Lord of Dust

by Erme Lander

  Talia stopped and pointed at the bridge, “I remember that.” The supports had been hammered into the cobbles on the shore. A single line of wooden slats served as the flooring and rough hemp that didn’t seem strong enough, was used as handrails. The bridge itself dipped in the middle and bounced alarmingly as people crossed.

  “It’s a one way system, I remember!” Talia’s face had lit up. “Let’s go round.” She was on the bridge and several paces along when she stopped to look for him. Daniel gritted his teeth and stepped on before she had the chance to mock him. It was every bit as bad as he’d thought, only two feet above the ground and his stomach was protesting. No wonder Talia hadn’t thought anything of digging in dangerous places if she’d been brought up doing things like this.

  He concentrated on his feet and slowly walked out. He didn’t notice she’d stopped moving until he bumped into her. “What’s up? Lost your nerve?” The joke fell flat.

  “Something’s coming through.”

  “What?”

  Her eyes widened, “I said something’s coming through, we need to move. Not that way.” She grabbed Daniel’s shirt as he began to turn back. “Look!” He squinted, a rip in the air showed near the start of the bridge, a pair of hands holding it apart. Talia pulled at him, nearly making him lose his balance. “Move, we need to be above the water.”

  Daniel looked down and regretted it, they were still over the slime of the high tide line. The bridge shifted as Talia walked swiftly along, why couldn’t it have been better secured? He looked back and saw the nightmare grey man appear. Men, women and children scattered in slow motion and he groaned as an arm flashed out to crumple a man. No slow disintegration, the man crumbled, his clothes falling into a pile on the floor. Daniel went cold as the figure turned to look in their direction.

  Talia was well in front, he followed the best he could, fear prickling up and down his back as he tried not to look behind him. People were shouting from the shore, he could hear nothing over the roaring in his ears. A glance showed the grey man moved like a predator, stepping sure footed onto the bridge.

  “Keep going.” Talia’s voice was thin. He’d reached the middle, grasping both ropes, the bridge swayed alarmingly. The water was oily underneath him, the shadows of more buildings reaching up from below. The figure behind walked with perfect balance, not holding on. Daniel felt the beginnings of the lethargy hitting. He had to keep Talia safe. He was on the upswing now, and he found it harder to walk uphill. He placed his feet carefully, trying to contain his panic over the monster behind.

  A yell from in front of him and the bridge shivered. Talia. She’d thrown herself flat against the slats, hugging the planks with arms and legs. Her face was white as she turned to scream. What was she doing? Had she fallen? He kept moving, and glanced up at the people ahead. A flash of metal and his heart stopped.

  They were cutting the handrails. The planks felt a million miles away by his feet. No time, his arms and legs felt like lead weights had been attached, the grey man couldn’t be far away. The first rope tugged loose and he fell to his knees, frantically grasping for the edges through a cotton wool brain. The bridge twisted and he spread himself akimbo and wrapped himself around it as the whole bridge span upside down. Daniel’s shriek was lost in the roar from the crowd at both ends. The grey figure fell past him, expressionless and hit the water like a stone.

  Daniel hung on, his brain clearing – so close. He wiped his eyes against his upper arm as the bridge shivered and he looked up. Talia was pulling herself into the building and people reached out to help her. Others were waving to him. He looked up and down, only one way he could go. Slowly, he inched his way up, his arms and legs burning and remembered all the adventure movies he’d seen where the hero did this. He muttered to himself, he was never going to be able to watch a film again. The crowd were in party mood by the time he’d reached the top. He was dragged up and slapped on the back. He tried to return the smiles and failed.

  “I forgot,” Talia stood beside him. “That’s what they did when a grey man tries to follow. They cut the ropes and toss them in the water.”

  “Did it dissolve?” Daniel peered down, expecting to see the scum of dust across the surface.

  “Takes a while, but they do eventually.” A gappy grin from another man. He pointed across the upturned bridge. “Look, they’ve got someone coming across already.” A small figure had attached itself to the underneath of the bridge and whizzed down to the middle. A rope followed it out. A fiddling and the figure climbed nimbly up the other side towards them.

  “There’s a rope on the bottom of the planks. I remember attaching a clip to it and climbing across to reattach the handrails. It was fun.” Talia’s eyes glowed with her memories and she sniggered at Daniel’s grunt. She poked him, “Come on, you’re fine.” She laughed again at his scowl.

  “Up you come monkey.”

  The small figure had reached this side and was being hauled up. Daniel felt a shock go through him at meeting the bright eyes of a small child, he tapped Talia’s shoulder. She turned and froze.

  “Hang on while I tie the next rope.” the man grumbled. The child was having her hair ruffled and trying to wriggle away.

  Daniel stared. She was nothing like the child he’d carried to Dodie’s and yet the clothes were right, it was definitely Talia. This child was bursting with life, desperate to slide back down the rope. They connected her up and let her go, chuckling.

  “Who’s that?” Daniel had to make sure.

  “That’s Talia. Little monkey she is. Climbs anything.”

  “Where’s her mother?”

  “Bronin? She’ll be on the shore, looking for Talia. Right handful, she’ll get a slap for this.” The man sounded admiring.

  Daniel sighed in relief, finally they had a name. “How long until we can get to the shore?”

  The man waved behind them with a curious look. Daniel followed his glance and remembered Talia saying it was a one way system. People were already moving. He shrugged off the glance and dragged Talia towards the next bridge thinking that once he had his feet on solid ground, there was no way he was doing this again.

  Talia had been gazing at herself swinging back towards the shore. “I remember now, I really copped it for doing that. Didn’t care. It was fun.”

  “Maybe your mother was worried about the grey men,” Daniel murmured in a low voice. “Still, I’ve got her name now, we can find her.” He gritted his teeth as he stepped out onto the bridge, only one more until the shore. To distract himself he said, “I didn’t see anyone come through before that grey man. Did you see?”

  “No,” she frowned. “There are lots of holes here, almost like trackways. There’s nothing like this in my time.”

  He teased, “This is your time.”

  “Nob.” She sniffed. The insult lacked its usual sting.

  “What’s happening over there?” The tide was at it’s lowest ebb, figures were busy on the shoreline breaking down buildings. Others pulled full carts down the slope to add to the piles between. Shouts carried from the distance.

  “That’s the fish traps or will be.” She caught his puzzled look, “The tide carries the fish in. When the tide goes out, the fish get caught in the water trapped in the cup shape. The fishermen just wade in with nets. It’s easy.”

  Fishing without boats. So many ways to get food without hard work. A crash of a wall hitting the ground and he amended his thought – once the trap was built.

  “So, how much can you remember?”

  “I keep remembering as I see things. It’s all so familiar. It’s weird.”

  “Can you remember where you lived?” She shook her head. “Okay, I’ll ask.”

  When they asked for Bronin, a passerby pointed out a half submerged tower further along in the bay. A rope spanned the distance from a nearby building across the water to it. They saw a slender figure working along the tideline, picking items up and inspecting them.

  “The tide sweeps up
all sorts. Mamin used to sell the things she found,” Talia breathed. “I’d help, I was good at finding things.”

  A small coracle had been dragged up on the shoreline. The woman turned as they came closer and they both recognised Bronin. Daniel sighed, her stance was just like Talia’s had been when he’d first met her, wary and on the defence.

  “Are you Bronin?”

  She stood and stared, her eyes narrow. “You want to buy something?” Daniel became aware of Talia hanging behind him, mute in the presence of her mother.

  “No, we’d just like to talk.”

  “Not interested.” She turned back to inspect the ground.

  “We saw Talia back on the bridges.” She grunted. “Bronin, we want to know about the grey men, about...” She had her knife out before he could finish his sentence.

  “You leave me and mine alone. Do you hear? I don’t want to see you snooping round.” Bronin was actually snarling. The rest of his words died as she stalked to her boat and pushed it into the water, sliding into it with a practised swing.

  Chapter 23

  “So, what do we do now?”

