There are hundreds of run-down, abandoned, falling-apart little bungalows around the outskirts of Metropolis. Lived in by the well-off, then reclaimed by the carnivorous.
There is the sound, from some distance down the road, of an engine.
It oscillates strangely-- now a roar, now a murmur, broken by the occasional cough. Imriel has learned more or less how to be a mechanic; he has not learned how to be a good mechanic. And his driving... well, as long as the road is straight, he stays on it.
But sometimes you just have to take an angst holiday to dear Québec visit the graves of the people who welcomed you into this fuckup of a world.
Chandra certainly doesn't look all right. He starts to shift out of the way of the motorbike as it skids to a stop, but he doesn't seem able to move quickly or with any comfort. In fact, the movement turns into him sitting down hard on the tarmac of the road.
He's talking to himself, quietly, swiftly. "...idea of 'cold hard science' is an illusion, for science is neither 'cold' nor 'hard'. Those are attributes that we apply to things that frighten or repel..."
"...us, things we don't understand. In fact, science is beauty, a way to get at truth," Chandra says to him, like it's the most natural thing in the world. "I-- I need to get home."
Hey, wait, that last part sounded almost normal. Hope for him yet, anyone?
"And to get at truth one must be willing to see every angle of every -- that way -- puzzle, which requires a great and deep imagination. Our physical senses..."
The house is not actually visible from here, but it isn't far away. He points with his body, turning slightly, lifting his face to its direction.
Not its approximate direction. There is no guesswork involved here. Chandra knows exactly where the house is.
Chandra stumbles to his feet and allows himself to be propelled along by Imriel, filled with the urge to be home, eminently greatful to this man for helping him to achieve that.
And he doesn't shut up. His mouth keeps on spilling out the quote from whatever its source, before switching abruptly to something in rapid Hindi, then spending a minute or so regurgitating complicated mathematical equations. Then it returns to the quote, which must be pages long by now.
There's a bungalow up ahead with a plank missing from the fence, and long cracks in the concrete of the driveway. Chandra's eyes fix on it as it comes into view.
But he's still used to the kind of trouble you can fight with a pair of daggers and a sword. Thoroughly on the alert, he half-guides, half-follows Chandra to... well, wherever the madman needs to be.
Will Imriel feel more secure if the door stays open behind him? Because the house is perfectly willing to provide that, so long as he keeps following Chandra down the hallway, towards the kitchen, towards warm air and the smell of cinnamon.
'Shelter' at some point shaded into 'residence'.
'Residence', into... well.
There isn't exactly a word for it.
'Tomb' implies that he is physically dead.
Reply
It oscillates strangely-- now a roar, now a murmur, broken by the occasional cough. Imriel has learned more or less how to be a mechanic; he has not learned how to be a good mechanic. And his driving... well, as long as the road is straight, he stays on it.
But sometimes you just have to take an angst holiday to dear Québec visit the graves of the people who welcomed you into this fuckup of a world.
Don't you?
Reply
Reply
...
???
!!!
Bringing the motorbike to a halt without killing himself or Chandra is a task, but he manages it.
"Are you all right?"
Reply
He's talking to himself, quietly, swiftly. "...idea of 'cold hard science' is an illusion, for science is neither 'cold' nor 'hard'. Those are attributes that we apply to things that frighten or repel..."
Reply
He dismounts with some difficulty, and regains his grace the instant his feet hit the ground.
"Are you in need of aid?"
Reply
Hey, wait, that last part sounded almost normal. Hope for him yet, anyone?
...Anyone?
Reply
The thought of not helping-- does occur to him.
He tells it to go and occur elsewhere.
Reply
The house is not actually visible from here, but it isn't far away. He points with his body, turning slightly, lifting his face to its direction.
Not its approximate direction. There is no guesswork involved here. Chandra knows exactly where the house is.
Reply
Clearly the thing to do is bring him home as quickly as possible.
Imri nods once and starts walking, steering Chandra gently by a hand on his shoulder.
Reply
And he doesn't shut up. His mouth keeps on spilling out the quote from whatever its source, before switching abruptly to something in rapid Hindi, then spending a minute or so regurgitating complicated mathematical equations. Then it returns to the quote, which must be pages long by now.
There's a bungalow up ahead with a plank missing from the fence, and long cracks in the concrete of the driveway. Chandra's eyes fix on it as it comes into view.
Reply
(what's that what's wrong something's strange something's up something's off)
...go. Imriel ignores the niggling sense of wrongness, attributing it to Chandra's obvious insanity.
Reply
If the hallway is a little chilly, then, well, that's easily attributable to stepping out of the sun and into the shade.
Reply
No.
No, it's really not.
Imriel gets a little tenser.
But he's still used to the kind of trouble you can fight with a pair of daggers and a sword. Thoroughly on the alert, he half-guides, half-follows Chandra to... well, wherever the madman needs to be.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment