As I approached him, he didn’t even look up from the clipboard in his hand. I made sure to scuff the heels of my boots as I walked, just to make sure he knew I was there, and he finally sighed as I stopped in front of him.
“Name?” he said monotonously, his husky voice flat with apathy.
I cleared the thickness from my throat. “Um… Elana Silver.”
Immediately, his head snapped up in surprise. His eyes, which were dark enough to look almost black, focused intently on me. “Wow,” he breathed. “It’s…hi.”
My eyebrows pulled together. “Hello,” I said back to him, my face betraying my confusion. This guy was easily three hundred pounds of brute force, but he looked almost nervous as he stared down at me.
“You’re the Blood Racer,” he said. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was in awe of me.
I sighed. “I guess I am. Is it okay if I go out for some fresh air?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “Certainly, Miss Silver. Certainly.” Reaching to the door, he rapped hard on it, and I could hear the sound of the lock clattering against the outside. After just a second, the door gave a metallic screech and swung open.
“The night is yours,” the man said. “My name is Gregory. If you need anything, just ask me. Feel free to explore the city, make repairs to your craft, fraternize with other contestants, anything you want. Just stay out of trouble.”
I gave a tired half-grin. “I don’t think I feel very troublesome. Do you know what time it is?”
Gregory fumbled in his jacket pocket for a moment before pulling out a shining, very expensive looking watch. “It’s just after five,” he said.
I nodded. That meant I’d been asleep for about six hours, give or take. Maybe tonight, when everyone had calmed down, I could get some more. Until then, I needed some time alone. I had never had the chance to explore Shiloh before. Now seemed like as good a time as any.
Rubbing my eyes, I suppressed a yawn as I walked past him. “Thank you, Gregory,” I said, patting him on the arm, which was solid as stone.
“M - Miss Silver!” he called after me, his face looking nervous once more. “Do you think…when you get back, I could…have your autograph? For- for my son, I mean.”
I looked at him for several long seconds, waiting for him to burst out laughing at his own joke, but he didn’t. He was serious. I wasn’t sure how to react. This huge guy wanted my autograph? Really? Me?
“Um…yeah, okay,” I said to him. I couldn’t deny the small flicker of enjoyment I felt as a huge smile spread across his rugged face. I turned to walk away, escaping before I could say something stupid and shatter his perception of me.
The docks weren’t nearly as full as when I had arrived in Shiloh. I didn’t dare venture down there, not while the sun was still up, but as I walked across the alley ways that led there, I could see that the crowd had almost entirely dispersed. That was fine by me. I didn’t feel like drawing any stares. Well…any more than usual.
My dingy attire and low quality leather gear made me stand out more effectively than anything. People looked at me with concern and confusion, and outright disgust in several cases, like I was a blight on their city, like I was ruining it just by being there. I was used to these kinds of stares, though. The people in Rainier were just as vain and petty. It had stopped hurting my feelings a few years ago.
I ignored the citizens and focused on other things, like the technology that was apparent in Shiloh. One look around the skies, and it was obvious. This place was like no other in the Dominion. Dozens of single-person hoverbikes and other small craft whizzed through the buildings, weaving in and out along unseen roads. From so far below, they looked almost like insects buzzing the rooftops. The bikes must have been how the majority of the population got around. In New Eden, they were more than content to walk, as they were in Rainier and Adams. Here, though, in the biggest city in the Dominion, I guess they needed a faster way to move. I couldn’t deny that I desperately wanted to ride on one. I doubted they had the capabilities to go very far beyond the city itself, but I still knew it would be fun.
Aside from the hoverbikes, I noticed that the taller skyscrapers were all built with large gaps in the middle of them, which were clearly meant to be places to park the bikes, or even a ship, and to make repairs, if needed. If I had to bet, I would have guessed that they were almost exclusively used for rich people to get in and out of places without having to deal with anyone else. This city truly was remarkable. Not in its technological achievements, though they were very impressive. It was remarkable how a city with so many people could have so little humanity in it.