  They were walking back towards the market, neither feeling there was much point in staring at the lonely tower in the water. Bronin had sculled away and climbed up the side, disappearing in through a window at the top. Daniel had pointed at the rope stretching from building to tower, “Could you climb along that?”

  “What, and have it cut? Not likely.”

  Daniel scrubbed his face in frustration and remembered Talia’s comment from earlier. “What are you going to need Radnor for?”

  Talia smirked, “I’m going to make me a clique.”

  “Is that the best you can think of?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just think, all the information in Kenderick’s rooms. All those people who are going to need it. You’ve got lots of contacts. You could help bring the nobs and the workers together so it’s fairer.”

  Talia gave him a funny look. “Me?”

  “Why not? Someone’s got to do it. Otherwise it’ll go back to what it was, a few people having everything and a lot having nothing. Look at this place.” Daniel waved his hand at the market, “You could bring this back, get people working together. They nearly had the right idea with the mills but make it so you have a choice, work for money rather than being branded. Somewhere it went wrong, you’ve got a chance to help make it right again.”

  She cocked her head, “I quite fancy having a lot.”

  “There’s not enough of you to keep going in the same way. You need to work together, otherwise you’ll all going to fail. Look!” Daniel interrupted himself, “There you are again.”

  They watched a darting figure go up to one of the food stalls and hand something over. A haggling ensued, the girl waving her arms and the stall holder joined in. The stall holder laughed at the child stamping her foot and bent to give her something off the stall. They watched her flit away and continued walking.

  “I’m hungry, what food have we got?”

  “Not enough.” Talia was grumpy at the reminder. They’d not planned to go anywhere. Daniel stuck his hands in his pockets and ignored his stomach.

  “Who are you?” The child stood to one side of them, her hands full of a thin bread wrapped around something that made Daniel’s stomach rumble. She was dressed in a pair of cut off trousers that looked too small even for her skinny frame and a vest. Light shoes had enabled her to sneak up on them. Her bright eyes fixed on Daniel. Talia shrank back.

  “I’m Daniel. Should you be talking to strangers?” He couldn’t resist asking the question, ignoring the odd look Talia gave him.

  “I’m Talia. We don’t get many strangers here, I know everyone. Where are you from? Is that your girlfriend?” She sniggered, “You’re holding her hand.” Talia jerked her hand out of Daniel’s and crossed her arms. Daniel was mesmerised, this Talia was nothing like the one he knew. She had a charm radiating from her, a confidence that nothing could go wrong in her world.

  “I come from somewhere else. We want to speak to your Mamin.”

  “She doesn’t like people trying to talk to her. You should try Estrella’s food.” She waved her full hands, “It’s good. See ya.” She darted away on almost silent feet.

  Daniel moved to follow and was stopped by Talia muttering, “Bloody irritating, wasn’t I.”

  He chuckled, “Still are.” Talia glowered and feigned thumping him.

  “So,” she repeated his question. “What now?”

  “I think we do as you suggested. Go and talk to Estrella.”

  Estrella was packing up as they arrived. “Not much left and it’s going fast.” A customer came up and she slid a flat bread out from her basket and scraped the last of something from the pot on her table. Daniel’s stomach rumbled loudly and he flushed at Estrella’s look. She pocketed the coin she’d been given and smiled kindly, “I have a couple left for a growing lad who’ll help carry.”

  The contents at the bottom of the pot were thick and beginning to dry, Daniel didn’t care. He passed a stuffed flatbread on to Talia and helped to collapse the table. Talia took the pot Estrella nodded at. He tucked the table under one arm and held the stuffed bread in the other, eyes watering on the spices.

  “It’s good,” he managed at Estrella’s laugh. Talia was nibbling at hers with a determination not to waste food, Daniel guessed she’d not tasted anything like it in a long time.

  “You’re from up over the wall aren’t you? Don’t need money up there, all done on favours isn’t it? Well you’ll need it here. Life doesn’t work otherwise.”

  Daniel hesitated and thought about the amount of holes Talia had said she’d felt and the casual knowledge of the grey men in this time. He took a risk, “We’re not from behind the wall. My friend can jump.” He ignored Talia choking.

