He just sat there, holdin a cane, lookin at me, didn’t breathe a word. I started shakin, couldn’t control it. I think I said: Oh. But he didn’t stir, was it a dream? I kicked the stone, the mankurt waved his hand. I walked around him … waiting, waiting. But then … he got tears in his eyes. Shook his head, and a great big one dripped off his chin. Strange creature. I headed back into the woods. He waved after me.
At last I made it to a road. It was falling to pieces, at every bend I was worried the gravel would give out. And after … some time, I donno how long, I heard a familiar drone, it stabbed right through me … it was the weirdest thing, totally unnatural, I didn’t hear any technological stuff at all in the area, no robots, buzzsaws, engines, planes, no silver birds in a streak of exhaust … no traffic lights beeping, nothing. Don’t get that much anymore.
It was a junker, patchwork job, the guy took a start when I came outta the trees, but he pulled over. Hello, scuse me, could I get a lift? I had a humble expression on and more language tricks in reserve. What … where ya goin? he asked. Big guy, black sweater, older than me. And around his neck … silver! I couldn’t believe it.
He was a milkman with a pickup full of milk jugs. Came in handy. Did a pretty good business, I gathered. We rode along, he told stories.
He’d left the city. This here all useda be military, strategic area, he said, elbow propped out the window … vacuated alla the villages. Just opened it up now, after the revolution. Soldiers cleared out, Russians too. Was it a revolution, whadda you think? I gave some answer. Over there, he waved his hand, ya got Poland, over there Ukraine, this here’s Slovakia, I think, an over there’s nothin, he kidded. We had a good time.
I’ll drop ya in Usanica, at the train. How’d ja wind up here? Aw, just driftin, takin a look around … I hear ya, he nodded. Locals don’t exactly flock here, too superstitious. Couple Ruthenians, in the mountains, come down for vodka an chewin gum, that’s about it … only people we get out here’re city folk. There’s a family with kids nearby. An the one that herds. The locals … you wouldn’t believe the stories they got. Say there’s ghosts round here. Last time they had anything spooky out here was Bandera* an his crew. An sposedly … there’s some factory, from the war still. Buried. They say after the Germans left, the Russkies started it up again. Wives’ tales. Was an earthquake here, way back when. But otherwise there’s nothin goin on, so they still remember. The time the earth shook.
What’re you doin here? I inquired of Mr. Talkative.
Me … I found somethin! he said excitedly, and pulled over. I flinched, another wacko … He took me round the back of the truck and unrolled some blankets full of assorted unusual rocks …
Donno how much biology you had, but those’re trilobites! He lovingly lifted one and rotated it to give me a side view … I discovered caves, hundreds of em! His face was … happy. Gorgeous, they’re beauties … an there’s somethin else in there too, he said, winking. Flowers! Know this one? He pulled a deep orange flower out of his pocket and rubbed it between his fingers. Strong fragrance.
Sure don’t.
It’s saffron … there’s whole meadows of em, I’m gettin it analyzed, see if it’s mutated … you wanna join the team, we can make a deal!
I felt an almost irresistible urge … first I gotta go see my girl.
Bring her along, what’s stoppin ya?
You’re a great guy … I told him sincerely … would Černá … maybe, maybe not … it’s a possibility. But the main thing was, I had material for my dreams.
Word of advice for ya, he said back on the road … get a haircut, no point in stickin out around here … they don’t like it.
Don’t like it anywhere.
City’s different … out here everyone knows bout everyone else, even if they’re kilometers apart. They know right away when somebody new comes. Or disappears.
I don’t like the sound a that, I said.
That’s the way it is, nothin you can do. He kept quiet a while. Then he says … yeah, I’m satisfied here, the one that herds too … how long though I donno … there’s times I think I’ve found my place … an there’s times somethin tells me I should clear out while I can … there’s somethin strange here, that’s for sure. Just donno what. Where ya wanna hop out?
At the station. So this is Ušanica?
Yep.
Holy shit!
You’ll get used to it.
Keep goin. Step on it!
Standing in front of the station was Hunter.
I dropped to the floor, squeezin up against the metal. My new friend was understanding, he kept goin … was that a Russian? he inquired.
No. I donno.
Some Kazakh or Kalmyk or somethin … said the fella, he a deserter? There’s some a those round here, don’t wanna go back to Mother Russia, they want Germany. Yep, they’re real curious bout them over there. Dads hacked the place to pieces an their boys got freedom. Crazy how the wheel spins, huh? Been a long time since I talked normal with anyone. Also useda be Mongols out here worked in the porcelain factory. Mongol in a china shop’s what they say out here, good, huh? But it didn’t work out … with the locals. Surprised that one showed his face. You got some racket goin with them? Forget it, all they got’s rifles for booze, now the gangs’re gettin in on it … I warn ya, you look like a regular guy … Where ya headed? I gotta go to the lab … all the way to … Mezilavorie, know it?
Nope.
You’ll see.
The car wove through the concrete. The only living people were at the pepper market. But it was beautiful. Except for the concrete. Concrete. Formica. Tar.
Here’s where they put the folks from the woods, get it? Housin projects! Took their land. Blew up their houses, everything, gone. So there’d be nothin left to orient by. An they gave em TVs for free, get it? Like as compensation … yeah it’s obvious! What that musta done to em. Strategic area … ya know there’s no maps a this region? An if there are, they’re maimed on purpose. It’s gonna take years! Drunks lyin all over the place! An maybe this guy wanted me to run inta him, hafta toss him some change then. Never get away in this clunker. Yep, look at that, got his buddies around the corner, that’s what they’re doin all right, an I thought I was makin it up. He shook his head.