As I walked along the shops of the main streets, I couldn’t help but stare into the windows, looking at all the things they offered for sale. In a way, it was exciting, seeing things that most people in Adams had never seen before. But in another way, it was sort of depressing. It reminded me that I had so little in this life, so few things to show for all I had endured. I supposed that the shops were meant to make you feel that way, to make you feel like you needed to buy the things that they offered. There were stores with fancy hair greases, shaving razors, whiskeys and other drinks, even exquisite gowns and jewelry that I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing. There were places to buy radios, decorative knickknacks for your ship, and shiny toys for children. Anything that the Shiloh residents could want, they could easily get. Even though I knew it was stupid and unnecessary, I couldn’t help but feel envious of it. These people never had to worry about any of the things I worried about on a daily basis. They never wondered where their food would come from, or their clothes, or if they could afford to fix a leaky roof at home. They were free to live their lives.
I had only been walking for about ten minutes before my eyes caught sight of a bright green shamrock painted above a shop door. Turning my head, I saw the words Canter’s Crafting written over the shamrock in black. I was immediately excited. This was Dan Canter’s metal shop! I told myself I would make sure to personally thank him for getting me this far in the race, and now was my chance. Without hesitation, I changed direction and strolled right through the shop door, hearing a small bell jingling above my head as I opened it.
Although he did much of the same kind of work as Nichols did, Dan Canter’s shop was much tidier. Items that were for sale were arranged neatly on shelves, and included everything from tools and various machine parts to clocks and metal prosthetics, similar to the one John Deseo wore. Just like with Nichols, I was amazed that one man could create so many different things.
As I let the door shut behind me, Dan Canter himself emerged from a curtained doorway behind his stone-topped counter. He was much shorter than I had imagined. He wore spectacles like Nichols, but his weren’t nearly as complex and intricate. They were just simple eyeglasses. His dark hair was slicked back on top of his head, and his face was totally clean shaven. Not even a mustache. He wore a thick leather shop apron, which was lined with various hand tools, but beneath it, he was thin and wiry, the polar opposite of the grizzled old muscles that Nichols possessed. I wondered if this was Dan Canter at all.
“The store’s closed,” Dan said, using a rag to wipe off the counter in front of him. “I’ll be open again tomorrow morning.”
I faltered in my steps, wondering if I should just turn around. But, since I wasn’t sure I’d have the chance again anytime soon, I stayed put. “Actually, Mr. Canter, I just wanted to speak with you for a moment, if I could.”
He glanced up from his cleaning and pushed the glasses up on his nose. He looked me over for a second and then sighed, nodding his head. I don’t know what he saw that made him change his mind, but I wasn’t going to ask.
I took the last few steps up to his counter and stopped in front of him. “I - I just came to thank you, sir,” I said, wishing I had thought of something to say before just barging in here.
Canter raised an eyebrow behind his lens. “Thank me?”
I nodded. “Yes. I - see, I’m in the ra
ce. I live in Adams, and I work for a man named Nichols.”
“Alastair Nichols?” Canter said, his face becoming brighter.
I nodded again. “Yes, that’s him. My name’s Elana Silver, and I just -”
Canter instantly stood straight up at the sound of my name, his eyes wide and excited as he stared at me. “Egads!” he huffed. “Elana Silver? The Blood Racer! In my shop!”
I was just as surprised as he was. I hadn’t expected that reaction at all. He’d gone from surly and guarded to ecstatic, literally within two seconds. “You know me?” I asked, as if the answer wasn’t ridiculously obvious.
“Are you kidding?” Canter said loudly. “All of Shiloh is talking about you! You’re an overnight sensation!”
I blinked at him, suddenly at a loss for words. “Oh, I…well, I…”
“This is wondrous!” he said, sounding like a young boy. “I would have gone to the docks to see the racers come in, but I had to keep the shop open. I never imagined getting to meet you in the flesh!”