  Estrella kept walking, her eyes fixed ahead, “That’s not good knowledge to spread around. A lot still can, a fair few have family who could. The grey men hunt those people, take others who get in their way.”

  “Can you?”

  “No and I’m thankful for it.” Estrella’s voice had gone flat, “but three of my cousins could. They were picked off one by one. My aunt died trying to shield Emilia. She was ten.

  “I’m sorry. We want to stop them.”

  “You can’t lad.” They’d come to a door, Estrella pushed through and motioned them to go up the stairs. Washing hung from the windows higher up, people gossiped, blocking the landings.

  “We tried to talk to Bronin. She wouldn’t. We wanted ask about her past, we think she knows something.”

  Estrella smiled and shook her head, “Bronin’s a funny one. I’ve known her for years, since Talia was born but I can tell you now, she keeps her mouth shut about her past. You’ll get nothing from her.”

  “How old is Talia?” Daniel asked, remembering the fragility of her bundled in his arms.

  “She’s eight.” He had no idea of how big a child was in relation to their age, still, she was older than he’d thought. They’d stopped on a landing and she motioned for him to put the table down.

  Daniel tried one last time. “We really need to speak to her, it’s important.”

  Estella gave him a searching look and reached over to touch the sleeve of his hoody. “I fancy that top of yours, it’s a nice colour. I’ll trade it for asking Bronin to talk to you. I can’t guarantee that she will though.”

  “Please try.” He shrugged it off and gave it to her.

  “Meet me down by her tower in an hour, I’ve things I need to get done first.”

  Daniel checked his watch and they started back towards Bronin’s tower. “Do you think she will talk to Bronin for us?”

  Talia nodded, “I can remember Estrella now, she’s solid and a good judge of character. You convinced her if she’s said she’ll try.” It was strange seeing the gentle slope of the ground reaching into the water and not the drop from Talia’s time. Daniel could see cobble
s missing and the occasional hole where the sea had sucked soil out from underneath.

  Two figures were sat on the slope further along, the coracle pulled up beside them. Dusk was beginning to creep over the sea, the shadows reaching out in fingers. Daniel shivered in the cool breeze and hoped his hoody was worth it.

  Estrella came up to meet them, “She’s agreed to talk. It’s up to you.” She patted his shoulder and waved off his thanks with a smile. Daniel and Talia exchanged nervous glances. Bronin stood, her back to the sea and watched them walk closer.

  “Bronin, we need to talk to you about the grey men.”

  She stopped him with a sharp gesture, “Why do you think I know anything about the grey men.” Her voice was low, her hand on her knife.

  Daniel swallowed, “We saw you come through, saw a grey man following you. We’re worried about Talia.” Not quite the truth.

  “You’re lying.” Her voice was flat.

  “It was in the future. We came back. My friend can jump…”

  “Tell me what it’s like.” Her eyes pinned Talia’s.

  She stared at her mother. “It’s like being stuck. You can’t move, can’t breathe. Nothingness all around you, sucking you in and the grey men come afterwards.” She hung her head.

  “How did you find me?” Belligerence.

  “I needed you.” Talia’s voice was nearly a whisper. Something caught in Bronin’s face. Daniel saw it flicker and it was gone.

  “Please, can we talk. We’ll leave afterwards if you want.”

  Bronin snorted, sounding like Talia. “Yeah right. I’ll take you first.” She pointed at Talia. “Come on.” Talia looked as though she was in a dream.

  Daniel watched as they paddled the coracle out to the tower. Bronin held the boat steady while Talia climbed up the side and he hoped he wouldn’t disgrace himself by falling into the water. The boat was barely big enough for them both, he froze as he was glared at for pulling his knees in. Powered by a swift figure of eight movement, they soon reached the building. Bronin held onto a metal spike to give him the chance to scramble up. They creaked as Daniel climbed slowly, hoping they wouldn’t give under his weight. He nearly fell off as the child’s head popped out of the window at him.