whatever it was.
Its still out there, probably watching me.
[I asked him what was happy about it.]
That the falcon was free.
Q10: One final question, and this is a big one, what do you think the brightest possible future looks like?
I…
[He took a deep breath and stood, stepping closer to the window as he did.]
I don't know how to put it really. Like all things, the future is a paradox. I can't predict it. All I can do is hope.
CONCLUSION:
Special thanks to the staff of CHAPTERHOUSE-2 for being fantastic hosts. May the Feathered Forebearer watch over you all!
Romeo Juliast, Tenth Wandsman Of Overdurham — Devourer of Gerbils, Assessor of Ninja Horses, Saviour of Infinitely Long Spherical Magpies