He stuck out his hand toward me, beaming at me with a tremendous smile. Still reeling from his excitement, I was slow to offer my own hand. When I did, though, he shook it with more gusto than I would have thought possible. He may have looked rather slight, but he had an iron grip, for sure. When he finally released my hand, I clenched my fist just to make sure I was still able to.
I cleared my throat. “Well…I’m glad we got to meet,” I said honestly. “I wanted to tell you that…you’re the reason I’m still in this race.”
His eyebrows shot skyward and he looked happily taken aback. “Me? Whatever do you mean, my dear?”
I grinned at his expression. “The last clue I got, I didn’t know what it meant. I was going to have to go back a leg. But, there was a canteen that they gave us. And your symbol, the shamrock, was stamped on the bottom. That’s how I knew to come here. If you hadn’t put your seal on that canteen, I would have had to turn back.”
Canter clapped his hands once, very loudly, and cackled with glee. “Well, how about that!” he cried. “The Blood Racer wins the race because of me!”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “I haven’t won just yet,” I reminded him.
He nodded and pushed his glasses up onto his nose again. “Well, of course, of course…but you will, won’t you?” He froze in place, looking at me with his mouth hanging open in a huge smile.
“I will…definitely do my best,” I stammered, trying not to kill his enthusiasm. Luckily, he continued laughing and put his hands on his hips.
“My, my, my,” he said, still staring at me with stars in his eyes. “What an evening this has turned out to be. I leave the door unlocked for the courier, and who walks in instead? Elana Silver!”
Before I could respond, the bell above the door gave a sharp ring from behind me. Canter stepped forward and waved. “Ah, speak of the devil, and he shall appear!”
“Come on, Dan,” said a familiar voice. “You know I only do devil on weekends.”
I spun around and felt my face light up. “Sparks!” I shouted. “Never thought I’d see your bald head around here!”
He grinned and shook his head at me. “Fancy meeting you in Shiloh, Blood Racer,” he joked, sarcastically emphasizing the nickname. “I’d have figured they wouldn’t take too kindly to cocky little teenage girls around here.”
I punched him playfully in the shoulder as he approached. “Careful!” he scolded. “I’ve got post here!” From behind him, he pulled a large shoulder-strapped bag around to set on the counter top. Lifting the cloth flap, he dug inside and pulled out a thin, rectangular box, one that looked like it had been sealed and shipped dozens of times. Canter quickly took the package and tucked it away behind the counter. In return, he handed Sparks a very small, square box made of metal. Sparks stuffed it into his bag without a word, and the two of them exchanged silent nods.
“How is everyone?” I asked him. “Zanna and Echo? Mr. Nichols? They’re okay, aren’t they?”
Sparks slowly turned his head around to me in confusion. “You have been gone a day…they’re fine. Don’t have a conniption.”
I scowled up at him. “You talk a lot of crap for a mailman.”
He laughed and then shrugged. “Fine, I’ll just take yours back with me.”
“My what?” I asked, suddenly intrigued.
“I’ve got something here for you, too,” he said with a smirk.
I frowned. “Seriously? For me? What is it? Who knew that I would be here right now, in this shop?”
Sparks chuckled. “Calm down, you headcase. I was already on my way here, so I asked a few people around the Gap if they wanted to send you anything. That was yesterday afternoon. I also knew that Shiloh was the halfway point, and I had faith that you’d make it here.”
“She almost didn’t!” Canter piped up merrily. “If not for me, she wouldn’t have!”
Sparks looked over at him, and then back to me. “You wanna explain that?”
I rolled my eyes. “Later,” I told him. “I want to know what you brought me!”
“You know, a little gratitude wouldn’t kill you,” he said, fishing into his bag once more.
I groaned impatiently. “Thank you, Sparks,” I said robotically. “You are a selfless hero to us all, and I will adore and respect you always.”
He stroked his reddish-brown goatee. “Hmm…selfless hero. I like that. Well, here’s your package, then.”
