The Rail-Walker Pt. 1, Page 3

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  Even nightfall was bright this close to the opening of topsky. The rest of Newarth acted as a mirror, reflecting the light of the sun, like a sky-filling moon. The red dust of dry-land was colored by the greens and blues reflected from the world above. Night was cooler by far, but it brought with it a fierce wind as the far side of Newarth was warmed. The wind drove up the storms of dust, and the bleak red desert became a long swath of swirling rust. Here and there beneath the mass the reflected light from the far side of Newarth would be caught upon the steel and would send a shimmer of light back up. From the far side of Newarth dry-land looked like a swirling red sea each night.

  A man was sitting next to a telescope on the far side of Newarth. He was situated on a balcony, with a desk next to him It was arrayed with papers and charts. Stacks of books, as tall as the desk were piled up on his other side. He was just opposite dry-land. The place he lived was called Elysium. Elysium existed between the two great rivers Styx and the Nile. The names of the rivers were not lost on the young scholar, because in Elysium, there was food, and water, and for those who could afford it, knowledge. He could afford to learn, and he learned the things of the past. The legends of Old Earth were part of his heritage, as were the old wisdoms. He was writing down numbers on a sheet of paper. The pen he used burned the markings into the page, as this was more efficient than making ink. The numbers accompanied descriptions of what he saw. Night was the best time for mapping the towers of dry-lands. The towers stood higher than the dust, and so they were easier to pick out than when their shadows stretch out for miles and miles. He looked through the telescope and frowned. He checked the numbers on a chart that he set next to himself. He looked through the telescope again and wrote a few notes down on the paper. He would check this tower again when the storms had stopped. The tower that he had been anticipating was not where it should have been. Either the tower had collapsed, or the storm was particularly high tonight, and was blocking out the tower from view.

  The scholar continued to look through the telescope as he waved to someone behind him. “Send a message to the Transit and Navigation committee. Tell them a tower appears to be blocked out tonight. Tower number two-one-one-seven-five. They need to inform the shipping lines so that they don’t rely on that one for navigation.” He waited a moment, and then glanced over his shoulder. The way into his study was lit by low-light LEDs. There was someone standing in the doorway, but they leaned against the doorframe and didn’t seem to respond. The scholar stood up, “Hey,” he said, walking in the direction of his servant. “Wake up, the day has just begun!”

  The scholar stopped halfway across the balcony. The servant in the doorway was slumped against the wall, and his weight was not on his feet. The man was suspended by something pinning him to the wall, beyond the view of the scholar.

  A man in a dark green robe stepped out from behind the corpse of the servant. In his arms was a crossbow, which he aimed at the scholar. “Professor Andris,” the man said.

  The scholar, Andris, raised his hands, “Yes,” he said hesitantly.

  “You’re coming with me,” the man said.

  “Where are we going?” Andris asked, looking around.

  “You’ll know when we get there, and don’t try anything. I didn’t come alone, and if I don’t signal in a few minutes you’re going to lose more than your manservant. A fire in the library would be difficult to stop. That’s a great deal of knowledge to lose.”

  Andris gritted his teeth, “What kind of monster are you?”

  “One that doesn’t have time for stupid questions. You can walk out of here, or I can drag you, it’s your choice. Either way, you’re coming with me.” The man with the crossbow tapped his finger next to the trigger impatiently.

  “I don’t think I will,” Andris said.

  The man with the crossbow shrugged, “Fine,” he said, and then he shot Andris through the leg. Andris screamed as he collapsed. The wound burned, but not for very long. A few moments later a numbness began spreading from the arrow. Andris’ body went limp as the poison in the arrow paralyzed him. The man in green casually grabbed Andris by his uninjured leg and began to drag him back through the house. “Just so you know, for a genius, you’re a god damn idiot,” the man said.

  END