From the bag, he pulled out a large, hemp envelope and handed it to me, giving me a wink. I took it from him, but was still in disbelief as to how I could receive a package in a city that was 2,300 miles away from home. “How did you know I would be in here?” I asked.
As Canter excused himself to the back of his store, Sparks yawned and leaned against the counter. “Well, I already went by the Villefort warehouse. You weren’t around. I was just gonna leave it with Rigel, but I didn’t even see him there. I figured I’d come deliver my post and then swing back by there again before I left. Maybe catch one of you. But we both got lucky that you were in here, I guess.”
I nodded. “Okay…but how did you know that Shiloh was the halfway point?”
“Give me some credit, Elana,” Sparks said, feigning insult. “When you’re as well-informed as I am, you hear plenty of things.”
I glowered at him and tore open the top of the big envelope, wondering what I had received. The package was heavy, so there was something substantial in there, for sure. As I tipped it over, a thick, ancient book slid out onto the marble countertop, followed by two pieces of paper and the brooch that Alice had given me a few days ago. I picked it up and smiled at it. I still had no idea what Helios was, but it felt nice to have it, like it was piece of home I could carry with me.
Aside from the brooch, there was a drawing from Echo, which depicted a yellowish airship that sort of resembled the Cloud Kicker, and a girl standing on top of it, a large smile on her circle face. It was such a sweet thing to see, and I immediately had to blink repeatedly to keep my eyes from filling with tears. I turned to the other paper, which was a letter from Zanna.
Elana,
I hope you’re doing okay. The whole town knows you’ve entered the race, and they’re all rooting for you. You’ve been gone since this morning, and I’ve already had a bunch of new orders for vegetables. I don’t have a lot, but I’m selling what I can. I hope Rigel isn’t mad, but it looks like I’ll be out of tomatoes for soup. For a couple weeks, anyway.
Mr. Nichols came by to see us. He made us some pasta! It was really good. He sent you a book, and he says to make sure you read it. He says it’s really old, and has a lot of secrets in it.
Anyway, good luck. Stay safe. And kick the tires.
Love,
Zanna
P.S. - Sparks is funny. He says I’m just like you, except more fun.
I chuckled lightly and folded the two papers to put in my pocket with the brooch. “She’s the fun version of me?” I asked, shaking my head at Spar
ks.
He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. “She, uh…she mentioned that, did she?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Standing straight, he slung his mail bag back over his shoulder and cleared his throat. “Just saying,” he said, his chocolatey brown eyes sparkling. “It wouldn’t kill you lighten up now and then.”
With another wink he spun on the heel of his heavy boot and strolled toward the door. “Hey, I’m fun!” I shouted after him. As stupid as it sounded, it was the best defense I could mount for myself.
Instead of replying, he just snickered and disappeared through the door, leaving the bell clinking behind him. He believed it even less than I did, apparently. With him gone, though, I turned my attention to the book that had come with my package. As I picked it up, I noticed a small note pinned to the cover. It was written in Nichols’ hand, but it was very short.
“Books are the key,” I read aloud. My brow furrowed as hard as it could, but it didn’t help me understand what that meant. Why did he have to be cryptic and vague, for crying out loud? I wondered if it was actually him writing the absurd clues for the race. I shifted my gaze to the title of the book. The leather cover was cracked and peeling, but I could still make out the words Ascension: The Future of Mankind.
I was about to open it and look inside when Dan Canter reemerged from the back of his shop, smile still plastered on his face. “I see you’re acquainted with our…postman,” he said, sounding almost nervous.
I shrugged. “Yeah, I see him a lot where I work.”
Canter nodded. “So you know…where he travels?” He peered over the tops of his spectacles at me, as if he really wanted to hear my answer. It was a little unnerving to see.
“Uh, well…he delivers stuff to…different cities,” I said, not sure what he was expecting from me. My answer seemed to satisfy him, though. He nodded and let out a small sigh.
The Blood Racer (The Blood Racer Trilogy Book 1) Page 17
